RadFest / Midwest Social Forum 2003
20th Anniversary

RadFest 2003 Program
 

Friday, May 30

4:00-5:15	REGISTRATION
Education Center
5:15-6:30	DINNER
Dining Hall

  

Plenary Panel

6:45-9:15	THE IRAQ WAR AND THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
Seabury	Max Elbaum, War Times Bill Fletcher, TransAfrica Forum Rania Masri, Iraq Action Coalition Jeremy Scahill, Democracy Now

Saturday, May 31

7:30-8:45	BREAKFAST
Dining Hall
8:45-10:15	SESSION I
Education A	COALITION BUILDING IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
	Robert Miranda, Milwaukee County Social Development Commission; Spanish Journal
Education B	ACTIVISM IN TIMES OF WAR AND UPRISING: ISRAEL/PALESTINE, THE U.S., AND THE IRAQ WAR
	Ali Hadjarian, Computer Science, George Mason University, SUSTAIN Jennifer Loewenstein, Business Communications, UW-Madison Haitham Salawdeh, Palestinian activist Roger Burbach, Center for the Study of the Americas, Berkeley
Education C	SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN LATIN AMERICA: BRAZIL, VENEZUELA, ECUADOR & COLOMBIA
	A flurry of popular organizing efforts is spreading across Latin America. These struggles often take a form distinct from traditional leftist organizing patterns that employed guerrilla warfare tactics or focused on electoral politics and the capture of state power. This is the first session of a two-part roundtable discussion of activists discussing and comparing the growth and potential of these new social movements in a variety of Latin American countries. Marc Becker, Truman State University Julio Diniz Pereira, University of Wisconsin-Madison Amber Faur, University of Wisconsin-Madison Cecilia Zarate-Laun, Colombia Support Network
Stevenson	I'VE GOT A STORY!: MEDIA ADVOCACY TRAINING
	This skills building workshop will provide insights on how the media really works. Areas covered will include how to build ties with the media, handle an interview, write successful op-ed articles and news releases, ensure all communications are strategically planned and executed, and more! Carolyn Gantner, Wisconsin Community Fund Jan Miyasaki, WORT radio Matt Rothschild, The Progressive Media Project, The Progressive Magazine
Lodge A	RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT ENTANGLEMENT IN THE ERA OF GEORGE II
	Religious conservatives have delivered their base to the Republican Party helping to elect George Bush in 2000 and a Republican Congress in 2002. Now it’s payback time. The workshop will examine issues and legislation at the federal and state levels which have surfaced as a result. Leona E. Balek and Dennis Coyier, Americans United for Separation of Church & State
Lodge B	A FUTURE FOR SOCIALISM?
	An effective radical critique of capitalism requires a conception of an alternative. Traditionally this alternative has been called “Socialism,” understood as a way of organizing an economy coordinated by the state in which private ownership of the means of production was abolished or sharply curtailed. In recent years, this conception of socialism has lost much credibility in the popular imagination, particularly because of its identification with central state planning. In this workshop, we will explore alternative conceptions of socialism and the prospects for a renewal of the project of a socialist alternative to capitalism. Erik Olin Wright, Department of Sociology, UW-Madison
Lodge C	MOVING TOWARD TAX FAIRNESS IN WISCONSIN
	Tax inequity is undermining social and economic justice in Wisconsin, and the disparities between rich and poor are becoming ever more visible under the current state budget crisis. This workshop seeks to present in an accessible way some background on the issues and concrete suggestions for rethinking tax fairness. Laura Dresser, Center on Wisconsin Strategy John Peck, Corporate Accountability Taskforce Group Mark Pocan, Representative, Wisconsin State Assembly Marc Silberman, Madison area Democratic Socialists of America
10:30-12:00	SESSION II
Education A	RACE AND INCARCERATION
	This session will examine the myths about who is incarcerated, and why. David Hart, NAACP, Legal Redress Committee Tim Wise, author of Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections from an Angry White Male Pam Oliver, Department of Sociology, Uw-Madison
Education B	THREE-TWO-ONE…BLAST OFF!: WHERE IS THE U.S. MEDIA REFORM MOVEMENT GOING?”
	This panel will discuss recent developments in media politics and the contours of the emerging media reform movement. Bob McChesney and John Nichols, co-authors of Our Media, Not Theirs and It’s the Media Stupid
Education C	SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN LATIN AMERICA: ARGENTINA, CUBA, EL SALVADOR, & MEXICO
	This is the second session of a two-part roundtable discussion of activists discussing and comparing the growth and potential of new social movements in a variety of Latin American countries. David Pegg, Witness for Peace Ian Davies, Edgewood College Gabriel Johnson-Ortiz, Century Community College, Minnesota Nicolas Penchaszadeh, journalist
Stevenson	ALTERING RELATIONS OF POWER THROUGH ORGANIZING
	Our democratic system in the US has failed to represent the rights and needs of all people. In order to challenge the illegitimate aspects of this system and to hold it accountable, we need a population that is organized and committed to building its own power.  This interactive workshop will address developing leadership and power from the grassroots, strategies used to alter relations of power, and building relations across and within the diversity of communities in which we live. Julie Andersen, Wisconsin Apprentice Organizers Project Dwain Berry, Citizen Action of Milwaukee Theresa El Amin, Jobs With Justice, Durham, NC Amy Mondloch, Northern Star, Wisconsin
Lodge A	WISCONSIN’S FUTURE WITH HEALTHCARE SECURITY FOR ALL
