This proposal is also found on the web here: http://realgrassroots.livejournal.com
Please share the online version with friends.
Dear Annie, friends around the world and and members of the Rainforest Action Network Humane Resources department and members of the Rainforest Action Network Board of Directors: André Carothers, Martha DiSario, Jodie Evans, James D. Gollin, Randall Hayes, Allan Hunt-Badiner, Michael Klein, Anna Hawken McKay, Scott B. Price, Treasurer, Stephen Stevick, Austin Willacy, John Densmore, Woody Harrelson, Ali McGraw, Bonnie Raitt and Bob Weir,
Hello. I hope everyone reading this is well. My name is T and I took part in the Weyerhaeuser action that happened on April 17t, 2008. That is me in the Photo with the peace sign up. I spoke to Annie Sartor, Old Growth Organizer, of the Rainforest Action Network (herein referred to as RAN) several days ago. She is wonderful and dynamic individual and you chose well when you chose her an employee. As per Annie’s instructions after speaking with her about this matter, I am sending this proposal to the Rainforest Action Network Human Resources department to seek approval for funding for the creation of an Olympia based Rainforest Action Network branch. Also, as I informed Annie, I am sending this to every member of your Board of Directors. I am also posting this to a webpage in hopes that it might be circulated to persons throughout California, Washington state and beyond who are in solidarity with this proposal to support, true, community-minded grassroots organizing in the Rainforest Action Network.
This proposal will be broken into four parts:
#1. Background on this proposal
#2. Specifics of funding
#3. Benefits of approving the funding detailed in this proposal
#4. Future actions taken to support this proposal
#1. Background on this proposal
I am an African-American, long time, full-time, activist and have given many workshops about Civil Disobedience, building multi-racial relationships, confronting patriarchy and more at conferences that include the National Conference for Organized Resistance in DC, the Midwest Student Energy Conference in Madison Wisconsin, the Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia, the Z Media Institute (ZMI) in Massachusetts and many more conferences. On April 17th, I took part in the Weyerhaeuser action that happened in Federal Way, Washington along with Maya, Chriset and several other activists from Olympia and surrounding cities and states.
Annie Sartor, stated that the action received “coverage in the Seattle Times, the Seattle P-I, an AP story was picked up by 29 news outlets, we had television coverage on at least 2 networks, and a 20 minute live interview on Pacifica Radio at 5pm on the 17th. Beyond the press coverage that we got, we have heard from members of the Grassy Narrows First Nation who were inspired by our action.
I’ve known Chriset for almost two years and she is an incredible activist and more importantly an amazing and dedicated organizer, and she helped to take part in
the Weyerhaeuser action by video taping the event that later led to the video that was featured on the RAN website via youtube found here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g_t86w3TTNU
At the Olympia meeting on April 16th in Olympia, Washington to plan the Weyerhaeuser action on April 17th, several of us spoke up about how important it is that RAN should have someone on your payroll helping to organize in the Olympia area, so that there is equality in representation (and to help outreach, among other reasons), and so that there is not just mostly people from California who are on the payroll helping to organize, and to more efficiently use funds dedicated to saving rain forests worldwide when confronting the multinational corporations that threaten them. You are the Rainforest Action network, so creating a social justice ‘Network’ of equality means equality in hiring as well. From what I gather you have somewhere between 30-40 people employed in California, but no one employed in Olympia, even though there have been numerous actions that have taken place in Washington including repeat visits year after year to the Weyerhaeuser shareholders meeting.
At the first planning meeting for the Weyerhaeuser action on April 16th, Maya (an activist who I have known since the second Annual A World Beyond Capitalism Conference, mentioned putting someone on your payroll in the Pacific northwest (or Olympia specifically) because the idea of an estimated 40 people being on payroll in San Fran is not quite equality when planning Pacific Northwest actions, particularly if you plan on doing this again as you have many times. It is very much like privilege from outside a region running things by micro-management from afar (with an organizing crew sent in via expensive airplanes flights and expensive rented cars). I also emphasized at the meeting many times how I completely agree with her (for an infinite number of reasons) and several other people also agreed that Olympia should have their own branch of the Rainforest Action Network. I suggested that it be a woman to confront patriarchy. I first suggested Maya, but Maya had prior obligations. I later talked to Chriset Palenshus who said that she is definitely interested. I then talked to Chriset again this morning in regards to this proposal and she confirmed that she is 100% interested in this position. I sent this email and proposal to Chriset to approve before sending it you.
#2. Specifics of funding
Our proposal for funding is for the following: $5,940.00 to cover a 6 month period. The proposal would be re-evaluated for renewal one month prior to the end of the 6 month period.
