Rural Caucus and Strategy Session

the annual gathering of the Rural Organizing Project

Friday-Sunday May 11th-13th, 2012

Woodburn, OR

ROP's 19th annual RuralCaucus & Strategy Session will bring together leaders from across Oregon to share stories and skills, build relationships and analysis, and advance plans to strengthen the movement for democracy and justice in rural and small town Oregon. ROP has planned a plethora of activities in addition to our Caucus, including the Farmerworker Tour, a community event with farmworkers (Viernes Comunitario), a Saturday night dance party, Occupy Rural Oregon Breakfast on Sunday morning, and a CAPACES work brigade on Sunday afternoon. See the attached Rural Caucus & Strategy Session Agenda for more details!

REGISTRATION FORM

Names: (Each human dignity group is encouraged to send a team of 3-5.)

1. (Lead contact): ______4. ______
2. ______5. ______

3. ______6. ______

Address: ______City, Zip______

(For lead contact)

Telephone: ______Email: ______

Local human dignity group: ______

Registration fees*: ROP member groups & early bird registrants receive a discount.
Not sure if your group paid its $50 group dues for 2012? Call the ROP office at 503-543-8417.
Early Registration(received before April 13th)
___ $40 for ROP group of 3**
___ $15 for one ROP member
___ $25 for a non-member / Late Registration(afterApril 13th)
___ $60 for ROP group of 3**
___ $25 for one ROP member
___ $35 for a non-member
Activities: Let ROP know what additional Caucus weekend activities you plan to attend! Please indicate the # of people joining us for each event. See agenda for more details.
Friday: (Please enclose an additional $10/person for meals and expenses)
____ 2pm-5pm: Farmworker tour with Ramon Ramirez of PCUN
____ 6pm-8:30pm: Viernes Comunitario (dinner included)
Saturday: (Costs associated with Saturday are included in Registration fees)
____ 8:30-5pm Rural Caucus & Strategy Session
____ 5:30-8pm: Party! With dinner, music, and dancing. Hosted by PCUN.
Sunday: (Please enclose an additional $10/person for meals and expenses)
____ 8:30am-10am: Occupy Rural Oregon Breakfast (breakfast included)
____ 10:30am-1pm:CAPACES work party
___ To become an individualmember of ROP, add $35.
*Scholarships are available! Contact ROP for details **Further group rates available.

I would like help finding housing for _____ people on Friday evening.

I would like help finding housing for _____ people on Saturday evening.

How many people in your group are vegetarian? ______

Please return completed registration (along with your check by April 13 if you want the discount) to:

Rural Caucus and Strategy Session 2012

Bringing together leaders in the rural human dignity movement

Location: Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) Hall, 300 Young St., Woodburn, OR 97071

In addition to our day long Caucus, ROPers are invited to attend an evening celebration, and activities on Friday and Sunday of Caucus weekend. Make sure to indicate on your registration the days that you’ll join us!

Friday, May 11th

Farmworker tour with Ramon Ramirez of PCUN (2pm-5pm): Woodburn is rich with movement history. This tour will take you from the PCUN farmworkers hall, to the Radio Movimiento community radio station, to learning about the struggle to obtain farmworker housing with dignity.

Viernes Comunitario (6pm-8:30pm):Every other Friday, PCUN members andcommunity gather at PCUN to discuss a topic relevant to the community. In May, they’ll open their doors to us in this grassrootsevent. We'll start with the film “Chicano! History of the MexicanAmerican Civil Rights Movement”, a film that “encompasses a broad crosssection of issues—from restoration of land grants, to farmworkers’ rights,to enhanced education, to voting and political rights”. After the filmwe will engage into an open discussion looking at the links between ourstruggles of today.

SATURDAY, MAY 12th – CAUCUS DAY!

Rural Caucus and Strategy Session (8:30am–5pm):Our chance to look back on our last year – what we have accomplished, what has changed in our political climate – and we strategize for the year to come. Join us for strategy sessions on Occupy Rural Oregon, creating Welcoming Communities, saving Rural Post Offices, election planning and more. There will be time to share strategies across communities and skills to build our organizing impact. Our Caucus keynote this year will feature a dialogue between ROP Founder Marcy Westerling and PCUN President Ramon Ramirez.

Celebration (5:30pm-bedtime): We have a lot to celebrate from the past year – from the birth of the Occupy Movement, to our local organizing efforts to build relationships and make change in our communities. Join us for a delicious vegetarian Mexican dinner, music, and dancing to Latin rhythms, hosted by our friends at PCUN. This is a party that you won’t want to miss!

Sunday, May 13th

Occupy Breakfast (8:30am-10am): Join rural Occupiers from across the state in a conversation surrounding how we can support each other, build rural power, and what unified tactics and strategies could look like.

CAPACES work party (10:30am-1pm): The CAPACES Leadership Institute (CLI) is scheduled to open in the summer of this year. CLI is an enormous achievement of our friends in the mid-Valley farmworkers movement. We'll spend the morning getting our hands dirty, and helping bring the Institute one step closer to Inauguration Day. Learn more about the CLI here:

Rural Organizing Project ∙ PO Box 1350 Scappoose, OR 97056 ∙ 503-543-8417 ∙ ∙