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PNN’s mission is to engage, educate and empower. Here’s what’s coming up in each of these areas:
Engage. Get involved with PNN on issues and election work this year; come to the organizing workshop, and find out how to run to be a committee person
Empower. Take an action to Ban Bribery in Harrisburg; and join a Car Caravan to change prison conditions.
Educate. See a movie about “Changing the World”; and learn about the new Right to Counsel Project for Tenants
Read on to find out the when, where, and how.
Watch Our Kickoff Meeting, then Volunteer for Election & Issues Projects
Attended by over 180 people, PNN’s General Membership Meeting was a time to hear inspiring talks from our guest speakers, learn about the myriad of issues on which our activists are working, and prepare for the upcoming elections that will dominate a good part of 2022. The theme of Saving Our Democracy permeates all the work that we will be taking on this year. And we cannot do it without you – so please sign up for whatever you can do and we will be in touch to follow up.
For those of you who missed last Saturday’s meeting, here is the video.
And here are a few highlights of the meeting:
Keynote Speaker: Kicking off the meeting was Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch, who talked about the threats to our democracy stemming from the Jan 6 insurrection and its aftermath. He stressed the importance for all of us to work with grass roots groups like PNN that work for candidates and programs that uphold our democratic values.
Election Plan: PNN will knock more doors, make more phone calls, send more text messages than ever so that we can nominate the most progressive candidates in the Spring primary, and then work like hell to defeat the Republicans in the Fall.
Canvassing Teams: We heard how empowering, and yes fun it was, to pair community and PNN volunteers to reach out to communities where there is low turnout.
Issue Work- PNN activists talked about the wide array of issue campaigns they are spearheading in the areas of education, the environment, healthcare, housing, and public banking.
Rep Chris Rabb recounted his long involvement with PNN starting when his son was a toddler until now when his son is actually old enough to vote. And he called on us all to redouble our efforts to elect progressives at every level of government.
We can’t do any of this work without participation from folks like you who will volunteer for our election and issue work.
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Workshop: Learn the Organizing Conversation
Wednesday, February 16th, 1-4PM, Virtual Event (Note Time Change)
Looking to build your organizing skills? Ready to take the leap from activist to leader? Just want to learn more about how organizers do what they do? Then sign up for our first organizing workshop of 2022, as our friends at The Organizing Center teach effective conversation skills.
The focus of our February 16th workshop will teach how to have a "Transformative 1:1 Conversation" with others. This is an interactive online workshop, so be prepared to practice organizing conversations and receive direct feedback. In short, you will learn the core skill to being an effective organizer of others - the ability to construct and conduct meaningful conversations that build mutual trust and secure commitments.
Please note the start time for this workshop has changed from 7PM to 1PM. This mid-day workshop will be an immersive three-hour program conducted by our friends at The Organizing Center, and it is designed to build your organizing skills. If you make the time commitment, you'll leave this workshop with the feeling that you learned something of value.
This class usually has a fee attached to it, but we have secured a limited number of free passes for our members who want to improve their organizing skills. Here's how to sign up:
Click the link below
Enter the coupon code "GUEST" (all CAPs) and click "Continue"
At the top of the next page, type "PNN" into Company Name
Scroll down to Event Admission, check the "Tier 1 - $50.00" line and then click "Next"
You'll see that the $50.00 has been deducted by using the code
Click "Complete Registration" and you'll receive confirmation via email
Next month, we'll learn different models for effective organizing, as we touch upon some of the history of progressive organizing. Then we'll learn the value of effective storytelling as an organizing tactic, as well as how to create a storytelling framework for yourself. We'll also reinforce the steps to making a confident "ask" of others. You don't need to bring any organizing knowledge to this workshop, just an open mind and willingness to learn.
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Want to be a Committee Person? Here's How
Tuesday, February 15th, 7PM, Virtual
Did you know that a Committee Person is an elected official? That's right. They must first collect signatures from their neighbors on a petition to get on the ballot in this year's primary election. If elected, their job is to reach out to their neighbors to keep them informed about issues and upcoming events. They also play an important role in elections and in selecting the Ward Leader.
If you'd like to know more about what a Committee Person does and how to become one, then here's what you should do:
Read this how-to document
See this official website
Come to this zoom meeting
We hope to see you there!
