Hundreds Attend The People’s Convention in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA 7/23 — Hundreds gathered in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 23rd, at The People’s Convention to kick off a week of people-powered grassroots alternatives to the 2016 DNC convention. The event included the ratification of a political platform, workshops, and a movement building World Cafe. It was held at the Arch Street Quaker Meeting House, at 320 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA.
The day’s events ended with Green party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein and former state senator Nina Turner giving impassioned speeches to attendees. Participants were encouraged to keep the spirit of democracy alive by engaging with the political process beyond the campaign. Stein and Turner showed the omnipartisan nature of the convention. Turner was one of Senator Bernie Sanders key surrogates. As she spoke to the crowd about the accomplishments of the Sanders campaign people applauded regularly. Turner said she was a proud Democrat and did not have any intention of leaving the party, uring Sanders supporters to work inside the party to change it.
Stein, will be nominated by the Green Party at the August 4th to 7th Green Party presidential nominating convention in Houston, gave a rousing speech that covered a wide range of issues calling for the political revolution to be continued outside of the Democratic Party. Her speech was interrupted more than two dozen times often with standing ovations by a room that was mostly made up of Sanders supporters. The corporate media did not covrer or report on Stein’s speech so most of the public remains unaware that many Sanders supporters will be voting for Jill not Hill in 2016.
The speeches followed a day dedicated, in part, to ratifying a People’s Platform. This platform is a crowdsourced political document developed over the course of months with the input of over 800 activists and grassroots organizations. Advocates spoke in favor of the platform while the audience participated directly in a discussion of issues which included racial justice, wealth and income inequality, getting money out of politics, climate change and healthcare as a human right.
Voting on the platform was done through text message, and included people from around the country who were watching the event as it was streamed live on the People’s Revolution website.
In another room, the World Cafe, facilitators encouraged people from around the country to engage in conversations with each other. Talk touched on the political work done over the past year and how people want to build on that work to establish an ongoing grassroots movement. The space also saw an hour of programming dedicated to elevating black voices.
Attendees also had the option to attend a range of workshops over the course of the day. Some of the topics included information about establishing community organizations, building power in the environmental justice movement and working to get big money out of politics.
People interested in building political power are encouraged to visit the People’s Revolution’s website to set up gatherings in their local communities to build for the future: thepeoplesrevolution.org
The People’s Convention is endorsed by: Occupy Wall St. NYC, People of Color for Bernie Sanders, Philly Coalition for REAL Justice, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, Commonomics USA, DNC Action Committee, Move to Amend, Philly Socialists, Popular Resistance, College Students for Bernie, Green Jobs Philly and EDGE Philly
The People’s Convention is sponsored by: The People’s Revolution, an initiative of InterOccupy – a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ). AfGJ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
In the News:
July 22, Chicagoist: Sanders Supporters Are Holding ‘People’s Convention’ In Philly To Plan Next Steps
July 22, The Fresno Bee: People’s Convention Saturday in Philadelphia speaks to third party
July 22, CBS Philly: One-Day People’s Convention Held In Philadelphia, Days Before DNC Rolls In
May 8, In These Times: The Political Revolution Will Continue Long After Bernie Sanders’ Campaign. Here’s How.