Hi Sudoers, The group "Global Women's Strike" wants to become a member collective of the Omni Commons. They are willing to start participating right away, and postpone a decision about dedicated space. Here is more information about them. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Lori Nairne <Lori(a)allwomencount.net> Date: Thu, Jul 16, 2015 at 4:48 PM Subject: [omni-discuss] Potential member group proposal guidelines fr Global Women's Strike To: consensus(a)lists.omnicommons.org, discuss(a)lists.omnicommons.org Hello Omni Commons. Here are the answers to your ‘potential member group’ questions. We look forward to hearing from you. Lori, for the Global Women’s Strike. Potential member group proposal guidelines In preparing a membership proposal for your group to join Omni, please make sure to include the following points. You can answer using these questions directly or incorporate them into a format that suits your style. 1. Mission statement What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences) Global Women’s Strike (GWS) is a grassroots multiracial women’s network whose strategy for change is ‘Invest in caring not killing’; we want resources to go to the caring of people and the planet, not to war and occupation. We campaign to make visible and establish the value of unwaged and low-waged caregiving work in the home, on the land and in the community, including justice and survival work, and to press for resources for that work. We organize autonomously as women, and within GWS as women of color, LBTQ women, women with disabilities, and sex workers, while working with men and others to attack the power relations among us and support all our struggles against capitalism. 2. Origin and group history How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences) The Bay Area group was founded in 1976, Women of color, lesbian women and sex workers are in our core in the Bay Area. The US PROStitutes Collective, which is part of the GWS network, has been organizing for decriminalization of sex work and for resources so no one is forced into prostitution by poverty. Legal Action for Women has provided legal services to women and some men, including from a converted bus in the Tenderloin and Mission in SF. Queer Strike (formerly Wages Due Lesbians) was founded in 1978, organized a Lesbian Mothers Day in the Park in 1984, opposed police violence in the LGBT clubs, and most recently helped the campaign to get Chelsea Manning honored by SF Pride. We do ongoing work supporting the grassroots movements for justice vs. occupation in Haiti and Palestine. We are campaigning for a living wage for mothers and other caregivers. 3. Participation in the Omni Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences) We have had a good experience organizing several meetings as well as a film screening at the Omni. We are interested in becoming a member because it is clear that the Omni is a movement space and, especially given the difficult times, it is vital for those of us at the grassroots to be able to share space and ideas, and to support each other. We want to be part of building and promoting the work of the Omni. We need space for our work on projects and campaigns, meetings, self-help legal casework. Our needs are for a small space for our own meetings and projects, and use of larger collective space for meetings and events. 4. Group finances and paying rent What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences) We are a volunteer-run organization, and we depend on in-kind and other donations to function. Our core members make regular monthly contributions. We have applied for and received grants for specific projects. We would continue to seek funding from our supporters as well as grants, and to organize fundraising film screenings and other events to contribute towards rent. We get speaking fees at times from colleges, and we sell literature, t-shirts, and accessories related to our campaigning. We can contribute $300 per month to the Omni and we are planning to help raise more funds as we can and as we work together. 5. Dedicated space If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences) If possible, we would prefer a small secure office space where we can keep a computer and other equipment, and hold a desk, table, and some chairs. This would provide some privacy especially for the casework we do, and for phone and Skype meetings and regular center work. 6. Other contributions to the Omni This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group? (less than 5 sentences) We had a successful screening at the Omni where we raised funds for the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders and brought in an audience that packed the space and was overwhelmingly people of color. We see organizing other films and varied events to not only fundraise but also to bring people who might not yet know of the Omni or connect with it. One idea we have discussed with Women of Color in the Global Women’s Strike is to have a Rock Against Racism event. This would make people more aware of the work the Omni is doing as a community/communal space. We agree with profit sharing from our activities. In using the Omni space we will expand the reach of the Omni as well as our campaigning work, and will help build the movement for change. 7. Additional Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like) We fought against welfare reform which was brought in by Clinton and has increased poverty and homelessness for women, children and men. We recently launched an international petition campaign demanding a Living Wage for Mothers and other Caregivers and are involved in an effort to support legislation in Congress to attack women and children’s' poverty. We have a justice work focus. US PROS been involved in legal case work with sex workers in the Bay Area, including Oakland, and recently on winning the removal of a discriminatory regulation in the California Victims Compensation Program, which denied compensation for sex workers who have been raped and brutalized. In SF we have a history of organizing against violence against sex workers – from police violence and racism to serial murders. For example, when a serial rapist was targeting women in the Mission in San Francisco, he was arrested because sex workers came forward and identified him, but a judge let him out on bail; we became involved in a 2-year campaign monitoring the court, and ultimately he was convicted. It is our view that women should be protected, though we oppose the death penalty, support closing all SHUs, and fight against torture conditions in prison. web: http://uspros.net/ We work with men who are part of Payday men's network web: http://refusingtokill.net/ We are (and have always been) anti-sexist, anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-every discrimination and anti-capitalist. We want an end to the capitalist market which is ruining our lives, health, and the earth.