Organizing

 
The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) is winning an ongoing battle against Temple University Hospital. PASNAP wants reimbursement for tuition benefits that Temple abruptly stopped providing last March despite the fact that the benefits are part of their current contract. Jerry Silberman, staff representative, spoke with me about this legal fight and also discussed PASNAP's negotiations for a new contract.

In January of 2010, the Poverty Initiatve, a group based in New York that aims to reignite Dr. Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign, visited Philadelphia for an immersion tour. The tour highlighted the history of the struggles of poor people in this city. Willie Baptist and Liz Theoharis, of the Poverty Initiative,  shared stories about the struggle of the homeless in 1995 and 1996.

In the fight against displacement and gentrification the Harlem Anti-Displacement Task Force held it's 3rd Annual March.

Katrina Pain Index 2009 is a solidarity message from Bill Quigley to Hurricane Katrina survivors in NYC at the Katrina Remembrance Aug. 29, 2009. Bill Quigley is a human rights lawyer on leave from Loyola University to serve as legal directior for the Center for Constitutional Rights. For a pirinted version of the article "Katrina Pain Index 2009" contact Bill Quigley at quigley77@gmail.com. This video was shot by Johnnie Stevens and Dalia Grinan. mayibue2@yahoo.com

These past three days of collective study and conversation have been really beneficial to my understanding and assessment of the state of poverty in the nation.

Low power FM radio stations have saved lives during Hurricane Katrina, put indigenous languages on the air, and developed youth, women, and elders into leaders in their communities.  Big broadcasters kept low power FM from most American cities – but communities struggled to bring these stations to everyone.

I recently attended the Poverty Initiative’s Poverty Scholars Strategic Dialog series in NYC.  This most recent gathering was the fifth in a series that included 3 other weekend conferences and a week-long Leadership School.  Representatives from poor people’s organizations from around the country attend these gatherings, and there we share experiences, strategies, and methodologies from our organizing to build a movement to end poverty, led by poor people.

Note from the Author: I encourage everyone to listen to this album that the PSU produced and then to donate $5 to get this album out to 2 students in Philly (or donate more to help the PSU continue its amazing work)! To listen and donate click here.

Several Organizations came out on October 22nd 2009 in support of The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. Calling on an end to the constant criminalization, and murder of community members by the NYPD.