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CF outreach and action meeting info 9-27-01 |
The Concerned Friends of WBAI Action & Outreach Committees will meet [met] Thursday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at A DIFFERENT LOCATION - the National Lawyers Guild, 126 University Place, 5th floor, between 13th & 14th Sts. (any train to Union Square). This is a key meeting as it will be our first time to strategize since the outrageous Board-packing that occurred last week, plus the illegitimate appointment of Bob Daughtry as new Station Manager. Of course we will also spend time in our separate committees. I'm reposting (pasted below) the email I sent last week with a compilation of various ideas that different folks have proposed. I'm not necessarily endorsing all of these (though some are my own), but offering them to spark discussion. Bob Lederer ***************************** >Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 16:18:29 -0400 >To: wbaiaction@yahoogroups.com, wbaioutreach@yahoogroups.com, >wbaicoord@yahoogroups.com, wbaicoordcomm@yahoogroups.com >From: Bob Lederer ledererbob@usa.net Subject: Ideas for the next period Concerned Friends - The last week has brought our free-Pacifica movement severe setbacks -- the derailment due to the WTC/Pentagon attacks and the resulting war drive and upsurge in racist attacks, the outrageous Pacifica board packing (permitted by the judge), and the imposition of a new illegal Pacifica appointee to run WBAI. It looks bleak, but the good news is that the multiple crises have sparked creative thinking about the path forward. What follows is merely a compilation of various people's (including some of my own) tentative ideas about projects that would help us move forward, reach more people, and gain the momentum we need for this next, longer phase of the struggle. Obviously, some of them could only be done cooperatively with other groups, whether NY-based or national. Some caveats: This is obviously more than we could take on now; I don't necessarily agree with everything on this list; and I'm sure others have many other suggestions not reflected here. I merely offer these preliminary ideas to stimulate thinking and help get the conversation going. Bob Lederer ************************************* IMMEDIATE 1) CF should adopt a statement condemning the drive to war and racist attacks, and linking it to Pacifica's historic mission to promote peace and understanding 2) Before PNB emergency mtg to review status of Democracy Now (no later than 10/3): Initiate national pressure campaign on PNB to restore DN & its staff also demand that "meeting" be in person, not via conference call 3) Pressure Daughtry & his bosses -- demand Daughtry meet with staff (fired, banned & current), LAB & listeners, and that he resign -- ask organizations for resolutions demanding Daughtry's resignation -- campaign to pressure PNB to remove Daughtry because of selection without local input -- mass demo at the station 4) Build the boycott for Oct. pledge drive; related: reach out to progressive activists re: BAI airtime (boycott or protest if you go on) 5) National mobilization to protest Oct. 27-28 PNB meeting (city unknown) 6) Call for a Free-Pacifica summit conference, maybe Oct. 29? in same city as PNB mtg ONGOING and/or LONG-TERM 1) Link forces with anti-war/anti-racist movement -- urge newly formed anti-war/anti-racist working groups to take on some of our projects --contribute speakers to teach-ins --inject our issues into fact-sheets --get our links on websites --include our events on calendar 2) Coalesce with & build pressure campaigns on mainstream media, including Pacifica -- phone/email campaigns against media outlets, including BAI, that exclude anti-war & anti-racist voices -- demos and marches against same -- meet with FAIR 3) Ongoing pressure on PNB to resign (and perhaps other demands) -- allocate money for calling cards to do phone banking after meetings for calls to PNB members 4) Support the lawsuits against PNB -- fundraising 5) Build alternative media institutions -- aggressively leaflet & email to promote listening to BIX, DN, FSRN, etc. -- cultivate/train community activist reporters for BIX & DN -- have BIX cover anti-war/anti-racist teach-ins & rallies -- organized outreach to college & community radio stations & cable TV to run our programs -- convene emergency summit of NYC alt. media orgs. to pool energy & resources -- set up "listening centers" in public spaces for BIX -- fundraising: direct mail, etc. |
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