[HCCN] Using economic human rights to end poverty in Maine--Cheri Honkala speaking tour April 2-8

[Larry Dansinger]

Please pass along to others in your group or area.

I hope you can come to at least one of Cheri's talks and/or the April 4 day
long workshops. My apologies for a longer than usual email.

Larry Dansinger

Economic Human Rights: A Solution to Poverty in Maine

If you don¹t know what economic human rights are or how they can be a way to
end poverty, provide good jobs, get universal and equitable health care,
affordable housing, and more, here¹s your chance to find out and use the
ideas to change Maine. And, if you do know what they are, here¹s your chance
to change Maine too.

Cheri Honkala, national coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human
Rights Campaign, will speak in various towns and cities in Maine as part of
a week-long tour, from April 2-8, to bring the potential and power of
economic human rights to Maine people.

Her schedule (see below for a complete list of public events) includes talks
in Orland and Orono on April 2, Brewer on April 3, April 5-6 in Portland,
April 7 in Lewiston, and April 8 in Augusta and Waterville. On April 4,
there will be a statewide gathering/workshop in Augusta (see below for a
description and how to attend) to create an action plan to promote and
establish an economic human rights campaign in Maine.

Honkala is a former homeless single mother and now an anti-poverty organizer
and housing rights activist. She has been a leader of demonstrations against
policies that maintain poverty, including dozens of arrests for nonviolent
civil disobedience, and has been profiled in several films on poor people's
movements against poverty.

What are economic human rights? They include: quality health care, a job
paying a living wage or equivalent income, ability to join a labor union,
affordable housing, adequate and nutritional food, free education, and a
decent standard of living.

For more information about the talk and the tour and a complete schedule,
contact  Larry Dansinger at (207) 525-7776 or email him at rosc at psouth.net
or look on the web at www.peacebreadjustice.org.

A complete schedule of Honkala's talks are listed below:

Cheri Honkala talks on Economic Human Rights in Maine--April 2-8

Thursday, April 2: 
*9-10 AM: Talk with members of HOME Inc. and the public, Route One, Orland
*12:30-1:45: Talking on Economic Human Rights, Bangor Room, Memorial Union,
U/Maine, Orono

Friday, April 3:
*6 PM: Potluck and Talk to Food AND Medicine meeting, 20 Ivers St., Brewer

Saturday, April 4: 
*9 AM-4 PM: "Action Plan for Economic Human Rights in Maine," workshop, Pine
Tree State Arboretum, 153 Hospital St. Augusta.

Sunday, April 5: 
Noon-1 or 2 PM: Interviewed on the ³Mama Africa² show, WMPG Radio, 90.9 FM,
Portland.

Monday, April 6: 
6 PM: Common Ground Supper and talk/discussion following, Immanuel Baptist
Church, 156 High St., Portland.

Tuesday, April 7:
*10 AM-11 AM: Interviewed by phone on "Through the Ism Prism" radio program,
89.9 FM WERU, E. Orland
*Noon: Public talk at Lewiston Library, Lisbon and Pine Streets, Lewiston
*6 PM: Meeting with Visible Community and other low-income groups, B Street
Community Center, 57 Birch Street, Lewiston

Wednesday, April 8:
*Noon: Meet with legislators and the public, Visitors Center, State Capitol,
Augusta
*5:30 PM: Dinner (light supper provided) followed by talk, Shirley Damren
Room, Kennebec Valley CAP, 97 Water St., Waterville

Contact for details on this schedule or to arrange other presentations:
Larry Dansinger, (207) 525-7776 or rosc at psouth.net



Annual Gathering for Changing Maine

"Action Plan for Economic Human Rights Organizing in Maine"

Saturday, April 4, 2009
9 am-4 pm

Pine Tree State Arboretum,
153 Hospital St., Augusta

"Action Plan for Economic Human Rights Organizing in Maine" is a day long
workshop and strategizing on how to bring Economic Human Rights to Maine.

This day is part of a week of talks and discussions about economic human
rights with Cheri Honkala around the state of Maine, including Portland
(April 5-6), Lewiston (April 7), Augusta & Waterville (April 8), Bangor
(April 2-3), and other areas. For a complete schedule of her talks, contact
Larry Dansinger, rosc at psouth.net or (207) 525-7776 or look on the web at
www.peacebreadjustice.org.

Join us as Cheri Honkala, a national organizer and activist with the Poor
People's Economic Human Rights Campaign helps us to understand the economic
human rights crisis in our nation and how we can develop strategies and
connections to create a state and national movement led by the poor people
of this country.

We welcome both poor people and their allies to this action planning day.

What Are Economic Human Rights?

Economic Human Rights include the RIGHT to:
€ quality health care,
€ a job or income, living wages, equal pay, and the ability to join a union
€ affordable housing,
€ adequate and nutritional food
€ free education, and
€ a decent standard of living.
Just as we have a right to free speech, to practice our religion, to trial
by jury, and to other political rights, the right to participate actively in
our economy and to have our basic needs met ought to be a right as well. It
is in most European and other industrialized countries.

We work hard, but many of us get paid very little. We are told it is our
fault if we don't make lots of money. Making an adequate wage is a
privilege, not a right.
But, we are not at fault. It's a bad economic system that's the problem!
Countries where people have economic human rights have much less poverty and
a higher standard of living for lower income people.

Let's end poverty in the US by claiming our economic human rights for
everyone! Join us on April 4th to plan how to promote economic human rights
in Maine!

Schedule for the Day

8:30-9 AM: Registration
9-9:30 AM: Introductions (who's here and why?)
9:30-10 AM: What Is Economic Human Rights (EHR)--A Human Rights Framework
10-10:30 AM: EHR film shown
10:30-10:45--Break
10:45-11:20: Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign model
11:20-noon: Connecting the Organizing Model to Maine

noon-1:30 PM: Lunch--Bring a potluck food item to share and a chance to
network and meet others

1:30-2 PM: Small Groups doing problem solving for EHR in Maine
2-2:30 PM: Building Leadership
2:30-3 PM: The Role of Allies
3-3:30 PM: Obstacles to Organizing in Maine
3:30-4 PM: What next? and future organizing/action efforts

(Some of these 30 minute time blocks may be a little longer or shorter)

You don't need experience with EHR or organizing to attend this day, just an
interest in getting economic human rights out there to the people in Maine!


Registration Form

Name________________________________

Address______________________________

City/St/Zip___________________________

Phone________________________________

Email (if any)_________________________

Organization (if any)___________________


___Enclosed is $0-15 (any or no donation is fine) for the day $_______

___Enclosed is a registration to hold a space (make payment, if any, on
April 4th)   

___I need a ride; contact me re: carpooling

___I can offer a ride; have riders contact me

___I need childcare, please register by March 28

Directions and handouts will be sent to pre-registrants. The location  and
bathrooms are fully wheelchair accessible. For special needs/requests,
please state below or on a separate sheet:


Return this registration form by email or mail to:
Resources for Organizing and Social Action, 161 Stovepipe Alley, Monroe, ME
04951, rosc at psouth.net
Questions? Call Larry Dansinger, 525-7776.




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