One of this year's Bioneers speakers talked about how Democracy School graduates are using this to fend off bottled water companies. I believe local government resistance to hydrofracking might benefit from using this proactive "upstream" approach to dealing with the impacts of gas drilling. I urge anybody involved as a citizen leader on gas drilling to consider going to Democracy School in November to explore this set of tools for use on this local issue. Of course, I recognize that with so many landowners having signed leases there may not be the political will in most towns to use these tools -- unlike in the communities fighting bottled water mining. But if even a few villages or towns passed ordinances stripping corporations of their "personhood" rights.... that would be a step in the right direction on many fronts.
I went to Democracy School several years ago, and if you can muster the political will in your town, this creates a whole different kind of court case with energy companies. Are there any municipalities in the Southern Tier likely to have the courage to try this? Gay On Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 1:54 PM, Eric Banford <[email protected]> wrote: > Since the lack of true democracy is at the root of most of the > sustainability issues we see today, I'd like to pass this along to this > list: > > We have firm dates set for Democracy School in Spencer, NY on Friday and > Saturday Nov 13-14. We need commitment from enough people by next Wednesday > so we can firm up the commitment with CELDF. Please consider attending, > it is an enlightening and empowering experience. And please pass this > along to other appropriate lists, and friends who might be interested. > > Thanks, > Eric > > Democracy School for the Southern Tier presents: > The Daniel Pennock DEMOCRACY SCHOOL > > Friday evening November 13th & All day Saturday November 14th > at the Spencer Municipal Building, Main Street, Spencer, NY > > Registration deadline is October 28th! > Registration information: Eric (607) 277-0183 or Jamal (607) 425-5477 > > Do the rights of corporations to make a profit supersede the rights of > citizens to health, safety and well-being? > > How and why do corporations have the power to over-ride the democratic will > of the people? > > How can we use home rule to protect our rights? > > This forum will examine the options that other communities are using to > prevent damages caused by corporations to community, the economy and > the environment. > > Guest lecturer Ben Price from the Community Environmental Legal Defense > fund will address this and more. For more information on the project > visit www.celdf.org > > The school runs Friday November 13th from 6pm to 9:30pm and Saturday > November 14th from 8:30am to 5:30pm. The Spencer Municipal Building is > located on Main Street, in the back of the library. Please call for > directions. All attendees should bring a bag lunch on Saturday. Light > refreshments will be provided. Two weeks before the school, attendees > will receive a curriculum in the mail for reading prior to the school. > > Some topics for discussion will include: > -What is Law? How is Law Used and for What Purpose is it Used? > -Traditional Organizing and Corporate Power > -A History of Peoples’ Movements in the United States > -From a Slave State to a Corporate State > -Building New Models of Organizing (The Pennsylvania Model) > -Our History of Collaterally Challenging Illegitimate Corporate Authority > -Reframing Single Issues by Rethinking Several Issues > -An Exploration of Jurisdictions and Arenas, > -Other Constituencies > -Critical Mass: Doing it Together and Building a Movement > -Groups Across the United States Applying New Models > -Discussion: How Do We Make Real the Promises of Democracy? > > There is space for 20 students, the first 20 registrants. Tuition for > the school is $150. Our effort is volunteer. All tuition goes directly > to pay for the curriculum and the lecturers. Access to education is > important. If you cannot afford the full tuition, please send a check > for the amount you can afford. We have a limited scholarship fund. If > you support this cause and would like to contribute a donation, this > will help us fund future classes and scholarships. > > Please make your checks payable to our 501(c) 3 sponsor: Social Ventures > Inc. > > Be sure to write “Spencer Democracy School” in the memo > > Mail the completed registration form along with your check to: > Jamal Diboun > 200 Nobles Hill Rd > Van Etten, NY 14889 > > If we receive your registration after the school is full, we will > return you check and call you about your interest in a future Democracy > School. Please indicate if you cannot attend this date but would like > to attend a future school. For questions, call Eric (607) 277-0183 or > Jamal (607) 425-5477 > _____________________________________________________ > > Spencer Democracy School Registration Form > > > Name__________________________________________________________________________________________ > > > Adderess______________________________________________________________________________________ > > > ________________________________________________________________________________________________ > > > Phone_______________________________________email____________________________________________ > > Check enclosed for $________________________( ) check here if you need a > scholarship > > ( ) Check if you would like to donate to our scholarship fund > $______________________ > > ( ) I cannot attend this date. Please contact me for a future school > > > > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, > please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > Questions about the list? ask > [email protected] > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > -- ---------------------------------------------------- Gay Nicholson, Ph.D. President Sustainable Tompkins 109 S. Albany St. Ithaca, NY 14850 www.sustainabletompkins.org 607-533-7312 (home office) 607-220-8991 (cell) 607-216-1552 (ST office) 607-216-1553 (ST fax) [email protected] _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
