*Ø* Blogmanac | WeConverge.net

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH -- Actions to Take to Make a Difference

Join Us At WeConverge.net!

From Stephen Dinan:

WeConverge has not been officially launched but there is already an expectant buzz! It feels like a vital part of translating the first stage of our Kucinich movement into an even more powerful second stage.

I’m writing today to ask for your help with building WeConverge. Since we’re doing this on a shoestring and the model for the site is one of distributed empowerment, a lot of it will look pretty empty until a good posse of change-agents moves in to homestead. That means register, start discussions, list events, add resources to the Resource area of the site, start groups, etc.

So I’m asking for three things to happen in the next 48 hours before the 20,000 cards we’ve distributed across the country lead to a flood of people logging in:


1) Go to the site and register yourself. This will allow like-minded progressives to find each other by neighborhood. http://www.weconverge.net

2) Start up some conversations on the discussion boards. Add the local peace march events for Saturday if you are attending.

3) Start populating the Resource Wikis. Wikis are very cool tools. They look like fairly plain web pages, but all the content is editable by YOU. Or whomever. Today, we have set up areas for states, for movements, for campaign hierarchies, for best practices, for book reviews, for networkers, for websites, but they are not yet linked to the home page. They are all virtually blank until someone starts filling them up. And then someone else comes along and improves upon the last person. If someone graffittis a page, you can revert back to the last saved copy. There’s a bit of a learning curve to adapt to the format, but I strongly encourage you to take fifteen minutes to learn how to do it because you can then help us grow an outstanding, ever-growing, always updatable resource library for the movement. Basically, all you do is click on a link at the bottom of any page and open it up for editing. Anything that you either put together with two capital letters MovementResources or [[enclose in double brackets]] will end up as a link to a fresh page, which you can then fill in ad infinitum. There are some other formatting tips on the homepage. http://www.civicactions.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WeConverge


One other thing: we’re doing an overhaul of the front-page which will improve the look and feel some, and then ratchet up again in the next week or two. So be patient. Lots of cool tools will be built, depending on time, money, and priorities. Imagine getting weekly newsletters with just local events and conversation topics! That’s just to whet your appetite for more…

Finally, we feel like this could REALLY take off and turn into a full-fledged, revolution-rockin’ PAC. We’re going to need lots of volunteers helping to build it. Especially:

-- Software person with PHPBB expertise. Other computer wizards welcome.
-- Legal advice from someone knowledgeable about the rules on creating PACs
-- Lots of busy people adding events, resources, newsletter links, etc. Use it to build your local network!


One more thing, the mission and vision statement have gone through a few rounds of feedback. Before it is formalized on the site, we’re still taking feedback and seeing if there are other refinements that help us find the sweet spot of shared mission while maintaining enough freedom and space for individual uniqueness. It’s below.

In spirit,

Stephen
stephen@radicalspirit.org


Mission:

WeConverge is committed to bringing positive change movements together into a powerful coalition to make substantial changes in our political system, communities, and personal lives.


Vision:

WeConverge connects people with one another and provides access to common tools, resources, and opportunities to gain greater power in society through collective action. We do not ask for commitment to a single political party, ideology, or strategy. Rather, we are committed to empowering those with a similar vision of the world we want to live in. That vision is of a world that:

-- Evolves beyond war and militarism

-- Lives sustainably and abundantly within our means

-- Builds effective and fair systems for relations between nations

-- Acts compassionately to extend health care, education, and jobs to all

-- Reforms politics and business to maximize transparency and fairness

-- Advances an agenda of civil rights, equal opportunity, and freedom

-- Fosters personal growth and increased consciousness

-- Honors the spiritual unity beneath all religions

We will focus on activities that support the creation of this world, with the intent to help people influence issues ranging from the local to the global. Finally, we affirm the importance of bringing celebration, creative expression, and love into the process of social change, as well as a healthy dose of laughter.


2004 focus: We believe that the 2004 Presidential election provides a unique opportunity for this newly emerging culture to gain strength, create changes, and forge enduring communities. For various reasons, progressives with similar values chose to align with different president candidates during the Democratic primaries. As the race appears to narrow to Bush, Kerry, and Nader, it is our belief that progressives have a window of opportunity to come together and advance fundamental changes. Our goal is to help organize and strengthen all progressive camps in the service of removing Bush from power AND maximizing the changes that are possible this year. We intend to develop lasting networks that will continue to grow in power after this election cycle.


History: Founded in March of 2004, the idea for WeConverge grew from the inspiration of Dennis Kucinich’s run for president. However, the founders recognize that the larger convergence of positive change movements extends far beyond his candidacy and includes many different camps, movements, and factions, all of whom share a similar compass setting for our future. We have created this forum for progressives to find their allies and organize around specific issues while also moving towards greater unanimity and consolidated political power. We plan to incorporate WeConverge as a 501 c4 Political Action Committee.


Dedication: We dedicate this network to the memory of Mike Pring, a tireless visionary who devoted his life to transforming our society and died unexpectedly on the eve of our launch. May the blazing torch of his life continue to light the path forward for years to come.