Join us Sunday, November 20 3-5 pm. You will leave with tools, links, information and a clear understanding of how you can oppose Trump and advance progressive agenda in New Mexico. On Monday.

Dear Friends,

A brief note to give you more specifics about Sunday’s Town Hall and an announcement of a Retake Our Democracy Convention, Training and Conversation in January at the Santa Fe Convention Center. But first four meetings you won’t want to miss.

Town Hall Conversation:  What Can We Do to Retake Our Democracy?
Sunday, November 20, 3 – 5 pm
Center for Progress & Justice, 1420 Cerrillos Rd., Santa Fe
More on this below, but please come. This is the first step in forging a new path.
This meeting is being video-taped and will be available on our website in a few days. We are exploring using live stream technology to make future meetings accessible to activists around the state.

Democracy Organizing Committee
Monday December 12 6pm
Santa Fe Downtown Library
Discussion and planning with Bruce Berlin focused on the 28th Amendment idea of overturning Citizens United and getting money out of politics, state and federal and discuss strategies for advocacy.

Statewide Progressive Convening
New Mexico Progressive Coalition
Saturday, December 17, 1 – 5pm (although we may extend the time)
Finalized Time & Location: TBD, but hold the date.

Retake Our Democracy Full Day Convention
January 8 (tentative), 10-4pm
Santa Fe Convention Center Grand Ballroom
Details soon, but the plan is to identify trainers in social media to maximize our impact through the use of twitter, website and Facebook; to learn effective strategies in civil disobedience; to learn more about effective advocacy and lobbying; and other areas of activism. At this Sunday’s meeting we will be seeking ideas for areas we need to be trained.

This first of a series of Town Hall Meetings is focused on: What Next? And What Can YOU Do?  Click here to RSVP. And please RSVP so we can plan better. The meeting room at 1420 Cerrillos Rd. needs to burst at the seams with people. As you can see (above) future meetings will happen at the Convention Center so we have more space.

On Sunday, we had wanted to create a lot of opportunities for small grow discussion and report outs. But the number of RSVPs suggests that this will be difficult if not impossible. But it is a good thing to have so many RSVPs. But the reason we have secured the Convention Center for a future meeting is to allow for more breakouts, to offer training and to accommodate even more people.  Besides, after attending the tremendous Democratic Party Conversation (details below), the one critique I and others had was that no one left with a clear idea of what they could actually do right now.  So Sunday’s meeting is designed to make sure that the primary goal of the meeting is that every one in attendance understands very clearly how they can oppose Trump and how they can advance a progressive agenda here in NM–On Monday!

We will have short presentations and Q&A from:

• Alan Webber talking about how you can work with him to building a progressive legislative agenda for the 2017 Roundhouse.
• Marcella Diaz, Somos, will discuss effective social actions to support our immigrant community and you can be involved.
• An attorney from Allegra Love’s office will discuss legal strategies to protect our immigrants.
• Dan Cron, a member of a newly formed Task Force of attorneys offering free legal services for individuals arrested in civil disobedience, will describe what you can and can’t do as part of civil disobedience, your legal rights and what to do if arrested.
• Eric Griego, former Roundhouse legislator from Albuquerque, and Director of the Working Families Party in NM will discuss the development of a statewide New Mexico Progressive Coalition, Working Families Party activities in NM and nationally (he just returned from the Working Families national meeting in NY) and how you can become involved. He will also provide details on the Dec 17 statewide progressive convening
• Tara Lujan will discuss efforts to identify progressive candidates to run for Santa Fe Public Schools District 1 School Board and SF Community College Governing Board and how EmergeNM offers training for women who want to play leadership roles in the community (she is a grad)
• Susan Popovich will discuss how you can get involved in the local Democratic Party at the Ward and County Central Committee levels and Retake Our Democracy’s strategy for invigorating the Democratic Party statewide with actions possible as early as Monday.
• Paul Gibson will discuss a variety of ways in which you can support both local and national advocacy as well as explaining the emerging strategy for freezing in place Trump’s plans to dismantle our future, with actions possible as early as Monday.
• Chad Jones, SWOP, will describe the new partnership comprised of SWOP, Retake Our Democracy and Santa Fe Community College through which we will offer a weekly class in activism with guest speakers each week and with explicit instruction in how participants can get involved in local politics and advocacy. Internships and independent studies classes will enable students to get credit for their activism in placements in 501-c-3 and c-4 organizations. We are grooming the next generation of progressive leaders. Maybe you know someone at SFCC who could enroll.

We will have a one-pager of very specific and important things you can do to oppose Trump and advance democracy in New Mexico.

We will sign-up sheets for specific roles in research, administrative support, as well as for all the activities described above. At the end of the meeting people signing up for each activity will briefly meet in small groups to identify a time to meet to begin planning and implementing actions.

By Sunday we will have developed an Activist Tool Kit with an array of strategies, tools and links so that you can get to work Monday morning.

You will leave with tools and with a clearer idea of how you can help forge a path forward in these challenging times. But you have to come to get them. No excuses. If you have plans, please change them. We need each other now. All of us.

For the Town Hall meeting to be as impactful as possible….and it needs to be very impactful, please begin by:

• Forwarding this note to at least 10 friends, asking them to sign up for Retake the Roundhouse/Retake Our Democracy, and encouraging them to get active; and
• Making it a personal goal to get five friends to attend this meeting. Call friends and personally ask them to join you, perhaps including an invitation for dinner to debrief on the meeting and discuss how you all can sustain your involvement.

Click here to RSVP for Nov. 20. Tell every progressive you know that you are planning to attend and hope they will too.

WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

Time to assemble.

Again, thanks for your continued support. I hope to see you Sunday. You are needed.

Paul

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