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 From the desk of Tom Murlowski
Petitions, Projects and Campaigns
In
addition to publishing The Razor Wire newspaper periodically,
producing brochures, displays and keeping pertinent news and
resources online, our plans and evaluations for the future begin
with feedback from our members. We translate many types of communications
into improved public education materials. Your input is critical.
Our challenge, as more legislative support
for prisoner release and enforcement reform becomes apparent,
is to teach more people to be leaders for other citizens to work
with locally. Good elected leaders need the support of their
local community. That is where the votes to keep them office,
and give them more power in office, come from. If a leader doesn't
have to fear backlash and criticisms from their own community,
and their citizens are behind them on a particular issue -- they
can be more vocal in Congress. Perhaps it's a mayor you have
in mind; if citizens are behind them, it makes leadership work.
The same formula works to deal with bad
leaders. Community support for reform should support good candidates
who can defeat leaders that further injustice with bad law.
To make some educational materials widely
available and accessible, so that community education remains
current and interesting, during summer 2003 we re-designed and
expanded our websites at:
Thanks goes to MAPInc, aka DrugSense (www.drugsense.org),who
provide us with a continuous news feed that gives visitors daily
news updates on subjects our members want to follow closely.
Visitors to our websites have easy access to the following projects
and campaigns in progress today.
 Bottoms Up:
Guide to Grassroots Activism
- A comprehensive, step-by-step primer on how to educate the
public to get the social change we want. When Chuck and Nora
returned from the Journey For Justice that ended in spring, we
took what we learned collectively during the experience, and
compiled a guide that helps people do the work of organizing
and activism in their community.
Useful for beginning and seasoned organizers,
this how-to manual covers topics such as Organizing a Public
Event or Private Meeting with Officials, Designing Flyers and
Posters, Working with Others, Leading a Demonstration, progressing
to Building a Relationship with the Media and Elected Officials.
Also included is a generous sampling of
artwork, press release examples, educational literature, studies
and reports, graphs and displays to share with the public, meeting
forms, and other resources for organizers of different levels
of skill. Educational Supplies include banners, posters, brochures,
full displays and periodicals.
The November Coalition offers a variety
of materials for public education, vigils, and meetings. Contact
our office or visit our websites for details of what is offered.
A noteworthy, continuing Coalition educational
campaign is the National Vigil Project, a plan created
four years ago to encourage regular drug war vigils throughout
the nation. Regular public vigils throughout 1999 and into year
2000 built up interest in a 2 Million Too Many national
event, a coordinated series of demonstrations, vigils, press
exposure and other actions calling attention to the 2 million
prisoners in America in custody as of February 15, 2000. Today,
these vigils continue under coordination of local volunteers
and alliances with other groups. If you need posters for vigils,
an educational display, or other materials I'm the guy you can
ask. Write or call our office; online, I can be reached at: tom@november.org.
 The Petition for Relief from Drug War
Injustice, launched spring
of 2002, continues a tradition of direct, grassroots organizing
that relies on a nationwide base of volunteers. Noting the failure
of current sentencing policy, the Petition for Relief asks for
a return to federal parole and/or a significant increase in good-time
eligibility. The Coalition has committed to continue this effort
until significant, broad sentencing relief is signed into law.
Almost 50,000 signatures have been collected, with more coming
in every day (see state-by-state
breakdown here). The objectives of The Petition for Relief
Campaign are to:
- Build public and governmental support
for a return to Federal parole and/or early release plan for
US Federal prisoners.
- Provide an infrastructure connecting like-minded
citizens to each other
- Assist others willing to educate friends,
family and associates about the danger of the escalating war
on drugs.
- Teach the work of organizing to citizens
who seek to change their circumstances
- Demonstrate our "Right to Petition"
as a basic and fundamental right to address grievances in a free
society.
Four That Got Away - A graphic expose of the hypocrisy of the drug
war, featuring a comparison of four political figures (life-sized
or posters) who are also acknowledged illegal drug users.
These laminated images are Presidents George
W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Vice-President Al Gore, and past Speaker
of the House Newt Gingrich. For teaching by contrast, we include
a selection of drug war prisoners sentenced to years and decades
in prison. If you, or a group you belong to, would like to have
a Four That Got Away display and/or brochures, visit, call or
write our office today.
Open The Can: A CANpaign for Freedom - continues to raise public awareness about the
injustice of current United States' sentencing laws, and teaches
how failed policies have created overcrowded human warehouses.
There's something fishy about the war on drugs is the message.
It's printed on T-shirts, and labels that can be applied to standard
sardine cans and go directly through the mail educating all who
handle it on the way to your intended recipient.
All of this is the result of hundreds of
interactions among prisoners, family members of prisoners, advisers,
media colleagues handled by our small home office staff. Please
get in touch with our office if you have questions, comments
and suggestions for present or future, coordinated November Coalition
activism.
 The Journey for Justice, launched Autumn 2002, has already reached many
areas of the United States, and has logged almost 25,000 miles
thus far. Events on the schedule have included college forums,
neighborhood meetings, vigils, marches, discussions with officials,
media interviews, church presentations, private meetings, debates,
potlucks and more.
Journey for Justice springs from the extreme
need and aspirations of thousands of drug war prisoners and their
loved ones victimized by unjust drug and sentencing laws. We
journey for justice to fortify resolve and awaken the dignity
of ordinary people assaulted daily by a drug war that isn't a
war on drugs -- but a war on people.
As our team travels the country, grassroots
activists and community leaders gather to voice their concerns
about the war on drugs. Journey for Justice events include meetings
large and small, in urban areas and small towns. In public and
private forums, we introduce others to the people behind the
statistics that rank the USA as world's leading jailer.
We are inviting our friends and supporters
to a picnic in the park, a teach-in at your local college, a
civics club presentation, a breakfast or informal potluck with
your close friends and family. Join activists, volunteers and
other groups nationwide who are building a 'from the bottom up'
movement that will assist leaders and policy makers in ending
drug war injustice.
Many people share the notion that there
is real power to end the US Drug War residing in common, ordinary
people. Opinion makers and leaders insist they need grassroots'
support to affect change, and ordinary people respond to leaders
in the US Congress willing to turn that support into reform legislation.
As the rhyme goes, it 'takes two' to make this process true.
Local organizers are people like you --
citizens who recognize that it is a disgrace that the United
States allows so many people to be warehoused in prison for non-violent
drug offenses. The problems associated with illegal drugs need
sensible solutions.
A tour of the northwest will take place
in February and March, 2004. Please visit the website at www.JouneyForJustice.org
to register as a journey volunteer and watch the progress of
emerging schedules.
PAFOI!
is an emerging project to complement the Journey for Justice.
Putting a Face On It will cover the expense of transforming
a typical motorhome into a display on wheels! Wherever we journey,
we intend that November Coalition Faces and Message are viewed
by the public. To designate a special donation for this project,
please write 'PAFOI' in the memo line of your check or money
order, along with the amount you would like to designate to this
special project.
The latest addition to our web site is
our expanded
Federal Parole section, including our Petition for Relief,
current and past legislation concerning early release, and several
proposals for early release submitted by prisoners.
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Brochures, books, graphs, posters, banners, t-shirts,
projects and more . . . |
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We have supplies for
you!
Visit our Activist Supplies Web Page today! |
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