[sudo-discuss] Fwd: [omni-discuss] Potential member group proposal guidelines fr Global Women's Strike

[yar]

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 at 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 at lists.omnicommons.org, discuss at 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.