The $5,940.00 would cover a 6 month period would cover the following Olympia branch of RAN expenses: Chriset would receive the following funds (by wages, by stipend or by contract):
-Ten hours per week work - $12 hour for ten hours per week. Paid directly to Chriset.
-Expenses for organizing activities - $120 per week (only $480 per month).
Chriset’s ten hours per week would include have office hours at least once per week and it would more importantly include her doing many of the same organizing activities in Olympia that Joshua Kahn Russel does for RAN in San Francisco. I have known Joshua for almost a year and first met him at Z Media Institute Institute where I gave two workshops, (one about Patriarchy and one about building community-based grassroots activism). He described many of his job details in vivid detail during several workshops that I shared with him. He and I also shared a workshop with Brian Tokar, a well known, Environmentalist, and Joshua described in detail how RAN tries to be different from other Environmental organizations that create anti-community anti-grassroots organizing dynamics worldwide. For more information about anti-grassroots organizing dynamics in Environmentalist groups please read the article in the below PDF link titled: ‘Is Environmentalism Dead?’ written by the Former President of the Sierra Club:
http://www.actnowproductions.com/assets/files/sustainability/5.3%20Is%20Environmentalism%20Dead.pdf
-The Olympia branch of RAN would receive $510 per month for organizing activities expenses. This would immediately cover all of the following items and have funds left over for more organizing expenses:
-Office Space in downtown Olympia for the Olympia branch of RAN (provided by the freeschool)
-Access to computers, filing cabinets, progressive library, event space and much more
-Dedicated Olympia telephone number and fax number for the Olympia branch of RAN
-Regular column for RAN activities in Natural Learning, the freeschool publication that has a circulation of 5000 printed copies per academic quarter and dozens of classes and events profiled every academic quarter. In terms of circulation per issue, Natural Learning has:
*the highest circulation of all progressive, free-of-charge newspapers in the city of Olympia.
* the fourth highest circulation for free newspapers in Olympia
* and the third highest circulation for all newspapers in Olympia. Current and past issues can be found by visiting “freeschoolunity.org” and clicking on ‘Natural Learning.’
The circulation of Natural learning circulation is very important when considering that Olympia, is by far one of the most environmentally active regions in the USA. Which is why we have maintained the country’s second largest protected campus forest at Evergreen College.
Important note about Section #3. I sent this proposal to Chriset to edit and restructure and she is in agreement with everything found in the above ‘#2. Specifics of funding.’
#3. Benefits of approving
the funding detailed
in this proposal
The immediate benefits on approving this proposal include:
* The RAN Network expanding
* The RAN Network, an environmentalist group, exponentially reducing their usage of gas when organizing in the Washington state area by not having to pay the countless fees associated with sending activist here every year.
* The RAN Network reducing costs associated with purchasing food and meals for out-of-state members because members could eat at Chriset’s house for large meetings or eat snacks at the downtown office space for smaller, more professional meetings.
* The Ran Network having a branch in Olympia, one of the Country’s most environmentally active cities.
*Annie mentioned that the Civil Disobedience action included “very hurried planning for Weyerhaeuser annual shareholder meeting.” Indeed things were hurried, and they will remain hurried in order to keep expenses low until Olympia has its own branch office that does not rely upon San Francisco activists being paid to travel here and organize actions (which is very similar to how out-of-state corporations fly in their out-of-state corporate admin for temporary ‘contract’ jobs and then their out-of-state corporate administrative employees and headquarters office gets the credit and publicity.)
* Approving this proposal would also enable RAN to live up to the goals that they have placed on heir website. The ‘Jobs’ webpage of the RAN website states:”RAN values diversity, educates staff on issues including privilege and oppression, and seeks to integrate these values into all of our work. We are seeking candidates who have a commitment to engage in this process and work with us to create a just, inclusive, and sustainable work environment, movement, and world. RAN provides all people with equal employment and volunteer opportunities.” Using RAN funds to send activists to Washington state from California, two states away from the site of the corporation, is the epitome of ‘ privilege’ and is the extreme opposite of a network that seeks a ‘just’ or ‘ inclusive’, movement. Worst of all the carbon imprint of transporting those activists by plane and rental cars is certainly not in compliance with a ’sustainable work environment, movement.’
For all these reasons many more, we desire that this proposal is approved. Your website states that you work “On an annual budget of slightly more than $3 million” so it indeed seems like a worthy financial investment to start an Olympia branch.
Next week, I will have to travel to a court appearance in Federal Way for my part in the April 17th Civil Disobedience that RAN organized. I’m not a member of the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), but I wanted to be a part of the Civil Disobedience Action because it spoke up for Marginalized, First Nation people who are having their homes and communities cut down in Canada by a multinational corporation based here in the USA. I am a member of the Freeschool Community; the Annual A World Beyond Capitalism Conference; the Radical Feminist Distro and the Radical Road Trip.
