SOUTHERN MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY V - Project South

[Pages:18]SOUTHERN

MOVEMENT

ASSEMBLY V

CONGO SQUARE AT ARMSTRONG PARK

AUGUST 27-29 NEW ORLEANS, LA

We would like to thank the Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy and the Crescent City Media Group, the two

Louisiana anchors for the SMA Governance Council.

We also would like to thank the Congo Square Preservation Society for their tireless defense of the space.

SMA V- K10 Week of Action

Contents:

What is the Southern Movement Assembly.................................4-5 SMA Anchors...............................................................................6 Principles of Unity .......................................................................7 SMA V Program...........................................................................8-9 Frontline Assemblies....................................................................10-11 Congo Square & Timeline............................................................12-13 Jemez Principles of Democratic Organizing................................14-15 General Information.....................................................................16 Next Steps...................................................................................17 Map..............................................................................................18

#gulfsouthrising

#southernpeoplespower

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The Southern Movement Assembly

What is it?

The Southern Movement Assembly (SMA) is an organizing process that converges grassroots leadership on multiple frontlines of struggle. Rooted in the legacy of the Southern Freedom Movement, anchor and participating organizations work locally and regionally to dismantle poverty, racism, and violence while also building political power in our communities. The Assembly is a form of movement governance that combines political education, discussion, planning, action, and synthesis.

How does it work?

The SMA is a regional People's Movement Assembly (PMA). Inspired and informed by liberation movements in the global South, a PMA is a gathering of people who make decisions for collective action and power. Participants analyze the present political situation, outline a vision of the world we want to live in, and commit to shared actions that make that vision a reality. 4

Types of Peoples Movement Assemblies

Three types of assemblies have evolved over the last five years of practice.

Assemblies for Community Governance Assemblies that are organized to bring together people in a particular neighborhood, city, town constituency or population in order to share analysis, collaborate, and develop and implement action plans that grow community power.

Assemblies for Frontline Convergence Assemblies that are organized to bring together people who work on a similar frontline of struggle in order to share analysis, collaborate, and develop and implement action plans that grow frontline struggle power.

Assemblies for Movement Governance Assemblies that are organized to converge frontline struggles and represent community organizations in order to share analysis, collaborate, and develop and implement action plans that provide direction and grow social movement power.

SMA's Organize Movement Governance

SMA I - Lowndes County, AL, September 2012 SMA II - Jacksonville, FL, April 2013

Anchored by the New Jim Crow Movement

SMA III - Dothan, AL, August 2013 Anchored by The Ordinary Peoples Society (TOPS)

SMA IV - Atlanta, GA, August 2014 Anchored by Project South & the Georgia Citizens Coaltion Against Hunger

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Anchor Organizations

Alternate Roots- Regional Black Workers for Justice- Raleigh, NC Concerned Citizens for Justice- Chattanooga, TN Crescent City Media Group- New Orleans, LA Georgia Citizens Coalition on Hunger- Atlanta, GA Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy- Slidell, LA & the Gulf South National Council of Elders- South New Jim Crow Movement- Jacksonville, FL Project South- Atlanta, GA SpiritHouse- Durham, NC Southwest Workers Union- San Antonio, TX The Ordinary People's Society- Dothan, AL University Sin Fronteras- GA, TX, FL, MN, MI, PR Women Watch Afrika- Clarkston, GA

The principles that connect the members of the Southern Movement

Assembly reflect many years of organizational partnerships and

a synthesis of ideas based in collective practice and historical

example. The principles serve to name who we are, what we believe,

and our purpose for working together to regenerate and advance

the

Southern

Freedom Movement

in the 21st Century.

Affirming

these

principles affirms the

foundational belief

that we are stronger

together, and we

do not want to do

this alone. To work

and be together is

a political decision;

we are not doing it

for either comfort or

practicality.

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Principles of Unity

#1 We believe remembering and regenerating our movement history is critical. We recognize the long-term legacies and the most recent work that led to this moment. #2 We value and practice transparency. We strive to distinguish between perception and reality. #3 We respect and support locally-based leadership. Place & space matter, and we recognize the unique histories of the South and local sites. #4 We create spaces to assemble so that people can voice our truths and bring our whole selves. We stand against criminalizing our people in any way. #5 We recognize and respect the self-determination of each organization and strive to engage in principled dialogue when disagreement or conflict is a barrier to collective action. #6 We believe political direction is determined by big picture analysis grounded in struggle to dismantle white supremacy, economic exploitation, and colonialism while simultaneously building decolonization processes for liberation of all people. #7 We believe no one should be excluded from any form of governance that makes decisions about their lives. #8 We believe in and respect the diversity of tactics and strategies as we are working for liberation. We believe there are many ways to do this work. We respect the different organizing choices and traditions of our member organizations. #9 We recognize and value the skills, contributions, and resources that each community, individual and organization brings and will prioritize Collective Accessibility in how and where we assemble and share information. We commit to maximizing those contributions for our collective goals. #10 We will defend the ground we have gained through struggle, and we will create and practice new forms of participation and governance that include and serve all of us.

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SMA Program

Thursday, 8/27

2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Opening & Welcome: United Houma Nation

Roll Call:

Crescent City Media Group

Film Screening:

Crescent City Exodus

The short film includes footage from the

immediate aftermath of Katrina and the

local resistance efforts.

New Orleans Roundtable:

Local leaders discuss the political land scape 10 years later and share visions for the next 10 years.

Small Group Discussions:

Reaction, Reflection, Response Communal Governance & Peoples Power What is the Southern Movement Assembly and how to participate

Closing & Review the five frontline assemblies

Friday 8/28

9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Gomela: Performance by Junebug

Productions

10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Procession through Louis Armstrong Park

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Gulf South Rising Roundtable

Discussion facilitated by Collette Pichon Battle, Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy. Indigenous leaders and community leaders discuss the realities of displacement, resistance, and growing movement infrastructure through collaboration.

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