[Peace-discuss] More about Rolling Thunder Tour

[Barry Miller]

As I see it here, we as AWARE, are already doing this.  Maybe, as Mark 
Enslin has mentioned, we could add to the Chicago event.  On the other 
hand, would hosting such an event here act as a catalyst to bring together 
more of the people in the area that are not yet with us.

Jim Hightower – in collaboration with such national organizations as ACORN, 
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Friends of the Earth, Global 
Exchange, The National Council of Churches, Public Citizen, the Ruckus 
Society, United for a Fair Economy, and Working Assets, as well as such 
activists as Ben & Jerry, Paul Wellstone and Patch Adams – is launching a 
series of progressive citizenship festivals in various cities across the 
country, combining serious purpose with good fun.

The serious purpose of this “Rolling Thunder Chautauqua Tour” is to forge 
new coalitions among local progressive groups and to strengthen existing 
coalitions. The idea of each Chautauqua is to get to know each other 
better, figure out ways to work more closely together, identify one or more 
uniting actions we can pursue together – and generally to leverage the 
tremendous activism that already exists at the American grassroots, making 
our progressive movement stronger as a whole than we are as separate parts.

Each Chautauqua will be designed to serve as a catalyst for long-term 
coalition-building at the local level, beginning with the event itself, 
which would bring together a large and broad group of progressive 
constituencies (not just leaders) to spend a day or two in a sort of 
citizenship fair — learning from each other, getting top-notch training on 
everything from media work to fundraising, having activist workshops on 
issues and organizing, participating in both short-term and long-term 
strategizing sessions, getting energized by two or three rousing speeches, 
joining in a march or demonstration, and simply celebrating and reflecting 
on the breadth, depth, and power of grassroots progressive activism.

Remember, however, that the Chautauqua spirit is a festive one —our 
official credo is: You can fight the gods and still have fun! As we nurture 
the civic side of our community, let's also relish the cultural side, 
interspersing the event's agenda with some of our best musicians, 
comedians, artists, satirical troupes, and other performers. And what's a 
festival without good food and drink? Let's enlist local restauranteurs, 
food companies, wineries, and microbreweries Also, bring on the puppets, a 
poetry slam, a farmer's market, a baseball game... whatever. Think of it 
like a county fair, where citizens come together to learn, participate, 
celebrate and enjoy.
Do YOU want to Chautauqua?

If you want to help sponsor, plan, organize, and participate in a Rolling 
Thunder Chautauqua event in your area, or if your 
organization/business/union/or other group would like to be a national 
partner in the Rolling Thunder Chautauqua Tour, check out RTD2 Headquarters 
and sign-up!