I want it made clear that I am very happy for my part in the action and I appreciate RAN asking me to get involved in this action. Corporation like Weyerhaeuser want people to believe that they are improving their logging ethics but that is not true. Especially due to the fact that just yesterday, on the front page, headline area of the Olympian Newspaper, the largest circulated newspaper in Olympia, was the article titled: “Log export from Olympia could begin in summer.” The article detailed how Weyerhaeuser “has taken control of a 24.5-acre operations site on [an Olympia] port property and made its first rental payment to the port this month” in order to “begin log-export operations from Olympia to Japan on July 1.” They no doubt are starting in July to avoid the countless college students activists who are not taking classes in the Summer and have made nationwide headlines for port protests.
This proposal is not simply an appeal for funding. It is an appeal for solidarity. Solidarity that is often lacking in the Environmental activist movement and is indeed killing the Environmental activist movement throughout the world.
In the document titled ‘Is Environmentalism Dead?’ written by the Former President of the Sierra Club, one of the very first lines of the 39 page speech summarizes the entire speech well and states: “We can’t do this alone. That’s the central point.” Over the course of the 39 pages in the PDF document, it goes on to explain in detail how offering people jobs are often more fulfilling than all the progressive empty promises, lip service, and unfulfilled mission statements promising inclusion.
Also, more importantly, on page 29 of the 39 page document, it speaks about how the Sierra Club (who at one time was considered a radical organization like RAN) slowly began to become an anti-immigrant institution that chose to remain “neutral” on the issues of outreach. It also suggests Women’s rights as an answer to such oppression. I disagree with several different aspects of the 38 page document (including the advice to ’support particular politicians’), but I completely agree with the need to promote women’s rights which is why I have created this proposal to offer financial compensation to a Woman (rather than a male) as the first coordinator in an Olympia branch of RAN. My role in this proposal is unpaid and I am here to help facilitate progressive causes in any way that I can.
In closing, I just want to say that there are many wonderful, inspiring and amazing things that I recall vividly about the love and joy that were present during the April 17th action. But the single most vivid memory that I have of the Civil Disobedience action was when we were sitting in the vehicle after being arrested and the police officer smirked with sheer and genuine delight and asked:
“Tell me something,
why is it that the number of you
protesters keeps getting smaller every
year?”
For me, the reasons are very. very clear, as outlined in this proposal and I hope that you approve this proposal so that together we can finally begin putting into action the RAN ideals of “diversity” and educating staff (through your action) on issues including privilege and oppression, “and integrating these values into all of our work.”
#4. Future actions taken
to support this proposal
I plan to create a summary of this proposal, and circulate it as a petition urging people in in Olympia and on various environmental activist group email lists to support the start of an Olympia branch of RAN. Also, in order to facilitate discussion on this matter, you can also find an online version of this proposal at the following website:
Based on a number of things, I think it is very likely that this proposal will not be approved by RAN. Nevertheless I feel that this has been a learning experience for me, and it has taught me how there is a vast and growing race, class, gender, regional privilege and technological divide in progressive activism in the USA.
It was a fascinating moment on April 16th, planning when I watched all the people with Cell Phones (over 90% of the people in the room) ’synchronize’ or opt-in to Cell Phone text-message alert system. I recently acquired a cell phone, but I chose not to participate in the cell phone alert system because such technological alert systems in activism only encourage dependence on Cell Phones, the epitome of class divides and leave out the several people in the room who I personally know did not have a cell phone with them. RAN can afford to pay their members wages, many benefits, meals, rental cards, plane fares and even cell phone service for your members on a budget of over 3 million dollars per year, but I have been told by a RAN member you can’t afford to fund real, local, grassroots community organizing in Olympia?
Here are some other articles which talk about this class divides in Progressive Activism include the following:
Where Was the Color in Seattle?
Looking for reasons why the Great Battle was so white
by Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez
http://www.aworldbeyondcapitalism.org/awbcwherewasthecolorinseattle.html
Facing Off the Radical Environmental Lynch Mob
Posted in May 2008 and Written by Puck, a person-of-color freelance independent journalist and part of the Anarchist People of Color movement. She was an editor on the Earth First! Journal collective and has been involved in forest defense campaigns and land struggles. In her words, within two years she witnessed “most of the people of color I know who were once in the Earth First! movement have left—all citing reasons of racism within the scene.” At one point she states: “I was interrupted. Yes, I wanted to talk about my personal encounters with racism in the scene, but more than that, I wanted to brainstorm ideas (especially with people of color) about specific ways we could all fight for environmental justice and ecological preservation by using direct action and grassroots
community organizing.”
http://illvox.org/2008/05/02/facing-off-the-radical-environmental-lynch-mob
Thanks for considering this proposal for your financial support of real grassroots community organizing in Olympia. I believe that there is a road that leads us to a brighter future of working together and there is a road that leads to our world getting worse every day. This proposal asks you to support the road to solidarity for a better world.
