Building the Party and Expanding the Green-Rainbow Tent

Our theme this year, Building the Party and Expanding the Green-Rainbow Tent, accentuates the need for us to continue building our party in the face of today's reality of a broken political system in America. Rosa Clemente spoke in 2008 of the Green Party as no longer the alternative, but the imperative, for us to live with social justice, freedom, and democracy. Her words were true in 2008 and still ring true today.

We are Extremely Happy announce that our Keynote speaker will be Jacqueline Patterson, the Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.

Environmental injustice, including the proliferation of climate change, has a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low income communities in the United States and around the world. The NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program was created to support community leadership in addressing this human and civil rights issue.

Since 2007 Jacqueline Patterson has served as coordinator & co-founder of Women of Color United. Jacqui Patterson has worked as a researcher, program manager, coordinator, advocate and activist working on women‘s rights, violence against women, HIV&AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice. Patterson served as a Senior Women’s Rights Policy Analyst for ActionAid where she integrated a women’s rights lens for the issues of food rights, macroeconomics, and climate change as well as the intersection of violence against women and HIV&AIDS. Previously, she served as Assistant Vice-President of HIV/AIDS Programs for IMA World Health providing management and technical assistance to medical facilities and programs in 23 countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Patterson served as the Outreach Project Associate for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Research Coordinator for Johns Hopkins University. She also served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica, West Indies.

Our second speaker will be Patricia Montes – Executive director of Centro Presente.

Established in 1981, Centro Presente is a member-driven, state-wide Latin American immigrant organization dedicated to the self-determination and self-sufficiency of the Latin American immigrant community of Massachusetts.

Operated and led primarily by Central American immigrants, Centro Presente struggles for immigrant rights and for economic and social justice. Through the integration of community organizing, leadership development and basic services, Centro Presente strives to give our members voice and build community power.

Also featuring a panel and open mic session addressing the our theme - how do we expand the green-rainbow tent and Grow the party!

WORKSHOPS:

Series 1 will focus on electoral action and Series 2 will focus on issues & activism.

Be sure to Pre-register below. Ticket price includes an awesome Lunch.

Tabling opportunities for your organization – Contact Carol at csotirop@nmu.edu for more info.

Childcare can be provided on site for attendees – please fill out the childcare form by April 21, 2017.

CARPOOLING:

If you would like to offer a ride or let us know that you need a ride, please fill out the form here. Our carpool coordinator will contact you as in the weeks before the convention to confirm details of any geographic matches we can find.

The First Unitarian Church is wheelchair accessible. Please notify us if you require other special accommodation in order to attend. More information about accessibility details can be found here.

Please also note that federal law requires contributors to be either citizens of the United States of America or federally recognized permanent residents.

Green-Rainbow Party

http://www.green-rainbow.org/