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EmailMarch 13, 2006
Community Forum a Success
By Davin Cardenas
Mil gracias a todos los que ayudaron ayer. The Foro surpassed our expectations with at least 320 people showing up, and more importantly, participating directly in planning out the defense of immigrant communities in Sonoma County. It cannot be stressed enough that every volunteer and small group facilitator was crucial to making the event run smoothly, because it could have easily gone the other way with so many present.The people are up and animados- whether it was workers talking about holding elected officials accountable, or mothers clutching children on their laps while talking about general strikes, or youth talking about beginning cross-high school networks of resistance.
The day served as a great indicator of the passion the people possess towards defending their rights, and in 2 hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we were able to unite and express those feelings. Dolores Huerta arriving unexpectedly added to the day, as well as Alicia Sanchez' radically appropriate closing.
We came out with a lot of action ideas as well as contacts and we will need to sort them all out before we come together again. In the meantime, this is a thank you to all the participants as well as an invitation for those who couldn't make it to join in.
More information will be coming as to the next encuentro, but for now feel free to give feedback on what worked and what didn't. Feel free to contact me at: dcardenas@mechadesonoma.org.
