Notes, Maine Poor People's Economic Human Rights Coalition meeting, Jan. 8, 2011
Larry Dansinger
Jan. 8, 2011
Those attending: Nicole Moreau, Lisa Savage, Larry Dansinger (notes),
Angie Desrochers, Merry Hall, Burl Hall, Ari Rosenberg, Rod Berube
We talked about how to use the Bill of Maine Economic Human Rights to
promote the rights of all Maine people for their basic needs. We
tried to include Jan’s ideas of “No Child Should Die in a Snow Bank”
and Livable Wage into the plans.
We made a list of things we could work on to get the Bill of Economic
Human Rights and economic human rights out to Maine people. Then we
said which ideas we would work on.
A list of some possible ideas(and, in parentheses, after the idea are
the names of those who want to work on it):
1. Give a copy of the Bill of Maine Economic Human Rights to each
legislator. No specific legislation would be suggested right now.
Could also be read aloud in the legislature. (Larry will get this
copied and distributed)
2. Bypass the state and go local. Local ordinances?
3. Need to create a community ethic of us taking care of each other
instead of every person having to take care of themselves and not
getting help from others. We know there are plenty of acts of mutual
cooperation but it hasn’t gotten to the stage of a community ethic
that everyone accepts. The time bank is a structure that reflects this.
4. Sign an on-line petition on our web site to have the Bill
implemented in Maine. (Larry will talk with Tammy Trask about having
that option; Merry will also work on this)
5. Letter to the editor campaign and op-ed to distribute. (Lisa has
written a rough draft of an op ed and welcomes feedback. Reply to
this email and we’ll send you the rough draft.)
6. Ask other groups in Maine to sign on to the Bill of Rights.
Examples: Maine Fair Trade Campaign, Visible Community, HVJ, Lots to
Gardens, Bring Our War $$ Home, Food for Maine’s Future, PainT, etc.
(Rod will also talk with a few businesses and see if they might also
sign on. Ari will link the Bill of Maine Economic Human Rights to
Visible Community’s site.) Ari also pointed out that changing
pronouns in the Bill to non-gendered ones (they or their, not she/he
or her/him) will help us with a few groups.
7. Citizenship Schools (like during civil rights movement) where
people learn what their economic human rights are. “Claim (or Know)
Your Economic Human Rights.” (Angie, Merry, Ari, and Lisa will meet
at 2:30-4 PM on Jan. 16 at B Street Community Center in Lewiston to
get this started.)
8. Bring the Bill to various events and pass out to the crowd.
9. Develop a slogan like what Jan has suggested or “you shouldn’t
have to choose between feeding your family or paying the rent.”
10. Use the media to get the word out, like channel 6’s “207” program.
Larry also reported that Laurel Merchant is working to get a Portland
group started; they hope to meet later this week, around the 14th.
The group also sponsored a speakout on Dec. 10 and got a little TV
coverage.
We will meet again, but no definite date and time was set. See how
the meeting on 1/16 and other projects go.