	This panel will help people understand what a statewide program assuring health care security for all will do for the people and businesses in Wisconsin and will make them aware of what is presently before the legislature that could make Wisconsin the national leader in real health care system development and reform. Gene Farley, MD, Physicians for a National Health Program Mark Miller, Representative, Wisconsin State Assembly Linda Farley, MD, Physicians for a National Health Program, Coalition for Wisconsin Health Darcy Haber, Wisconsin Citizen Action Health Care Task Force Jim McGhee, farmer from Hollandale Ted Kraig, SEIU 1199
Lodge B	USA PATRIOT ART 2003
	How are resistance and dissent expressed by artists today? The USA Patriot Art exhibit and panel discussion will give artists and activists the opportunity to discuss the role of art in social/political movements, view current political art by local artists, and talk about what the 1st Amendment and the two Patriot Acts mean for artists in the United States. Chani Becker, Artist and Videographer Mike Konopacki, Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Peter Goldberg, American Civil Liberties Union
Lodge C	HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ACTIVISM TODAY
	This past year has seen an upsurge in student activism throughout Wisconsin. In this workshop, local area high school students will speak of their experiences organizing for peace and social justice. Students have been involved in rallies, teach-ins, debates, vigils, walkouts, student strikes and more. Activists will explain what it is like to organize for social and political change in their communities. Norah Hazelton, Stoughton High School Kelly McCarthy, Mount Horeb High School Althea Pendur-Thorne, Lake Mills High School Kate Schiffman, Memorial High School Hannah Wydeven, Memorial High School Zachary Kmiec, East High School
12:00-1:00	LUNCH
Dining Hall	Announcements
1:15-2:45	SESSION III
Education A	NEW MOVEMENTS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR: CONFRONTING CORPORATE RACISM, DISRUPTING THE RIGHT WING AGENDA OF THE BRADLEY FOUNDATION
	This session will examine the emergence of new social and political movements in communities of color and their possible implications for the construction of a diverse and broad-based national social movement. Matt Nelson, Executive Director, Education for the People
Education B	CIVIL LIBERTIES UNDER ASSAULT IN THE ASHCROFT ERA
	This session examines the Bush/Ashcroft assault on the Bill of Rights and the spread of the New McCarthyism. Ed Garvey, FightingBob.com Matt Rothschild, The Progressive magazine
Education C	WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION: GOVERNMENT & CORPORATE PROPAGANDA
	Mass media has lent itself to government and corporate propaganda, corroding democracy and mobilizing popular support for war. This panel will discuss the history and techniques of deceptive advertising and PR campaigns and offer ideas for creating a more democratic media space. Laura Miller, Associate Editor, PR Watch Sheldon Rampton, Editor, PR Watch Inger Stole, Dept. of Advertising, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Stevenson	PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE: HOW TO MODERNIZE LOCAL AND STATE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS TO REPRESENT EVERYONE
	This workshop examines how to implement more representative electoral systems in cities, counties or state legislatures. The emphasis is on how instant runoff voting and proportional representation systems work, and what steps to take to implement these reforms over the next four to six years. Dan Johnson-Weinberger, Center for Voting & Democracy, Midwest Democracy Center
Lodge A	NOT PART OF HER SENTENCE: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF WOMEN IN PRISONS
	This panel will examine the use of segregation in women's prisons as a method to keep women quiet about sexual exploitation. Karin Clark Edmiston, Money, Education, and Prisons David Hart, NAACP Legal Redress Committee Esther Heffernan, Edgewood College Angie Hougas, AI Women’s Human Rights Program Alice Pauser, Demeter Foundation Returned Prisoners from Voices Beyond Bars
Lodge B	COMMUNITY SUPPORTED LABOR RIGHTS: WORKERS CENTERS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN WISCONSIN
	Latinos represent the fastest growing segment of the Wisconsin population and they contribute significantly to the economy and society. Nevertheless, their precarious situation leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse at the hands of their employers.  Two communities in Wisconsin have established centers that address the needs of immigrant workers through education, advocacy and organizing. Representatives from these two centers will discuss the situation for workers as well as campaigns and other opportunities for the involvement of the broader community. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Voces de la Frontera/Workers’ Center, Milwaukee Rosa Rivera, Voces de la Frontera Sarah Shatz, Workers’ Rights Center, Madison Monica Guzman, Workers’ Rights Center, Madison
Lodge C	SISTER CITIES: A GRASSROOTS RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL CHAOS
	This panel will present an informative and action-oriented discussion on the history, power, and current state of “sistering” in the United States. A recent phenomenon in world affairs, sistering has shown its effectiveness in forging real links between communities around the world. The panel will cover the current projects engaged in by various groups in the Madison area, as well as what the future may hold for such projects. Diane Farsetta, Madison/Ainaro Sister City Alliance Barbara Alvarado, Madison-Arcatao (El Savador) Sister City Project Jim Goronson, National Director of US-El Salvador Sister Cities Jennifer Loewenstein, Business Communications, UW-Madison
2:45-5:15	RECREATION PERIOD
5:15-6:30	DINNER
Dining Hall	REP. DENNIS KUCINICH Democratic Presidential Candidate Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus, U.S. House of Representatives

