AT NO TIME IN RECENT HISTORY HAS POLITICAL AWARENESS BEEN MORE ESSENTIAL TO OUR SURVIVAL!

If you are interested in media and media justice, don't miss this workshop:

Topic: "SEIZE THE MEDIA!: ORGANIZING ON THE BASIS RACE, POLITICS, and MEDIA JUSTICE"

Speakers:
- BOB McCHESNEY (author, "The Problem with Media")
- SALIM MUWAKKIL (editor, "In These Times" & journalist, "Chicago Tribune"), and
- KAREN BOND ("Chicago Media Action")


When:
Saturday, June 5th at 10:30AM.

RadFest is an annual political workshop forum in Lake Geneva, WI. from 6:45PM Friday, June 4th to 3:00PM Sunday, June 6th.

It's less than a 2 hour drive (carpooling options are available on the website)- you can just come up for a day (the conference fee is only $8.00 per day), or you can stay the whole weekend for $120 (that includes 2 nights lodging, all meals and conference fees - and it's even less if you are unemployed or have a limited income). Bring the family (there's free babysitting) and it will make a great (and inexpensive) weekend of fun and learning on the beautiful Lake Geneva.

Copied below are:
- a description of the workshop on race & media,
- a description of the RadFest event and
- a sample list of the workshops offered.

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"SEIZE THE MEDIA!: ORGANIZING ON THE BASIS RACE, POLITICS, and MEDIA JUSTICE"
(with Karen Bond, Bob McChesney, and Salim Muwakkil)

SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH, 2004 at 10:30 AM

THE PROBLEM: "Mass media is an instrument of genocide, filled with racist, sexist, ...and classist language and images." Through the manipulation of public perception, whole races can be demonized so that sponsoring corporations can profit from the war and discrimination which result. Recently, the "media reform" movement has placed much emphasis on reversing the FCC^?s decision to allow just a few corporations to own all our media outlets. However, the "media justice" movement deepens and expands this analysis by calling for "a movement that is grounded in a power analysis of race, class and gender" and an evaluation of methods designed to access and control the media which defines us. The working class can seize power ( i.e., the management of their political, cultural, and educational lives) by gaining control of media and making media accountable for how they're framing us. The public owns the airwaves. Will we be treated as owners or as consumers - mere targets of corporate greed? And can this "media justice" movement be as "democratic, diverse and community-oriented" as the media system we hope to create?

THE SOLUTION: A workshop which will emphasize: 1) Time devoted to strategizing and planning, instead of talking about topics already familiar to you ( like "Corporate media - bad, independent media - good", etc., etc.).
2) Speakers who will present methods for identifying problematic media outlets in your community, along with specific plans/proposals to institute positive change.
3) Break-out sessions to begin developing action plans for meeting local and national media activism goals, according to your area of interest/concern (newspapers/journalism, radio, commercial television, public television, etc.).
4) The formation of networking opportunities within the national media justice movement. There is strength in numbers. An ongoing communications forum/network will be defined which will allow participants to ask questions and share information about what has worked in particular situations. Over time, this will help to establish a data base of best practices between our different efforts so that others will not need to "reinvent the wheel".
FACILITATOR: Karen J. Bond, Chicago Media Action

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Announcing a Weekend Social/Political Forum - June 4-6, 2004
******************************************************* RadFest 2004:
June 4-6, 2004
Midwest Social Forum Marks Twenty-first Anniversary June 4-6, 2004 (6:45 PM Friday evening through 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon) at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Combine a weekend of learning & organizing with an affordable weekend of retreat & recreation on Lake Geneva.

This spring will mark the twenty-first anniversary of RadFest 2004. The central goal of the conference is to provide an opportunity for progressive activists, organizers, and intellectuals to come together to discuss issues, strengthen networks, and devise strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change.

Such area notables as SALIM MUWAKKIL (editor, "In These Times" & journalist, "Chicago Tribune") and BOB McCHESNEY (author, "The Problem with Media") are among those leading the fifty workshops and panels that will be offered over the course of the weekend. Workshop topics include: peace & militarism, race, media reform, social reform, labor issues, gender issues, corporate globalization, community/political organizing and more (see examples listed in attached press release).

