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May 8, 2004 |
New Round of Seattle Potlucks Called For April 19
After a hugely successful Potlucks for Peace Day Jan 18, P4P is calling for a new round of Potlucks April 19 as a way of broadening and strengthening the movement against war in Iraq. (We originally made April 5th Potluck II Day. But too many other things are happening that day including a moratorium at University of Washington, and a series of block parties organized by SNOW, Sound Non-violent Opponents of War. Check the SNOW web site, http://snowcoalition.org)
On January 18, 2003, over 3,000 people joined in 65 Potlucks for Peace held across 6 counties in Western Washington. The activity led to extensive press coverage including a front page story in the Seattle Times on potluck Day, sneering headlines from The Stranger, and several radio news interviews.
On Feb. 22, about 20 potluck hosts, meeting face to face for the first time, agreed to expand and continue the project, with a view toward giving more people a way to express their views of the proposed war in Iraq, and explore ways to get involved in the struggle.
The April 19th Potlucks have the same guidelines as last time:
1. Size doesn’t matter. You can have a potluck for 10 or 200. Many hosts of small neighborhood potlucks thought a small group was very effective in breaking down fears, and giving people a way to get connected to others with the same feelings about the war.
2. Recruit in your own neighborhood. Don’t just invite people you think are opposed to the war. Invite people that you are not sure of, that haven’t been marching or putting up signs.
3. Speakers and videos work well in large groups. But really all you need is a group of people willing to sit around and talk for an hour or so, and share ideas and information. Many people used the conversation café model of conducting a group conversation. Click on Conversation Café in the table of contents.
4. Signs, posters, flyers, pamphlets and articles are all great to have for people to take home.
People like you and me all over the country have had a tremendous effect by taking small actions at the neighborhood level, and linking ourselves with the Internet. This local organizing, of which Potlucks for Peace is a part, resulted in the largest anti-war demonstrations ever held in the U.S.
We’ve helped to stimulate a huge national debate on the war, and forced the government to come back again and again with new “evidence” and arguments about why we should be going to war against Iraq.
Potlucks for Peace is a way for people to talk about the war…and have their voices heard…without leaving their own neighborhood. Let’s continue what we started.
On January 18, 2003, over 3,000 people joined in 65 Potlucks for Peace held across 6 counties in Western Washington. The activity led to extensive press coverage including a front page story in the Seattle Times on potluck Day, sneering headlines from The Stranger, and several radio news interviews.
On Feb. 22, about 20 potluck hosts, meeting face to face for the first time, agreed to expand and continue the project, with a view toward giving more people a way to express their views of the proposed war in Iraq, and explore ways to get involved in the struggle.
The April 19th Potlucks have the same guidelines as last time:
1. Size doesn’t matter. You can have a potluck for 10 or 200. Many hosts of small neighborhood potlucks thought a small group was very effective in breaking down fears, and giving people a way to get connected to others with the same feelings about the war.
2. Recruit in your own neighborhood. Don’t just invite people you think are opposed to the war. Invite people that you are not sure of, that haven’t been marching or putting up signs.
3. Speakers and videos work well in large groups. But really all you need is a group of people willing to sit around and talk for an hour or so, and share ideas and information. Many people used the conversation café model of conducting a group conversation. Click on Conversation Café in the table of contents.
4. Signs, posters, flyers, pamphlets and articles are all great to have for people to take home.
People like you and me all over the country have had a tremendous effect by taking small actions at the neighborhood level, and linking ourselves with the Internet. This local organizing, of which Potlucks for Peace is a part, resulted in the largest anti-war demonstrations ever held in the U.S.
We’ve helped to stimulate a huge national debate on the war, and forced the government to come back again and again with new “evidence” and arguments about why we should be going to war against Iraq.
Potlucks for Peace is a way for people to talk about the war…and have their voices heard…without leaving their own neighborhood. Let’s continue what we started.