Plenary Panel

6:45-9:00	THE STATE OF BLACK POLITICS
Seabury	Linda Burnham, Women of Color Resource Center Theresa El-Amin, Southern Anti-Racism Network, Solidarity Bill Fletcher, TransAfrica Forum Badili Jones, Green Party of the United States Salim Muwakkil, Chicago Tribune, In These Times

Musical Performance

9:00, Seabury

AMELIA ROYKO, Solo acoustic artist

 

Sunday, June 1

7:30-8:45	BREAKFAST
Dining Hall
9:00-10:30	SESSION I
Education A	IN SEARCH OF PEOPLE-DRIVEN PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY I
	This panel will discuss diverse international experiences and proposals aimed at advancing participatory democracy in the context of globalization. The debate will be organized as a two-part roundtable discussion among activists and researchers engaged in the implementation and/or analysis of concrete experiences in a variety of countries. Part II of this discussion is scheduled for 10:45AM-12:15PM. Gianpaolo Baiocchi, University of Pittsburgh Daniel Chávez, Transnational Institute, Netherlands Joel Rocamora, Institute for Popular Democracy, Philippines Hilary Wainwright, University of Manchester, UK Fermí Vallbe, International Observatory on Participatory Democracy, Barcelona
Education B	THE ROLE OF ELECTORAL SYSTEMS IN ARTICULATING PROGRESSIVE POLICY AND MOBILIZING PROGRESSIVE VOTERS
	This workshop will examine how the rules of the game of electoral systems dramatically shape our politics. Overdue reforms including instant runoff voting and proportional representation will be discussed and explained -- and their crucial role in building a progressive consensus will be detailed. Dan Johnson-Weinberger, Center for Voting & Democracy, Midwest Democracy Center
Education C	HEELS, HIKING BOOTS, AND BABY BOOTIES: COMMON STRUGGLES IN WOMEN’S WORK FOR JUSTICE
	This interactive story-sharing workshop will: (1) Provide a safe space for women to share their stories and experiences as they work for social, environmental, and political justice; (2) Provide an opportunity for men to hear women's stories in a constructive environment; and (3) Engage women and men in an open discussion about dealing with gender issues in the struggle for justice. Amy Mondloch and Maria Powell, long time activists and organizers in struggles for social, environmental, and political justice
Stevenson	PUTTING THE COMMUNITY BACK INTO MEDIA
	The creation and dissemination of community and independent media is becoming increasingly necessary in an era of corporate media conglomeration and increasing government censorship.  This panel will highlight the diversity and depth of such media in the Madison area, and will discuss potential for growth and coordination among media-makers and users. Jonathan Gramling, The Madison Times Debbie Rasmussen, The Madison Insurgent Alisha Steele, En Nuestro Patio, WORT Norm Stockwell, Labor Radio, WORT
Lodge A	NEW APPROACHES TO BUILIDING THE FAIR TRADE FRAMEWORK: FIGHTING THE NEXT WAVE OF GLOBAL CORPORATIONS
	Steve Watrous, Wisconsin Fair Trade Campaign Frances Bartelt, WisCOSH, Milwaukee World Bank Bond Boycott committee
Lodge B	NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION
	Feeling overwhelmed?  Burned out?  Tired of always fighting the good fight?  Try this workshop on non-violent communication and develop your own compassionate political voice. Gail Coover, Freelance Writer and program evaluation consultant
Lodge C	THE HOLY GRAIL OF COMIX
	Comic-strip biographies, graphic travelogues, and cartoon documentaries are all part of a new genre of “sequential art” adding a surprising and profound dimension to the field of political journalism and historical reportage. This workshop will be an introduction to the world of “comix” that has garnered increasing public attention and respect since Art Spiegelman won the Pulitzer for his MAUS books. Camy Matthay, Blue Moon Animation and Table Top Studios
10:45-12:15	SESSION II
Education A	IN SEARCH OF PEOPLE-DRIVEN PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY II
	This is the second part of a two-part roundtable discussion that will examine diverse international experiences and proposals aimed at advancing participatory democracy in the context of globalization. Part I of the discussion is scheduled for 9:00-10:30AM.
Education B	RACE AND EDUCATION: MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
