2011: GGJ Members on the Offensive!
2011 was a big year for Grassroots Global Justice! Check out our online annual report below...
No War! No Warming! Build an Economy for the People and the Planet!
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance in 2011 was to launch our new framework. Through an extensive consultation process with GGJ members, we defined the direction of our work together as a national alliance building grassroots internationalism:
- No War! On a national level, we are working to move funds away from the U.S. military and to starve the war machine. GGJ is in a unique position to give a new urgency and relevance to the anti-war movement by connecting it to the community-based struggles that our organizations’ members are carrying out.
- No Warming! On a global level, we are continuing our work with groups like La Vía Campesina and Indigenous Environmental Network to fight false climate solutions such as the carbon trading market and oil pipelines that destroy mother earth and our communities, and instead push for the Cochabamba Accords and other alternatives to cool the planet.
- Build an Economy for the People and the Planet! Our communities have very clear ideas of what we need, and it’s not a global carbon trade market, it’s not oil pipelines, it’s not a war machine. Our communities need grassroots economic and climate solutions like affordable healthcare, participatory budgeting, community control of clean water sources, access to public transportation, and more.
Let’s move the money to community solutions that cool the planet!
GGJ Congress 2011: Raleigh, NC
The GGJ Congress 2011 was the culmination of a long consultation process with our membership organizations, hosted by Black Workers For Justice in Raleigh, North Carolina. Despite having to reschedule the GGJ Congress due to Hurricane Irene on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we were still able to bring together a grand total of 30 member organizations, 20 ally groups, and 3 international allies, as well as a number of representatives from potential member organizations and local organizing and cultural groups from throughout North Carolina.
Download the GGJ Congress 2011 Report
See photos and videos of the GGJ Congress, and read solidarity statements and resolutions
#OrganizeTogether: Grassroots Community Organizing and Occupy Encampments
On October 5th, GGJ sent out a Solidarity Statement with Occupy Together movements, and a Call to Join Global Actions in October. The solidarity statement was read at the General Assemblies of a number of encampments around the US, and a number of grassroots organizations planned joint mobilizations with their communities and the Occupy encampments on October 12th and October 15th.
GGJ also launched organizetogether.tumblr.com – a tumblr site to track the demands and solutions of grassroots communities, and to share photos and videos of how organized communities are engaging with Occupy encampments – and posted a report on Organizing Upgrade about connecting international social movements to the encampments springing up in the US.
GGJ members Maria Poblet of Causa Justa::Just Cause and Steve Williams of POWER join a roundtable discussion on Occupy: From Encampments to a Movement on National Radio Project's show Making Contact (min 8:20); GGJ member Kari Koch of PCASC reports on relationships with organized labor and the Occupy the Ports Protests on Countdown with Keith Olbermann (min 6:20)
In order to provide messaging and materials for the actions with Occupy encampments, and to celebrate the new GGJ framework, we created a downloadable posters page which GGJ members and allies can download images to take to the streets!
Global Well Being and No Warming!
GGJ continued to work against false climate solutions and for real climate solutions in grassroots communities. We worked with MayFirst/People-Link and Ellen Choy of Youth for Climate Justice to create a website that tracks actions and reports on grassroots climate solutions. Check out photos, blogs and reports on actions in the US and around the world!
Delegation to Durban, South Africa
The Global Well Being working group prepared for much of the year to take a delegation of grassroots climate leaders to Durban, South Africa. Along with the Indigenous Environmental Network, GGJ brought a delegation of 14 people to the UNFCCC COP17 and social movement activities between November 28- December 9 in Durban, South Africa.
READ THE DELEGATION STATEMENT: DURBAN DELAY IS A CLEAR CALL TO ACTION - SOCIAL MOVEMENTS MUST UNITE TO COOL THE PLANET
See Photos, Videos, Articles and Blogs about the Durban Delegation
Watch a powerpoint presentation and listen to a recorded reportback from GGJ delegates
1000 Durbans for Climate Justice
GGJ and La Vía Campesina put out a joint call to action to mobilize for the 1000 Durbans Week of Action for Climate Justice. 20 actions took place around the US and abroad -- check out the summary of all the actions!
Stop Keystone XL Pipeline
GGJ supported Indigenous Environmental Network and allies at protests at the White House, and teamed up with La Vía Campesina, Grassroots International, and Energy Action Coalition to deliver 7,585 signatures on a petition to the US State Department demanding that the Reject, Don't Reroute the pipeline and Deny, Don't Delay the Permit!
The "International" in Grassroots Internationalism
International delegations to social movement spaces and participation in important meetings and events of our international allies are part GGJ's contributions to movement building in US communities. In 2011 GGJ members participated in a number of activities around the world, including:
World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal
Rio+20 planning meetings in Porto Alegre, Brazil
GGJ was invited to participate in these meetings as part of building the process towards the 20th anniversary of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (called Rio+20 for short) in June 2012. Check out the report from GGJ Political Director Cindy Wiesner.
World March of Women's 8th International Meeting
Sunyoung Yang, Senior Organizer and Researcher with The Labor/Community Strategy Center, attended on behalf of GGJ. Read her report.
International Symposium on the Climate Crisis, with Mexican Action Network Against Free Trade
Read the report from Francisca Porchas of The Labor/Community Strategy Center.
Political and Popular Education
Kicking off 2011, GGJ collaborated with SOUL (School of Unity and Liberation) and other allies to convene the first ever In It to Win It Strategy School, training 70 staff and member leaders from 29 base-building organizations in political economy and movement strategy. We also held workshops during our GGJ Congress 2011, and created a number of online toolkits for people to use with their communities.
Some Member Highlights of 2011
Vermont Workers Center Passes Universal Healthcare in Vermont
Community Voices Heard Brings Participatory Budgeting to NYC (also called a New Deal for NY)
Causa Justa::Just Cause organizes with community groups and Occupy encampents to Foreclose on Wall St West
Indigenous Environmental Network sits in at the White House and celebrates a victory postponing the Keystone XL Pipeline