Rouge Forum Update: Call for Steering Committee

Dear Friends,

Below is a call for nominations for the Rouge Forum Steering Committee from Community Coordinator Adam Renner--and below that more resources on the system of capital vs education, including analyses of the National Education Association Representative Assembly.

The Rouge Forum a group of educators, students, and parents seeking a democratic society. We are concerned with questions like: How can we teach against racism, nationalism and sexism in an increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic society? How can we gain enough real power to keep our ideals AND teach? Whose interests do schools serve in a society that is ever more unequal? We want to learn about equality, democracy and social justice as we simultaneously struggle to bring those into practice.

Needless to say, work toward these goals in the spirit of justice, demands organization. The Rouge Forum is now more than 10 years old. Over the first decade of its existence, members have built an international network of around 4500 professors, teachers, students, artists, and other social service workers. We have engaged in actions, put on conferences, written papers, and built the capacity of our community. We have done these things with no attachment to any hierarchy or any official organizing strategies. Wanting to keep the horizontal nature of such a network while also desiring to better coordinate our actions, the RF is currently accepting nominations for the 09-10 Steering Committee.

Members of the Steering Committee will be expected to actively promote the 2010 conference and attend where possible, help develop and actively participate in Regional RF Chapters, attend the Fall Steering Committee retreat, promote the RF at other conferences, seek out like-minded people and organizations to link the RF with, provide essays for the Rouge Forum News where possible, and build the capacity of our community by support of its members.

In particular this steering committee will be crucial toward the formation of Regional Chapters, mentioned in the list above. We would like to see regular meetings of the regional chapters and work toward some type of coordinated action (e.g., a one day freedom school, a teach-in, a one-day retreat for teachers, an evening panel/speaker on a coordinated topic, a protest action, etc. as a lead up to the 2010 conference and as a preview of more focused, coordinated, and regular actions in the future). Perhaps in organizing more locally/regionally, we can spend more time face to face, as well as enacting nation/world - wide coordinated actions. Please send your nomination to Adam Renner at arenner@bellarmine.edu by August 15, 2009.

"On the Education for Liberation Front: Two great, censored, photos of Arne Duncan, teaching: http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.html?id=601

Detroit Schools May File Bankruptcy, Could Void Contracts--Using the GM Model: http://www.freep.com/article/20090709/NEWS01/90709050/Bankruptcy-considered-for-DPS

If a bankruptcy judge allows this unprecedented school bankruptcy, it could mean wages slashed in half, pensions and health benefits gutted. If it happens in Detroit, it sets the stage for many others. Substance News on the Wrap-up of the National Education Association Conference: http://www.substancenews.net/

Vote: Should 11,000 CSU Faculty (all of them signed a loyalty oath) take a 10% Pay Cut? The Union Bosses don't know. "NOTE: The CFA Board did not take a position on how members should vote." http://www.calfac.org/furloughvoteinfo.html

The State of US Unionism:Union Hacks Slug it Out--Solidarity Forever: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/business/09labor.html?em but nothing will stop them from uniting for a free lunch with The Obmagogue: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/union-leaders-to-meet-with-obama-next-week/?scp=1&sq=van%20roekel%20obama%20stern&st=cse

The International Scene:Mediations, a left journal from South Africa, with many fascinating critiqueshttp://www.mediationsjournal.org/

Parenti on Obama and the coup in Honduras which sparked a nation-wide school strike: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/07/08-3

Obamagogue (of the AIG, Madoff, Enron, Martha Stewart, etc, USA) lectures Africans on Corruption:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-obama-africa12-2009jul12,0,7755225.story

Stiglitz on Auditing the $3 Trillion Wars: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/07/auditing_the_iraq_war_and_its.html

Thanks to Amber, Brian, George and Sharon, Susan O and H, Joe, Mark, Jesus, Donna, Candace, Lance, Sheri, Ken, Barb, Matthew, Bill, Jane W and friends, Mike L and A, Perry, Kathryn, TC, Tony H, Hilda, Marisol, Brit, Della, and Bill.

Good luck to us,
every one.
r