	This panel examines the state of education for students of color from the perspectives of schools, communities, parents, and students. Barbara Golden, parent and Chair, Madison Area Family Advisory/Advocacy Council Robert Howard, parent and school social worker Lauren Mikol, parent and school psychologist Betty Volquardsen, parent and teacher (prison population) Donna Vukelich, parent and Ph.D. candidate, Education, UW-Madison Student voices: video presentation with students present
Education C	STOPPING THE U.S. WAR ON THE POOR
	Welfare Warriors, publishers of the international activist mothers news journal, Mother Warriors Voice, will provide facts and figures to explore and expose the corporate-controlled war on the poor in the US and worldwide. Learn how Big Business is empowered by welfare deform and how bloated welfare empires have resulted from the reduction of welfare roles. The Warriors will share strategies for challenging this deadly war on the poor, including Music from the Mamas Movement. Pat Gowens, Advocate for Welfare Warriors and editor of Mother Warriors Voice Faye Henry, President of Welfare Warriors
Stevenson	WINS: BREAKING THE MEDIA BLOCKADE?
	How can progressive-minded working people get their concerns on the commercial airwaves? The Workers Independent News Service (WINS) has been attempting to break the media blockade for the last year. This panel will discuss the strides WINS has made, as well as the obstacles it continues to confront. John Hamilton, Workers Independent News Service (WINS) Frank Emspak, UW School for Workers, WINS Ellen La Luzerne, Madison Labor Radio Ann Trude, Madison Labor Radio
Lodge A	MONEY FOR THE REVOLUTION: LOCAL CURRENCY AND ITS RADICAL POTENTIAL
	Local currency tends to be viewed by the Left as a laudable but strategically-incidental response to the hegemony of corporate capitalism. Yet, decentralized, democratically-controlled money systems are theoretically critical to a restructured (sustainable and just) world economy. This workshop will examine the structural features of both local and central-bank money systems, highlighting the pivotal role that monetary mechanisms play in producing either just or unjust outcomes at all levels of economic activity. Topics will include: the role of monetary mechanisms in the concentration of wealth, the necessity of re-unitizing currency with a labor-measure, and local currency as a reassertion of radical democracy. Rob McClure, co-founder, Madison Hours, south-central Wisconsin’s local money system
Lodge B	THE POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A PROGRESSIVE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN
	Running a progressive local electoral campaign poses enormous challenges, yet is nonetheless crucial to building a genuine democracy. This session will examine what it takes to meet those challenges successfully. Among other things, it will focus on: picking the right race; raising money; building grassroots support; organizing volunteers; collecting endorsements; appealing to voters; and striking a balance between pragmatism and idealism and between small details and the big picture. Adam Benedetto, 2002 Green Party candidate for Dane County Sheriff Nick Berigan, Volunteer Coordinator, Zipperer Mayoral Campaign (Madison)
Lodge C	THE SIXTIES CIVIL RIGHTS AND ANTI-WAR MOVEMENTS: LESSONS FOR TODAY
	The key social movements of the 1960s - preeminently the Civil Rights movement, the student movement, and the movement against the Vietnam War - spawned a new generation of "New Left" activists who subsequently moved into virtually every sector of US society as organizers, educators, and oppositional thinkers.  Still active today, many of those who "cut their eye teeth" in the sixties movements bring years of experience and diverse insights to the host of contemporary causes such as the current anti-war movement, the continuing fight against racism, and the ongoing campaign against US imperial dominance. Drawing from their activist histories, panelists will examine lessons from the earlier period that might inform our contemporary work. Linda Burnham, Women of Color Resource Center Max Elbaum, Author of Revolution in the Air Allen Ruff, Solidarity
12:15-1:15	LUNCH
Dining Hall

If you have any questions, contact the Havens Center at 608-262-0854, 262-1240 or havensce@ssc.wisc.edu.