Sponsored by: D.U.E Justice Coalition which includes: NAACP, Connecticut Conference United Church of Christ, CT Citizen Action Group, Common Cause, CT Center for a New Economy and others. (Full list of endorsing organizations available here)
Interested in participating in future Due Justice activities? Contact: Ann Pratt @ 860-209-1234 for more info.
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A CCAG Strategic Training Event:
Justice Works Convening
On Saturday, January 30, Connecticut Citizen Action Group brought 75 activists together to grapple with two related issues that affect everyone: runaway economic inequality and persistent racism. The two are closely related. Both produce haves and have nots separated by enormous distance. Both undermine a modern, healthy economy. Both run counter to the “greatest good for the greatest number,” a principle that made the US economy second to none. (scroll down for event photos)
“This was an excellent event! I learned so much about the huge impact that concentrated power and wealth have on everything related to our economy, our communities, and our future. The power and reach of the financial sector in the state and in the country has to be challenged and called to account.” Marilyn Tyszka
Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality, An Activist’s Guide to Economic Justice, presented deep analysis based on historical trends. He made clear that the decades-long segregating of wealth comes, not from any natural market tendency, but rather from strategic planning and careful effort. This golden population, 1 tenth of 1%, takes great pains to keep their calculations behind closed doors and within gated communities, which, of course, is also where compensation that once flowed to the rank-and-file middle class is stacking up at gasp-inducing rates. The quiet tool of this financial “strip-mining” is concentrated money itself, secret and unbounded, eroding the governmental institutions meant to keep our playing field level.
Libero Della Piana then added an historical analysis of structural racism. He challenged attendees to look at issues through the lens of racial disparities and inequities. Finally, a panel of experienced and active racial justice organizers including Frances Padilla, Subira Gordon and Bishop John Selders, engaged audience members in a rich conversational exploration of these two machines of inequality (race and concentrated wealth). Their message? Fully embrace the "fierce urgency of now!” No effort is too small to contribute.
Participants then broke into subgroups. Each worked on a different aspect of planning the incremental deconstruction of the fixed game of finance and ownership. We will be building on this convening and ramping up strategic efforts for change over the coming months.
“This was an excellent event! I learned so much about the huge impact that concentrated power and wealth have on everything related to our economy, our communities, and our future. The power and reach of the financial sector in the state and in the country has to be challenged and called to account.” Marilyn Tyszka
Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality, An Activist’s Guide to Economic Justice, presented deep analysis based on historical trends. He made clear that the decades-long segregating of wealth comes, not from any natural market tendency, but rather from strategic planning and careful effort. This golden population, 1 tenth of 1%, takes great pains to keep their calculations behind closed doors and within gated communities, which, of course, is also where compensation that once flowed to the rank-and-file middle class is stacking up at gasp-inducing rates. The quiet tool of this financial “strip-mining” is concentrated money itself, secret and unbounded, eroding the governmental institutions meant to keep our playing field level.
Libero Della Piana then added an historical analysis of structural racism. He challenged attendees to look at issues through the lens of racial disparities and inequities. Finally, a panel of experienced and active racial justice organizers including Frances Padilla, Subira Gordon and Bishop John Selders, engaged audience members in a rich conversational exploration of these two machines of inequality (race and concentrated wealth). Their message? Fully embrace the "fierce urgency of now!” No effort is too small to contribute.
Participants then broke into subgroups. Each worked on a different aspect of planning the incremental deconstruction of the fixed game of finance and ownership. We will be building on this convening and ramping up strategic efforts for change over the coming months.