The conference will take place on the weekend of June 4-6, 2004 at the Lake Geneva Campus of Aurora University - on the shores of Lake Geneva in Williams Bay, WI, about 80 miles northwest of Chicago:
- Less than a two hour drive from Chicago.
- The conference starts on Friday evening and ends on Sunday at noon. Two nights lodging (Friday & Saturday night), six meals and conference fees total as little as $120 (or less - there^?s a sliding scale fee based on your ability to pay: $105 limited income, $85 for youth and the unemployed, etc. ). And free childcare is available.
- You can attend the entire conference or just drive up for the day (Friday/6:45-9PM, Saturday/8:45-9PM or Sunday/8:45-3PM). The daily conference fee is only $8 (plus meals).
- Because the campus is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, there will be many beach and recreational activities available (such as swimming, canoeing, rowing, and hiking). Also theater and musical entertainment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Go to the website at http://www.havenscenter.org/radfest/radfest04/radfest04whatis.htm
- Contact the Havens Center at info@havenscenter.org OR
- Call 608-262-0854 / 608-262-1420.

/////////////////////////SAMPLES OF WORKSHOPS/////////////////////////
Here are some examples selected from the 50 workshops available:

**********MEDIA REFORM********** - "SEIZE THE MEDIA!: ORGANIZING ON THE BASIS RACE, POLITICS, and MEDIA JUSTICE" (with Karen Bond, Bob McChesney, and Salim Muwakkil)
- "MEDIA, DEMOCRACY, EDUCATION, REFORM, AND THE WORLD" (with Bob McCannon, Bob McChesney, and John Nichols)

**********RACE********** - "FIFTY YEARS AFTER "BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION": MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF DESEGREGATION" (with Barbara Golden and Julie Kailin)
- "RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE / INS ISSUES OF DEPORTATION"
(with Karyn Rotker, Renee Saucedo, and Alfonso Zepeda-Capistr?n)
- "LEARNING ENGLISH IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, CULTURAL IDENTITY, & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT"
(with Edward J. Rico, Donna Vukelich, and Alfonso Zepeda-Capistr?n)
- "THE POST 9-11 DOMESTIC CLIMATE FOR ARABS AND MUSLIMS" (with Marwan Wafa and Sadiqa Issa)
- "EQUAL EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR" (with Maria E. Flores)
- "LATINOS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE" (with Elizabeth Mart?nez, Richard Moore, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Ren?e Saucedo)
- "INTERNAL COLONIZATION AND RECONCILIATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICAN BLACKS AND THE SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX"
(with Teresa Stallings)

**********PEACE & MILITARISM********** - "POST-INVASION IRAQ AND THE MOVEMENT TO END THE OCCUPATION" (with Medea Benjamin, George Martin, Matt Rothschild, and Allen Ruff)
- "CHALLENGING MILITARISM"
(with Don McKeating, Will Williams, and Esty Dinur)

**********SOCIAL REFORM / COMMUNITY ORGANIZING********** - "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: THE SOCIAL FORUM MOVEMENT" (with Marc Becker, Janet Conway, Corey Dolgon, Matt Nelson, and Thomas Ponniah)
- "ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE"
(with Julie Andersen, Dwain Berry, and Teresa Thomas-Boyd)
- "COMMUNITY-DRIVEN NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE: LESSONS FROM CHICAGO"
(with Gabriel Piemonte and Beauty Turner)

**********CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION**********
- "CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION: CORPORATIONS AND FREE TRADE" (with Soren Ambrose, Jason Mark, Charlie Derber, Cathy Rose, and Orin Langelle)
- "ENDING CORPOCRACY: GETTING CORPORATIONS OUT OF POLITICS"
(with Charlie Derber, Ed Garvey, and Mike McCabe)
- "CHALLENGES TO CORPORATE POWER: ANTI-CORPORATE STRATEGIES, STRUGGLES, & SUCCESSES"
(with Charlie Derber, Ed Garvey, and Jason Mark)

**********LABOR**********
- "LESSONS FOR A NEW LABOR MOVEMENT"
(with Ron Blascoe and Bob Clark)
- "COMMUNITY SUPPORTED LABOR RIGHTS"
(with Christine Neumann-Ortiz and David Alvarado)

**********GENDER**********
- "YOU SAY WE'VE HAD A SEXUAL REVOLUTION"?
(with Kim McCarten)

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