SVUR Mission Statement

Southern Vermont Undoing Racism

Mission:

Create systemic change and understanding throughout the state of Vermont by developing a common analysis of what race and racism is. To formulate a common language to continue the process of actively undoing racism.

Vision:

Pilot the Undoing Racism workshop in Brattleboro, Vermont and continue to host the workshop annually. To establish regional teams in Central and Northern Vermont for Undoing Racism, who will continue the movement and host the People’s Institute annually in their region of the state.

Purpose:

Act as an agent of change for undoing racism by providing opportunities of growth and development through follow up discussions and community organizing for Southern Vermonters and their friends.

Goal:

Gather diverse interests from around Southern Vermont for individuals and entities to participate in the Undoing Racism workshop and to gain support of these Southern Vermonters and friends to pledge with the community initiative by monetary or other in-kind support.

Objectives:

Host as a community initiative, the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond Undoing Racism workshop, for Southern Vermont in Brattleboro. To include all logistics of workshop registration; location, transportation, lodging, childcare and food.

Organize followup with periodic gatherings of participants in PISAB training to discuss issues around undoing racism, and to help organize and support work they are doing in their communities.

Norms:

We will always remain as volunteers

A commitment to show up at meetings is essential. We should show up on time, within 5 minutes of start, and end on time to respect members commitments in other areas of life.

If someone has another commitment the same night, and still wants to come in late, that is fine, but they will need to catch up with someone after the meeting /be brought up to speed rather than stop the meeting to update at the moment.

We will bring food both for practical reason, that the meetings are a dinner time, and because it's a connector as something to share and sustain. We know that all members can't always bring food, but majority will most of the time , and it will work out

We don't want to have " speaking " norms, but a conversational flow. We expect that members may interrupt, but can defer and take turns when that inadvertently happens. We would prefer not to formalize the flow of conversation.

We can make a decision when at least three are present using consensus, that is , we don't all have to agree, but we all have to be able to say " I can live with that". If someone knows they cannot come to a meeting but wants to give input, they can email the group/facilitator, so that we have that info for our discussion, but the consensus needs to be built among those present at the meeting. We can use email to express our voices ,if something is coming up and we can't come, and if something new comes up at a meeting, since it was not "warned" in advance, we should do follow up on line or in person, phone, etc, before we make any decisions for the group.

3/30/11

Agenda Chart for the Meeting

Topic:

Names of Groups Members:

Goal/Vision:

Objectives	Action Steps	Who accountable?	By when?	Evaluation Methods

Hello SVURers:

It was great to meet with those who came to January 8 follow-up meeting and start to converse with each other about what we are doing to undo racism in Vermont and what we would like to do.

The following four groups were formed to work on issues: They are: Educating Ourselves and the Community, Dealing with the Commission of Civil Rights, Judical/Immigration, and School/Education.

We will be meeting April 9 1-5PM at the Brattleboro Savings and Loan.

Here is our proposed agenda

• Connections and snacking (everyone bring something if you’d like)
• Overview of the afternoon summary of feedback from last session
• Discussion of current topics related to race: U. S Intervention in Libya and in Africa

` Please review the following links, questions and the *attached documents* (selections from the book "The Politics of Genocide"):

1. What is genocide?
2. How is the word genocide used?
3. What are the causes of genocide?
4. Which countries/leaders have been tried for genocide in the international court?

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/2/prof_horace_campbell_peace_justice_movement

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-21-1Alibya21_CV_N.htm

• Break
• Group discussion and report out of progress on issue groups
• Group development of action plans

Hope to see you there. If you didn’t come to the January follow-up, you would definitely be welcome for the April one and can join an existing group or start a new one.

SVUR Steering Committee

PS. Please RSVP to svundoingracism@gmail.com

Save the Date!!

April 9, 2011

SVUR Follow up Meeting/Potluck

1pm - 5pm

Location: Brattleboro Savings and Loan

Lets talk..make connections and do the work collectively!!!

Bring a dish to share, if you are able!

Agenda to follow...

Be well,
SVUR Team

Planning Meeting - June 17th @ 6:30pm

Dear SVUR,

I would like to purpose that we meet at my home, 57 Sunny Acres in Brattleboro at 6:30 pm on Thursday evening 6/17/10. Please bring a dish, if you are able to share as we will eat and work. Family/ friends are welcome as I will more than likely have my own children.