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Want to Ban Bribery in Harrisburg?
Monday, February 7th, Take Action
Our friends at March on Harrisburg have spent four years dealing with Harrisburg pols to fight for a common-sense, anti-corruption policy known as the "The Gift Ban Bill". Right now, legislators need only fill out a form to let us know they are accepting a "gift" from powerful lobbyists - and magically, an under-the-table act of bribery suddenly becomes "legal". MOH's work exposing this blatant corruption has received news coverage across the state, country, and world.
Now, we're asking you to take part in this effort by simply making a call to State House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff to demand that he release this bill HB1009 to the House floor for a vote next week.
Psst... Want to get even more involved? Join us this Wednesday, February 9th, 8AM in Harrisburg to confront those who impede our attempt to stop corruption in our State Capital. Email tim@phillynn.org for details.
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Car Caravan for Human Rights
Saturday, February 12th, 12:30PM, 4011 Cottman Ave
People inside Philadelphia’s jails are currently experiencing a serious, comprehensive human rights crisis: with severe understaffing, people are being subjected to violence but consistently denied medical care, denied access to counsel and court dates, refused any kind of mental health care–and since nearly everyone in the jails is being denied more than an hour or two of out-of-cell time, the entire system is in the equivalent of solitary confinement. And all this despite most people being held pre-trial.
On Feb 12, our allies at Abolitionist Law Center and Campaign for Human Rights will conduct a car caravan to the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to call on the city to protect the rights of people inside prison, stop using the torture of solitary confinement, and adopt practices that would keep our communities whole and thriving. If you want to phone-bank for the event, click here. If you would like to participate in the car caravan, we will meet up at the Rite Aid located at 4011 Cottman Ave in the Holmesburg section of the city. To sign up, click on the link below.
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Right to Counsel: A Great New Program
We applaud Councilmember Helen Gym and her great team for delivering on a years-in-them-making program called, "Right to Council". This bill, introduced by Helen 2019, is today being implemented as a test program to assure that tenants facing eviction are provided with an attorney. We think this is a moral and common sense program to assist those most in need. Kudos to Councilmember Gym and her team! Read the Inquirer Article
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Movie Night: "Changing the World"
Thursday, February 24th, 7PM, Virtual Event
We have a special treat for community activists, as we kick off our Movie Night series with a powerful movie about someone that Senator Liz Warren calls, "the most influential person you never heard of...". Heather Booth is an organizer who has been at the center of almost every social movement of the past 50 years.
She registered voters in the South during the 1964 Freedom Summer, created an abortion rights network during the women’s movement and organized the first sit-in against the Vietnam War. Booth was the person Elizabeth Warren turned to in her fight for financial reform against big banks and Wall Street firms, returning more than $5 billion to consumers. Booth pioneered door-to-door canvassing as an organizing tool and was the co-creator of the renowned Midwest Academy, which has trained more than 45,000 organizers.
In short, she's the real deal. And you'll have an opportunity to meet Heather as she joins us in a viewing of the documentary based on her life, "Changing the World." After the movie, Heather will answer questions from our audience about her life, her organizing challenges and she'll talk about the future of organizing in our current political climate. This is a must-see event.
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We're Looking for a Few Good Organizers
Can you organize a canvass at a volunteer's home? Do you know how to cut turf? Have you conducted a volunteer training? Have you run a phone bank? Have you organized and carried out an action or event? We are currently accepting resumes for Organizing Staff (full/part) to organize in BIPOC communities, contingent on funding for c3/c4 electoral and community work. Send your resume to tim@phillynn.org
___________________________________________________________________________________________This Week in History
Feb 5, 1994 – Justice Delayed. More than 30 years after committing this heinous act, the white supremacist murderer of civil rights leader Medgar Evers was convicted. Read the story
Feb 9, 1971 – Paige inducted. On this day, after a career spanning five decades, pitching legend Leroy “Satchel” Paige became the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Feb 10, 1966 – Unsafe at Any Speed. Justice crusader Ralph Nadar testified before Congress for the first time about unsafe practices in the auto industry, leading to the passage of safety laws in the unregulated auto industry.
Thanks for your activism!
Tim Brown, Organizing Director