[nyfoil-l] 7/28-30 NGIS Conference:A Success & Milestone for the Immigrant Rights Movement!

[SIUHIN at aol.com]

July 28-30, 2006 Washington DC  National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy 
Conference 
 
A Success and Milestone for  the Immigrant Rights Movement!
 
Yesterday We  Marched 
Today We Organized
Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and  Goals!
 

 
 
Lee Siu Hin
National  Coordinator
National Immigrant Solidarity  Network
 
_http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org_ (http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/)  




The 3-day (July 28-30, 2006) _Washington  DC National Grassroots Immigrant 
Strategy Conference_ 
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/2006Conference/index.html)  at American  University has been without doubt a success and a milestone 
for the immigrant  rights movement. 
Organized by National Immigrant Solidarity Network, one of  the leading 
coalitions involved in the March 25 Los Angeles "Gran Marcha" and  the _May 1st "A 
Day Without Immigrants"  General Strike/Boycott_ (http://www.nohr4437.org/) , 
there were approximately 180 people from  over 80 organizations across the 
country in attendance. 

The  conference represented diverse groups, including Latin at s, APIs, African  
Americans, African immigrants, European immigrants, LGBTQ, women,  
youth/students, interfaith, peace/global justice activists, white allies, labor,  
immigrant day laborers and community organizers from two dozen states.  
Community/grassroots immigrant activists from across the country met  face-to-face for the 
first time to discuss how to collectively build a new  national, broad-based, 
immigrant rights/civil rights  movement. 



During the strategy section on Sunday (7/30), we re-affirmed  our _"Ten  
Points of Unity" for the immigrant movement_ 
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/2006Conference/points.html) , and adopted the  national immigrant 
strategy/action plans for the next 3-6 months with more than  a dozen working groups, 
creating a intern-coordinating committee and point  persons to coordinate each 
working group. We also began the discussion of  creating a concept of the 
immigrant solidarity movement: grassroots,  volunteer-based, direct action-oriented 
with strong emphases of community  outreach and popular education. 
 

Some of the highlights included:

- Multi-ethnic, multi-issue and multi-constituent based  immigrant movement, 
inviting groups that traditionally have been marginalized  from the struggle, 
such as LGBTQ, women and student/youth, African immigrants,  African American, 
to be part of the coalition. 

- Linking our  struggles to the anti-war and global justice movements, and 
mutually supporting  each other's cause.

- Institutionalizing the May 1st boycott "A Day  Without Immigrants" and 
beginning planning for May 1st 2007. 

-  Supporting nationwide immigrant marches/actions during the Labor Day 
Weekend,  and the September 7th Camp Democracy's Immigrant Rights Day in Washington 
DC,  called by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan.

- Direct actions as an  important part of the immigrant movement. 

- Grassroots organizing  strategy and education programs.

- 'La gran marcha fronteriza flor  y canto' - Conduct a Border Walk during 
Spring Break 2007, from San Diego, CA to  Brownsville, TX.

- Working towards the creation of model  legislation that resonates with the 
movement's principles and values  

- Legislative campaigns, such as immigrant voter registration, and  
supporting bills such as the Legal Immigration & Family Equity Act and the  Uniting 
Americans Act.

- National support hotline for immigrants  who need legal referral, detention 
support, or help with other urgent needs.  

- Developing a vocabulary to replace "amnesty" and  "legalization."


There's no doubt that this conference has  been the beginning of an 
historical turning point for the immigrant solidarity  movement. With other immigrant 
conferences in Chicago, IL organized by the March  10th Movement and in 
Oakland, CA organized by NNIRR, we show that we have the  will and strength to 
continue our momentum, and that we have the passion and  energy to fight for our 
justice and dignity in the years to come.  



Please visit our photo album showcasing the  conference: 
_http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/2006Conference/images/_ 
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/2006Conference/images/) 
 
Full Report of the Conference:
_http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&r
eport=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0561_ 
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0561) 
 
Lists of the Working Groups and Committee Members:
_http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&r
eport=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0562_ 
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0562) 



Yesterday We Marched 

Today We  Organized

Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and  Goals!


For more information, please call:  (202)595-8990

e-mail: _info at ImmigrantSolidarity.org_ (mailto:info at ImmigrantSolidarity.org)  
 
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Please consider making a donation to  the important work of National 
Immigrant Solidarity Network 

Send check pay to:

National Immigrant Solidarity  Network/AFGJ

and mail  to:
ActionLA / The Peace Center
8124 West  3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles, California 90048
(All donations are tax deductible) 

On-Line Donation, please go: 
_http://www.actionla.org/Donation.htm_ (http://www.actionla.org/Donation.htm) 
 
 (http://www.actionla.org/Donation.htm)  
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