[Sdalliance] A proposal for a new way forward for CRSD

[Bo Elder]

Dear comrades in Collective Resistance San Diego and the currently unnamed
twice monthly Sunday 10am group,

We already meet in the same place, often on the same day, involve many of
the same people, have many shared values, and operate in similar ways.
CRSD has been established longer (about a year now), while the unnamed
Sunday 10am group grows out of post-Charlottesville organizing upsurge.  I
have been pondering a way of working together more fruitfully and
efficiently and I have something to propose that I hope you'll find
valuable.  I talked with Vanessa from Colectivo Zapatista, one of CRSD's
affiliated organizations, and she agreed that this might be a good way to
build on what we've done so far and move forward.  So here is my proposal...

to CRSD (CZ, DAF, IWW, PSL, RR) comrades:

1) Put CRSD Delegate Council meetings on indefinite hold
2) Give the name "Collective Resistance San Diego" to the currently unnamed
"Sunday 10am" group
3) Merge the CRSD undocumented sanctuary committee into the "Sunday 10am"
undocumented sanctuary working group
4) Continue the CRSD internal communication and legal committees as "Sunday
10am" group working groups
5) Attend twice monthly General Assemblies and Organizing Committee
meetings as best suits your needs (see Appendix A below)

to "Sunday 10am" comrades:

1) Affirm the Collective Resistance San Diego Points of Unity (see Appendix
B below)
2) Adopt the name "Collective Resistance San Diego"
3) Merge the CRSD undocumented sanctuary committee into the "Sunday 10am"
undocumented sanctuary working group
4) Affirm the CRSD internal communication and legal committees as "Sunday
10am" group working groups
5) Affirm 1 representative each from the internal communication and legal
working groups to sit on the Organizing Committee

I believe this could result in a new Collective Resistance that has
connections to established organizations, name recognition, and the
flexibility to work autonomously and proactively.  What do you think?
Please let me know any comments, questions, or concerns you may have, and I
look forward to discussing this idea with you all as soon as possible!

in solidarity,

Bo Elder, CRSD & "the currently unnamed twice monthly Sunday 10am group"
415 630 3135
https://www.facebook.com/bo.sdsu

Appendix A:
(the currently unnamed twice monthly Sunday 10am group)

I. On General Assemblies (GAs):

We will hold a GA twice a month. Decisions at GAs will be made with a
standard of 2/3rds majority minimum. GAs may change any/all members of the
OC (Organizing Committee). GAs may create or dissolve Working Groups (WGs).

II. On the Organizing Committee (OC):

Each Working Group (WG) will nominate 1 person to represent the WG on the
OC. The OC must be confirmed by the GA. OC reps can be changed by GA or WG.
Any member of the GA may consult with the OC directly or via their rep to
the OC. People can contact the OC directly to consult if they wish. People
can attend an OC meeting if they wish, but OC meetings will be scheduled
based on needs of WG representatives. Only 1 representative per WG will get
a vote in OC meetings. Decisions of the OC will be made unanimously. The OC
will make sure the GA takes place. The OC will propose an agenda and chair
for the GA.

Appendix B:
Collective Resistance San Diego
Points of Unity

1. We are anti-racist, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-war, and
anti-fascist.
2. We are revolutionary. Our membership subscribes to a broad range of
radical left ideologies.
3. We believe in practical action to defend all oppressed people by any
means necessary, through a diversity of tactics.
4. We stand for climate and environmental justice. We see the need for a
local and global transition to sustainable modes of living. We oppose the
cruel and destructive treatment of animals.
5. We believe access to healthy food, clean water, clothing, safe housing,
healthcare, equitable education, and transit is a basic human right.
6. We support and defend the self-determination and liberation of people of
color including those from colonized continents, nations, communities and
peoples.
7. We support and defend the self-determination and liberation of queer and
intersex folx, and all those of marginalized gender identities and
orientations.
8. We support and defend the self-determination and liberation of all
workers including undocumented, incarcerated, subsistence, sex, and
household laborers.
9. We support and defend the self-determination and liberation of migrants.
We assert that no human being is illegal.
10. We support and defend the self-determination and liberation of the
physically and/or mentally differently-abled and will work to make our
movement and society supportive to their needs.
11. We are intersectional feminists; we support and defend the
self-determination and liberation of womxn and trans-womxn including their
right to bodily autonomy.
12. We value and respect our elders, youth and children and believe it is a
shared responsibility to assure their health and well-being.
13. We support and defend the freedoms of oppressed spiritual and religious
groups, including Indigenous, Jewish and Muslim peoples, and of
non-believers.
14. We are pro-abolition; we demand the immediate abolishment of the
enslavement and exploitation implemented through the Prison Industrial
Complex and supported by the 13th Amendment.*
15. We oppose and fight national and state-sanctioned violence against all
people, especially the marginalized. We actively resist the oppressive
efforts of the Border Patrol, ICE, police forces and extra-state actors.
16. We hold political, civic, and community leaders responsible when they
cause or permit the people and the planet to be harmed.
17. Love is and must remain the reason for our revolution and at the center
of our intentions.

* “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within
the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Appendix C:
(the currently unnamed twice monthly Sunday 10am group)

Why We Need To Act

Nationally and locally, oppressed people and the political left have been
targets of both state oppression and bigoted vigilantism. Deportations,
police brutality, queerbashing, and threats against mosques and synagogues
are a daily reality.  Charlottesville has become a hashtag, while here in
San Diego, Chicano Park, Planned Parenthood, and rallies like May Day and
the Impeachment March have been targets of intimidation. We see this in the
context of global intersectional capitalist oppression and the resurgence
of fascist and neo-Nazi movements, as austerity and imperialism fan the
flames of reaction. We cannot wait for things to get worse, the time to act
is now.

What We Aim To Do

Organize

Build power from the bottom up, not depending on politicians or cops
Strategize collectively, make decisions democratically, act in maximum
unity
Prioritize the needs and voices of the most vulnerable
Respect and believe the experiences and knowledge of oppressed communities
Involve newly active people who want to resist oppression and work with
existing organizations, especially those rooted in oppressed communities

Defend

Help to provide and coordinate event safety
Improve capacity for individual and collective self-defense
Take strategic action to defend all oppressed people by any means necessary
Prioritize relationships and communication with the communities we aim to
defend

Actively Resist

Gather and share intelligence on the other side
Proactively disrupt and confront fascist, oppressive, and exclusionary
forces
Organize rapid response to both state oppression and bigoted vigilantism

Appendix D:
Collective Resistance San Diego

Mission Statement

The fundamental needs and rights of the people of our communities are under
attack by a tiny elite that hoards resources and authority. We cannot trust
or respect any government that claims to protect us but instead ruthlessly
protects the elite. We are an alliance of organizations, collectives, and
individuals of various identities and perspectives working in collaboration
to stop this attack. Collectively, we are anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and
anti-imperialist. We are revolutionary, intersectional feminists. This
alliance is non-sectarian: we welcome those who want to fight exploitation
and oppression.

We seek to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable and the voices of
the oppressed and the marginalized and build trust through joint work. We
are committed to organizing, mobilizing, supporting and defending our
communities.  We work in solidarity to unify our struggles to dismantle the
systems that harm us and the environment.

In addition to resisting attacks, we will work together for a just and
cooperative future for San Diego and beyond. This will be accomplished by
building powerful community-based movements around a shared platform for
advancing political, economic, and social liberation and self-determination
for all oppressed peoples. We work for concrete goals today that build
toward a revolutionary future.

Our movement is based in love for each other, and the assertion that we
must fight for liberation. In the words of Assata Shakur, “It is our duty
to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other
and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
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