[OPIRG-EVENTS] New Politics Init. Nat'l Conference (fwd)

["Nancy D. Peckford" <nancyp@cs.mun.ca>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Fothergill.Jay@ic.gc.ca [mailto:Fothergill.Jay@ic.gc.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 10:54 AM


Greetings,

I am writing to you on behalf of the New Politics Initiative (NPI) - Ottawa,
a group committed to bringing about a new way of practicing politics here in
Ottawa, and in Canada. 

The first reason for this e-mail is that vibrant, active people involved
with the NPI are coming to town... and they need places to stay!  They're
paying their own way, from across Canada, to come take part in the first
ever NEW POLITICS INITIATIVE NATIONAL CONFERENCE on Parliament Hill, Oct.
18-20th.  We are asking you, as generous folk in the Ottawa/Gatineau region,
to open your homes and provide a bed so that conference attendees can avoid
the further expenses of finding lodging.  

If you have space to offer, we urge you to cut and paste the form below into
a new e-mail, fill out the fields and send it to
billet-npi-ottawa@sympatico.ca.  It's a chance for you to connect with
people who are helping to shape a more democratic and compassionate Canada!


Now that you're housing NPI people, why not BE PART OF THE PROCESS YOURSELF?
First, you can learn more about the NPI by reading the backgrounder below,
prepared by NPI-Ottawa.  Our group will be meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10th at
CUPW (377 Bank St.) at 7:00pm. 

Next, think about taking part in the New Politics Initiative National
Conference 2002.  The initiative is trying to engage all Canadians in the
process of building a new kind of participatory, democratic politics, so all
are welcome!  The conference schedule (attached as a PDF) includes
workshops, a participatory planning process, discussions and a public
presentation on the Friday night by the inspiring feminist/socialist Hillary
Wainwright from the UK.  To register and find out more, go to the NPI
website (www.newpolitics.ca).

Please forward this to ANYONE you know who might be able to house people
between Oct. 17-20th, or who could be interested in the NPI. 

In solidarity and with thanks,
NPI-Ottawa 


                  ---------------------------------------------
 

NPI National Conference 2002

OFFER OF BILLETING FORM

**********************

 
 Name:

 Dates you can offer housing (any of Oct. 17-20th):

 Number of people you can accomodate:

 Description of accomodations:

 Area and address:

 E-mail: 

 Phone number(s):
 

Please answer as many of the following questions as are applicable to you.

1) Is your space wheelchair accessible?:          

2) Can you accomodate children?:          

3) Can you accomodate pets?:          If yes, please describe:

4) Can you accomodate a smoker?:          Do you have easy access outside?: 

5) What is your sex?:         Is it important that you host people of the
same sex?:

6) Any other requests?:

Please fill out the fields above and e-mail this to
billet-npi-ottawa@sympatico.ca.  If you cannot submit this via e-mail,
please call 613-235-7747 during daytime hours with your offer of housing.
Thank you for your generosity!


                 ---------------------------------------------


BACKGROUND ON THE NEW POLITICS INITIATIVE
        
The New Politics Initiative, or NPI, is an emerging movement of
progressive Canadians looking to build and revitalize the Left in Canada.  
Launched in early 2001 by a small group of individuals from both inside 
and outside the NDP, the NPI has attracted the official endorsement of 
over 1000 people, and has since that time seen the establishment of local 
chapters in at least 8 cities across the country.  This interest confirms 
one of the initial assumptions of the NPI: that many activists and 
progressives in the anti-globalization movement, environmentalists, 
feminists, trade unionists, advocates of participatory democracy, 
opponents of the so-called war on terrorism', and many others active on 
the Left want to have and build a political vehicle - some kind of party.  

In part, this is a movement of those on the left of the NDP that want to 
see change in their party, and a dramatic vote at the November 2001 
Federal NDP Convention indicated that nearly 40% of the delegates supported 
(at some level) the ideas or initiatives proposed by the NPI.  The NPI is
also 
an effort to draw together activists and individuals who never felt that the

NDP spoke for them, or reflected their political hopes and aspirations.

NPI-Ottawa is a local group of activists and individuals inspired by the
original launch of the NPI, and committed to beginning the difficult
work of linking our various movements into an organization.  Some of us 
have been meeting for more than a year now, and begun to plan local events
that provide opportunities to discuss and debate how social movement 
politics and campaigns can take a more directly political form - but in 
new, more democratic, and less bureaucratic ways.  Our efforts to this 
point have been focused on building toward an innovative "Ottawa Social 
Forum" - an opportunity to bring together activists and organizations of 
different stripes to share experience, exchange information, and hopefully 
talk about linking strategies, building solidarity among our movements, 
and establishing some kind of continuing political organization - a party.

We aim to see such an event put together for May Day, 2003.  We also
invite others with shared interests and enthusiasm to join us.  Amid
difficult current challenges, there is significant opportunity to resist
and to build And if you want to know more about the New Politics 
Initiative in general, there is: http://www.newpolitics.ca/

 <<NPI_Conference_Agenda.pdf>> 


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