I know it has been some time since we all last spoke and saw each other. I guess Prov and others were right when we talked about the summer approaching and everyone getting real busy. I as well have been busy and know I need to take initiative and responsibility for making this group move forward.

I apologize that there has been no reminders or follow up emails, but I hadn’t gotten much in feedback from my last two emails and thought I’d take a mini vacation with everyone. I acknowledge that some of you have/are away with work/school/personal commitments.

We have a lot of work to do and I plan on the meeting being at least 2 hours.

Mel, will only be able to attend in the beginning and Michea is still in NY, with school commitments, and Donna will not be able to attend. Others have either said that they can come or I have not spoken with them. I hope to see the rest of you there.

Directions to my home.

57 Sunny Acres is the same street that the middle school is on. If you are coming from Canal Street take a right at the four way stop at price chopper onto fairground road. Go down about 110 yards and take a right on to Atwood Street. Atwood turns into Sunny Acres and you will see the middle school on your left and the bible church on the right. MY HOUSE IS YELLOW, FOUR HOUSES DOWN FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ON THE SAME SIDE. If you’re coming from downtown take south Main Street all the way to the end, going straight through the stop sign, but veering left still on South Main st. At the end of the road Sunny Acres will be on your right, take this right. My house will be on the right about six houses up. It sits on top of a little hill. Feel free to park in front of my home.

Agenda (in details)

Please come to the meeting prepared with the items below. Don’t forget your calendars.

Meeting will begin 6:30 sharp so please come early if you need to settle in.

For anyone who is not able to make the meeting please let me know. However I would like for those of you who cannot come to please give us your input on the agenda as if you were in the meeting.

Opener: please come prepared with a WRITTEN list of your talents, skills and assets you would or could share with SVUR to help move our mission of bringing the People’s Institute to Brattleboro. Think both small and big in all facets of the work we are doing. (Ie childcare, fundraising, cooking, letter writing, verbal communication, connections, etc.) We will briefly checkout with our list so others may know what our skill sets are, but I ask that they be pre written for collection. You can always add to them.

Letter: There is a great letter that not all of us have signed. Please come prepared to sign the letter and take some with you to give to potential funders. Michea probably will not be back until Friday. Michea let me know if you still want us to go ahead with your signature or wait until Friday seeing that it is likely that they may not be giving out until at least the weekend at the soonest.

Soliciting list: A few meetings ago we had a list of individuals we would like to socialite some were personal and professional. Please come with both those list. (I will reforward the list from before. We want to make sure we are not duplicated people, even if you think it’s personal let us know their name so we make sure no one else asks them.

Event: We discussed having a low impact event in the downtown Brattleboro area. Some of us have discussed do to logistical complications and less personable atmosphere that we may want to have several in-house parties instead. Please be thinking of this as an option. WE will discuss this and if we agree please considering hosting one of these events in your home. If you are willing to host an event in your home please come with specific dates which this could be held.

What is this event going to look like? We discussed plenary sessions, short film, what other ideas do we have?? Please come with concrete ideas. We cannot leave without figuring this out.

Date for event with location before we depart and who will be the host and how many of us can be there?

Location: Mikeala worked hard to get us BUHS, however I have heard back from Oak Grove and it looks like we can have the space for less. My understanding is that it will cost us about 50 dollars an hour for maintenance at BUHS and it will be about $20 at Oak Grove. Final decision will be made at this meeting.

Sub-committee: In a previous email I sent a list of potential sub-committees, asking for everyone to choose at least two, to be responsible for through out the duration of this 2010 planning. I will resend this list. Please come prepared with which committee best suits your needs. If there are less or more committees that need to be listed, come with your suggestion.

Calendar: please bring your calendars and know as best as you can what dates you ARE NOT available from now until the training. I would like to set up both weekly sub committee meeting and bi weekly all committee meetings if this works for people through out the summer.

Do not hesitant to ask questions and/or add to the agenda. If you have any questions please call me at 802-275-7490.

Agenda

Meeting Shela’s home 6:30 pm sharp

Opener: bring your skills

Letter

Solicitation list

Low impact event

Location for training

Sub-committees

Date planning

SVUR Letterhead

As the SVUR organizing collective embarked on our fundraising drive for the upcoming funding of the Undoing Racism training/workshop by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, I created an official letterhead. Please take a look and let me know of likes and dislikes, with any suggestion.

Prov