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Last Revised: June 1996

On Saturday, May 11, about 90 "leaders" in the local activist community gathered at a "Diversity Action Seminar" put on at S.S.U. by faculty and students to see what we could do to build better coalitions and do some collective visioning for Sonoma County and beyond.

This is a great idea and I will climb any mountain and ford any stream in my zeal to see this happen for real, so you bet I went!! In an uncharacteristic move I sent in my $15 registration on the same day I received the notice so you know I was psyched and hopeful. There were some good people behind this idea like Mario Savio, Leo Alvillar and Francisco Vasquez and a large troop of students and faculty who worked hard to obtain the space for us to meet, the food for us to eat and the facillitators to keep us on point. We need more efforts like this--space to see where we agree and disagree and time to work through our differences, discover our unity, learn from each other and create support and strength for all.

WHAT WORKED: After a very short intro from Prof. Vasquez we broke down into several small groups of about 8 or 9 people with whom we stayed for an entire day. The process was simple and to the point. We were asked to respond to a series of very good questions (I thought no one would ever ask!!!) and because our groups were small we had the time and space to think, respond and interact. I really liked my group which included a homeless activist and alternative political candidate,a labor organizer,a healthcare worker, an Older Womens League rep, a Womens Support Network activist (whom I've talked to for years on the phone but never met) as well as a student and faculty member from S.S.U. For us the process worked and we were able to come to a pretty easy agreement visionwise as well as defining the paths to get there. Many of the suggestions were for things that are already happening: political, electoral and direct action strategies. Others were for things we all agree SHOULD happen: unlearning racism and classism workshops, combined actions on a local level etc.,and in general supporting each others efforts.

I was also pleased that this group took seriously my suggestion about needed mediation within our ranks. Nothing slows us down more than the splits, bad feelings and disrespect that we impose on each other. This is obviously not a new concept when dealing with people trying to work in groups but the "left" has traditionally seemed to feel "above" taking part in a process designed to work these things out and in so many cases letting serious misunderstandings and differences fester has put the brakes on reaching our goals. Recognizing mediation as a tool to be used and setting up a collective of the willing and eager "mediator talent" already in our midst, would elevate the concept to be taken more seriously and utilized more often.

I was not able to stay for the session at the end of the day when all the groups came together to share the main points of their discussions but I fully trusted that my group would convey this concept of needed mediation to the larger gathering. The rest of my wish list included a serious "Justice Coalition for Sonoma County" and a "Mass Action at Bohemian Grove" that I didn't have to organize. Just imagine the potential power that could be unleashed if all the attendees and the people their groups represent were to focus attention on the ruling elite camped out in our backyard each year. Hey, one can fantasize!!!

But as I told the group, I'd settle right now for mediation to be taken seriously!!! Then maybe the rest would follow.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED: With the exception of a couple of people this was an all white gathering. If I had to name just one thing that is needed badly in Sonoma county (besides mediation) it would be more emphasis on cross cultural work and for white activists to understand that they need to recognize and understand their race and class privilege. There are many groups and individuals in our midst that are simply invisible to alot of white progressives. I talked to many of my non white friends who were just not attracted to the idea of what they suspected would be a white perspective gathering and of those willing to expose themselves to the experience there were simply more important things to do. One man from Sonoma County NAACP already had plans to attend an anti CCRI rally in San Francisco and a well known local labor organizer had plans to kick off the Boycott Sonoma Mission Inn campaign on the same day as this seminar. In fact, three of us left S.S.U. during the lunch break to go support the picket line and I'm glad we did. In hindsight maybe we should have urged the whole group to come along for some hands on coalition building instead of listening to a speech back at S.S.U.

And while I knew and have worked for years with many of the attendees (some up close and others from a distance) this was more a gathering of established progressive and non profit groups that already know each other. What was missing were the more "marginal" and newer groups and individuals that did not receive invitations. I talked afterward with one of the most expert people in our county on Cuba who had not been invited and there were many similiar omissions too numerous to mention. Also, for years the "Hemp movement" has been the stepchild of much of the local progressive movement--popular with the people but shunned by the mainstream "leaders". No one in that community even knew of this gathering until I told them and by then it was too late as they were already involved in putting on an event of their own, celebrating the fact that the issue of medicinal marijuana will finally get to be decided by the voters.

Why is there no "Hemp Club" at S.S.U.?? Here is an environmental, industrial, medicinal and economic solution that is still being ignored by serious activists working in those fields. Also missing were the "cultural and artistic" part of the social change movement who do their work in a less linear way than the traditional group setting. All approaches are necessary. Having a gathering of just the better known organizations is not going to lead to the kind of creativity and new ideas we need to build coalitions that can effectively "fight the right"!!

We've got a long ways to go but it was a start and I'm really grateful to those who took the time and trouble to make it happen. I'm yearning for a world where "diversity" is something we can celebrate instead of plan and tokenize, where class, sex and race differences are recognized and where the "leaders" are really in touch with and listen to the grassroots. Then we won't need those mediators anymore.

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