Organizing for peace, sustainability and justice in the face of the RNC's primary

I've been seriously bummed out by the fact that the Republican National Convention is going to be held in the Twin Cities this year. (The UpTake is doing great coverage of this lead-up). The idea of swarms of people gathered here for the express purpose of furthering the failed Republican agenda nauseates me.Some local folks are preparing their welcome for the RNC (love the visual ref to the storied Revolutionary Anarchists Bowling League!). Bloggers will be welcome, in the "media workspace" but protesters will not(thanks again, UpTake). Groups have to apply for permits, but have not yet been told where they will be allowed to march, or even if they will be allowed close to the Excel Center where the convention will be held.

Since I am too chicken to be a lightning rod for a police beatdown, or perhaps I should say, for one of the newly purchased tasers, I will find a different way to protest.

I have discovered that there will be a parallel event held in the Twin Cities to draw attention to an alternative agenda, (and No, I don't mean the Democratic Party's national primary). Called Peace Island: Hope in a Time of Crisis--A solutions driven conference, it will bring together
speakers and organizations, national and local, to share ideas on the themes of Global Peace and Nonviolence, Energy and the Environment, Justice and Human Rights. Some of the names are familiar because they are people I know from the peace and justice coalitions of Minnesota; others are nationally known.

Here is the organizers' statement:

At the time of the 2008 Republican National Convention, national and world attention will be focused on the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Peace Island will convene a solutions driven conference to promote and celebrate peace, justice, harmony, nonviolence and care of the earth. Nationally known speakers have been invited to participate in panels and discussions relating to their field of expertise.

Background
Peace Island was conceived by Friends of Coldwater founder Susu Jeffrey of Minneapolis. She was joined by Dennis Dillon in October of 2006, and shortly thereafter most of the current committee members joined in the planning and organizing.

The Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers (MAP) became official sponsor of the conference in October 2007.

Many on the committee are members of organizations that belong to MAP. The group includes Dick Bernard, former MAP President from 2005-2007. Other organization affiliations include AlliantACTION, ELCA Synod Committee, Hawkinson Foundation, National Night Out, Saint Mary's Basilica, St. Joan of Arc, Twin Cities Peace Campaign - Focus on IRAQ, and Women Against Military Madness.

St. Joan of Arc Church has provided a financial grant to Peace Island.

I think I will plan to attend--better yet, volunteer--as a way to do more than complain about the bad karma that will be gathered here on those dates.

AlliantACTION is the new incarnation of the Honeywell Project, formed when Honeywell spun off its weapons division as AlliantTec (new name, still death merchants) but their mission is the same: AlliantACTION works tirelessly to draw attention to the fact that cluster bombs are manufactured in Minnesota that kill and maim civilians around the world. It also makes depleted uraniam munitions that poison people and the environment. I understand the rage that motivates some of the folks who are looking forward to confrontations with the police, but I think I will try to reinsert myself in a more active way into the groups whose work has been important over the long haul.