What is the Palestinian Popular Conference? The National Palestinian Popular Conference is an inclusive space where Palestinian-American organizations, associations, and clubs, and individuals residing in the United Sates can come together to:
Our purpose is lofty in that we seek to plant a seed for our future generations to build stronger more united networks that enable them both to establish solid networks nationally and perhaps internationally that work to bolster our culture, our political goals, and our unity. Throughout our preparatory meetings we have heard that this is indeed too lofty and that we need to have a more discrete vision for what happens after the conference. We are now exploring ways to create a follow-up plan that is more concrete. That concept involves three things: 1) create a survey with possible follow-up projects i.e., creating a website, creating an organization, starting a national initiative; 2) develop a process to elect a follow-up coordinating committee; and 3) developing a process to help effectuate the decisions that organically emerge out of the workshops and caucuses. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please contact us. What are the goals of the National Popular Conference?Palestinians living in the U.S. have an obligation to become full participants in the national struggle by developing a principled, inclusive, non-partisan and effective voice. The purpose of the Conference is to empower Palestinians in the United States, who constitute an indivisible part of the Palestinian people, to assume a key role in realizing Palestinian national and human rights by creating a space where collectively we can:
This process is dynamic and constantly shaped by our progressive preparatory meetings held nationally. What we have learned is that we can make decisions by consensus—albeit at less than a 100% rate. In doing so we are prioritizing our unity above all. We have also learned that we should and can build broader all inclusive networks that can be sub-divided based on interest and geography. We hope to continue this learning process leading up to, and at, the National Conference. All ideas are welcome on this matter. How did this initiative begin?A meeting of organizers and activists took place in Detroit in June of 2006. The participants discussed the long-term damage that Palestine advocacy work suffered as a result of Oslo. Participants were in general agreement that, despite important successes by U.S.-based activists and groups working on behalf of Palestinian rights, Palestinian's in the U.S. lacked a unified/unifying organizing vision and strategy. The meeting concluded with the issuance of the Detroit Declaration. The Detroit meeting was characterized by a high degree of recognition of the grave dangers facing the Palestinian people. The participants, who belonged to various organizations, agreed to work together towards convening a National Palestinian Conference in the U.S. to coincide with the 60th Anniversary of the Nakba. The participants also agreed to hold a National Conference preparatory meeting in Cleveland, Ohio on November 10-12, 2006. An open letter of invitation to the Cleveland meeting was drafted and widely circulated. Since Cleveland, preparatory meetings have been held in Chicago and Washington, D.C. What happened in Detroit?Thirty-two activists and organizers attended the Detroit meeting on June 23-25, 2006. The participants spent a day and a half discussing the state of Palestinian activism in the United States and strategizing ways to enhance the community, its representation, and its leadership in activism. The Detroit attendees:
The Cleveland preparatory meeting accomplished a number of logistical goals in preparation for the National Conference. The Cleveland attendees:
More than 50 people participated in the Chicago Preparatory Meeting. Highlights of the meeting include:
Nearly 60 people participated in the Meeting. Highlights of the meeting include:
No. The purpose of this conference is to bring Palestinians together based upon commitment to our points of unity, irrespective of political visions and goals. Is this going to be a challenge for existing organizations?No, on the contrary. We believe this network will provide a healthy climate for all organizations to recruit, learn, expand and complement one another. How are the Preparatory and the Coordinating committees structured?The preparatory committee is comprised of the attendees of the Prepatory meetings (Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, and D.C.). Each participant brought many years of organizing experience and came together under the banner of "Palestine Unites Us." The Preparatory Committee is open to those who want to get involved and are willing and able to commit to preparing for the conference. Discussion and planning for the conference has been transparent at all levels and decisions are made by consensus. There are five committees: Program, Fundraising, Logistics, Media and Outreach and each is represented on the Coordinating Committee. The Coordinating Committee is comprised of eleven people. They are responsible for coordinating tasks to execute the plans of the Committees and to safeguard and uphold the clarity, inclusiveness and democratic process of the network. Membership in the Coordinating Committee is open to representatives of communities and groups wishing to commit time and resources to making the planned popular conference a success. How will this endeavor be funded?We plan to fund this endeavor in the best grassroots way possible: by organizing fundraisers, soliciting donations, and distributing appeals. |