Love for the people,
-T
I greatly welcome anyone who receive this (from me or from someone who forwardded this to them) to call me anytime from 11am-11pm, 7 days a week (360) 561-1447
“We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost’s familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road / the one less traveled by / offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.”
-Rachel Carson
“I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and
that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.”
- Stephen Hawking quotes (English Physicist, b.1942)
“Unreasonable haste is the direct road to error.”
-Santiz Moliere quotes (French Actor, Playwright and Writer of French
comedy, 1622-1673)
“The idealists and visionaries, foolish enough to throw caution to the
winds and express their ardor and faith in some supreme deed, have
advanced mankind and have enriched the world”
-Emma Goldman
Real Grassroots c/o
Multicultural Outreach Media
P.O. Box 6086
Olympia, WA 98507
(206) 337-1556
Freeschool Community
http://www.FreeschoolUnity.org or our back-up website at
http://www.FreeschoolCommunity.org
Log export from Olympia
could begin in summer
By Jim Szymanski | Front Page Headline News in The Olympian • Published May 22, 2008
Weyerhaeuser Co. is set to begin log-export operations from Olympia to Japan on July 1, according to legal notices it published this month.
The notices are part of the company’s request to the state for a stormwater-discharge permit. Weyerhaeuser signed a five-year lease with the Port of Olympia in 2005; it had expected to move from Tacoma to Olympia by spring 2006. Weyerhaeuser spokesman Frank Mendizabal cautioned that the date is arbitrary and said the Federal Way timber company cannot begin operations at the Port of Olympia without the permit. He noted the numerous environmental challenges to the project that have slowed its arrival.
Mendizabal would not be specific about when barges or log trucks could begin arriving in Olympia or whether Weyerhaeuser will begin operations with new offices and vehicle-repair facilities. Those facilities have not been constructed. Last week, he told The Olympian that Weyerhaeuser hoped to begin operations in Olympia before the end of 2008.
When Weyerhaeuser signed its port lease, it projected $1.5 million in new annual port revenue, the transfer of 36 jobs from Tacoma to Olympia and the need for 17 to 23 additional longshore jobs at the port. Critics, some of whom have sued, accused the port, the city and Weyerhaeuser officials of doing insufficient review of environmental effects from the project, including the effects on traffic and air, water, noise and light pollution.
Arthur West, a frequent port and Weyerhaeuser critic, said the company’s unwillingness to pin down a starting date for operations is among the reasons the move has generated opposition.
Port commissioners George Barner and Paul Telford said they had not been briefed on when Weyerhaeuser might arrive, and Kari Qvigstad, the port’s marketing and business development director, said port officials have received no firm start date.
The company has taken control of a 24.5-acre operations site on port property and made its first rental payment to the port this month.
Below is Chriset’s Resume.
Chriset Palenshus
* palenshc@gmail.com
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Geography August 2004
Minor in Environmental Studies
Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
Work Experience
Community Partnership Catalyst/Special Projects Coordinator
Center for Community Based Learning and Action at Evergreen State College Jan. ’07- Present
Spanish Teacher
Taught bi-weekly lessons at Garfield Elementary School Winter Quarter 2008
Volunteer Experience
I have been collaborating with numerous people and organizations that work on food justice, housing and homelessness and climate change issues among many others
Filmed RAN/RisingTide Action @ Weyerhaeuser shareholder meeting 2008
Attended and helped plan Village Building Convergences 2008
Involved in education campaigns regarding Bank of Americas dirty money 2008
Organized 2 annual Bridging Communities Galas 2007 & 2008
Worked with Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB) to build gardens for low income people 2007-2008
Co-organize Raccoon Collective Arts Walk 2007-2008
Facilitate and host permaculture workshops through Oly Freeschool 2008
Worked with TESC student groups 2007-2008
Westside Food Co-op 2007-2008
Northwest Olympia Neighborhood Association, Elected Board Member 2006-2007
Attended Rising Tides Climate Convergence 2007
Traveled and lived abroad 2004-2006
Participated in conference concerning FTAA in Havana, Cuba 2004
Skills
Computer: Type over 40wpm, Microsoft: Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, ESRI software; GPS
Personal: Spanish Language, organizational, creative, dedicated, connected to community
Certification: First Aid, Advocacy training
References available upon request
, and the link to the blog post is here: http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/03/grassy-narrows-wins-for-real/