Join the Center for Constitutional Rights for panels and trainings at Netroots Nation 2019 in Philadelphia July 11-13.
THURSDAY, JULY 11
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: FOIA AS A GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY TOOL
9:00 AM / Room 120B
Trainers: Ian Head, Mary Small
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has long been a tool for activists to gain access to government records, but getting the information is only the first step. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has used FOIA requests and litigation as tools to support movement and community partners in their advocacy and organizing. Together with one of our partners, Detention Watch Network (DWN), we will go through the basic steps for filing and litigating a FOIA request and show you how information obtained through FOIA can shape creative and powerful public education and advocacy campaigns.
This training is open to anyone working on social justice issues—especially those working on immigrant rights and prison and detention issues. No experience working with FOIA is needed.
FIGHTING ALEC'S CONTROL OF LAWMAKING IS A FIGHT AGAINST RACISM
3:45 PM / Room 119A
Moderator: Dominic Renfrey
Panelists: Brandi Collins-Dexter, Rachel Gilmer, Mary Ann Maestas, Radhika Sainath
Visionary leadership has led to progressives taking decisive action against the years-long corporate, right-wing takeover of government. In this effort there is no better focus than the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC). This session will equip participants with a deep understanding of the racist dimensions of ALEC’s legacy and leave participants with practical ideas for how to leave Netroots with a plan to join the fight against ALEC.
You can find a recorded livestream of "Fighting ALEC's Control of Lawmaking is a Fight Against Racism" on the Netroots Facebook page.
FRIDAY, JULY 12
RACIAL JUSTICE HAS NO BORDERS: EMBEDDING PALESTINIAN RIGHTS IN THE 2020 AGENDA
4:30 PM / Room 119B
Moderator: Yousef Munayyer
Panelists: Noura Erakat, Marc Lamont Hill, Sandra Tamari, Vincent Warren
Grassroots activists with shared experiences facing racial profiling, mass incarceration, and repression taught us that racial justice has no borders: at Black Lives Matter protests, activists call for freedom from Ferguson to Palestine, and at rallies to end family separation, participants have even raised their voices for an end to racist walls, from Palestine to Mexico. In response to the global rise of the authoritarian right, activists are calling on institutions of power—from the mainstream media to Congress—to support freedom, justice, and equality for all people, including the Palestinian people. Learn how activists in the progressive movement are building power for racial justice that extends beyond and across borders.
You can find a recorded livestream of "Racial Justice has No Borders" on the Netroots Facebook page.
SATURDAY, JULY 13
THE POWER OF PERSONA: SHAPE YOUR STORY INTO A POWERFUL DIGITAL PRESENCE
1:00 PM / Room 120B
Trainers: Alessandra Perotti, Rafael Shimunov
Join us for a fun, interactive session that will provide ideas for how your personal story is connected to the causes you care about, directions to help you navigate the online universe, and tools to understand the different audiences and pick the media with the highest potential. Whether you want to fundraise for a campaign, get people to turn out to an event, or encourage allies to take action, our goal is to help you develop concrete skills to shape your personal narratives and the stories familiar to you in ways that elevate progressive values and support good causes.
If you work in the social justice space, are familiar with the basics of social media, and are eager to step up your online game to support progressive causes, this training is for you!
A VISION FOR PROGRESSIVE FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS AND BEYOND
2:15 PM / Room 119B
Moderator: Kate Kizer
Panelists: Iram Ali, Representative Ilhan Omar, Vincent Warren, Noor Zafar
The U.S. is at a pivotal point regarding how the country sees itself and relates to other countries on the global stage. Trump’s policies have invigorated social justice movements committed to resisting oppression at home and building solidarity with marginalized peoples abroad. This panel seeks to articulate a foreign policy vision that progressives can mobilize behind. The panel will be oriented around three core commitments of a progressive foreign policy framework: principled anti-interventionism, ending endless war, and solidarity with global anti-racist and anti-authoritarian movements. The panelists will discuss how grassroots organizing, policymaking, legislation, and legal advocacy can work in tandem to create this vision.
You can find a recorded livestream of "A Vision for Progressive Foreign Policy in the 2020 Elections and Beyond" on the Netroots Facebook page.