July 28-30, 2006 Washington DC National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference

A Success and Milestone for the Immigrant Rights Movement!

Yesterday We Marched
Today We Organized
Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and Goals!

Lee Siu Hin

National Coordinator

National Immigrant Solidarity Network

http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org

The 3-day (July 28-30, 2006) Washington DC National Grassroots Immigrant Strategy Conference at American University has been without doubt a success and a milestone for the immigrant rights movement.
Organized by National Immigrant Solidarity Network, one of the leading coalitions involved in the March 25 Los Angeles "Gran Marcha" and the May 1st "A Day Without Immigrants" General Strike/Boycott, there were approximately 180 people from over 80 organizations across the country in attendance.

The conference represented diverse groups, including Latin@s, APIs, African Americans, African immigrants, European immigrants, LGBTQ, women, youth/students, interfaith, peace/global justice activists, white allies, labor, immigrant day laborers and community organizers from two dozen states. Community/grassroots immigrant activists from across the country met face-to-face for the first time to discuss how to collectively build a new national, broad-based, immigrant rights/civil rights movement.

During the strategy section on Sunday (7/30), we re-affirmed our "Ten Points of Unity" for the immigrant movement, and adopted the national immigrant strategy/action plans for the next 3-6 months with more than a dozen working groups, creating a intern-coordinating committee and point persons to coordinate each working group. We also began the discussion of creating a concept of the immigrant solidarity movement: grassroots, volunteer-based, direct action-oriented with strong emphases of community outreach and popular education.

Some of the highlights included:

- Multi-ethnic, multi-issue and multi-constituent based immigrant movement, inviting groups that traditionally have been marginalized from the struggle, such as LGBTQ, women and student/youth, African immigrants, African American, to be part of the coalition.

- Linking our struggles to the anti-war and global justice movements, and mutually supporting each other's cause.

- Institutionalizing the May 1st boycott "A Day Without Immigrants" and beginning planning for May 1st 2007.

- Supporting nationwide immigrant marches/actions during the Labor Day Weekend, and the September 7th Camp Democracy 's Immigrant Rights Day in Washington DC , called by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan.

- Direct actions as an important part of the immigrant movement.

- Grassroots organizing strategy and education programs.

- 'La gran marcha fronteriza flor y canto' - Conduct a Border Walk during Spring Break 2007, from San Diego, CA to Brownsville, TX.

- Working towards the creation of model legislation that resonates with the movement's principles and values

- Legislative campaigns, such as immigrant voter registration, and supporting bills such as the Legal Immigration & Family Equity Act and the Uniting Americans Act.

- National support hotline for immigrants who need legal referral, detention support, or help with other urgent needs.

- Developing a vocabulary to replace "amnesty" and "legalization."


There's no doubt that this conference has been the beginning of an historical turning point for the immigrant solidarity movement. With other immigrant conferences in Chicago , IL organized by the March 10th Movement and in Oakland , CA organized by NNIRR, we show that we have the will and strength to continue our momentum, and that we have the passion and energy to fight for our justice and dignity in the years to come.

Please visit our photo album showcasing the conference: http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/2006Conference/images/

Full Report of the Conference:

http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0561

Lists of the Working Groups and Committee Members:

http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0562

Yesterday We Marched

Today We Organized

Tomorrow We'll Achieve Our Dreams and Goals!

For more information, please call: (202)595-8990

e-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org

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Send check pay to:
National Immigrant Solidarity Network/AFGJ

and mail to:
ActionLA / The Peace Center
8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles , California 90048
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