Courage Campaign launches grassroots activist training camp to build Marriage Equality Movement in California
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2009
Courage Campaign launches grassroots activist training camp to build Marriage Equality Movement in California
Issue-focused “Camp Courage” is major step toward repealing Proposition 8, building permanent progressive majority
LOS ANGELES – The Courage Campaign, a California-focused online organizing network, today announced the launch of “Camp Courage,” a skills-building training institute inspired by Camp Obama.
The training program will give grassroots activists the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities to restore marriage equality to California for same-sex couples. This issue-focused training program is a major step toward repealing Proposition 8 and building a permanent progressive majority in California.
A one-day training camp will take place
in Los Angeles on January 25. Two-day training camps in other areas of
California will follow.
“The November election for president inspired people who in the past were left out of the political process,” said Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign. “As part of our long-term strategy to promote progressive change in California, we plan to train not only our members, but the grassroots activists and organizers who have emerged all over the state since the election. Camp Courage provides the tools and training to translate their raw enthusiasm into real results.”
The Courage Campaign is an online organizing network with nearly 400,000 members dedicated to making California progressive and governable through responsible reforms.
The “Camp Courage” training, inspired by “Camp Obama,” is based on models that have developed leaders and nurtured progressive social movements for many years, and will include: The fundamentals of community organizing; volunteer recruitment and management; voter persuasion and more.
“Camp Courage” will be led by Torie Osborn, Mike Bonin and Lisa Powell. Osborn, a lifelong social justice activist who has most recently served as a lead organizer and volunteer for the Obama for America campaign. Osborn also is a Durfee Foundation Stanton Fellow, and senior advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Bonin is a longtime campaign staffer and community activist who was a Regional Field Organizer for the Obama campaign. He also served as campaign manager and later chief of staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl. Powell is an attorney, longtime trainer, community leader and co-founder of United Lesbians of African Heritage.
This first training is generously underwritten by Drs. Bill Resnick and Doug Cordell. Cleve Jones, a longtime equal rights activist featured in the film “MILK” will deliver the keynote address. Cosponsors include the 150,000-strong SEIU-United Healthcare Workers-West, led by openly gay president Sal Rosselli.
Shortly after the November election, the Courage Campaign began gathering input from voters on which reforms to focus on in 2009, asking its nearly 400,000 members to rank the top three priorities to place on the Courage Campaign’s “Citizens Plan to Reform California” agenda.
The comprehensive “CPR for California” includes 12 reform plans on California’s elections, initiatives, budget, and equal rights. The plans can be viewed at:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CPRforCalifornia
“We are building a progressive movement that will restore equal rights to all Californians by empowering the new leaders and tens of thousands of grassroots activists who have emerged since the passage of Prop. 8 and the Obama victory. With proper training and ogranizing, we will win for all Californians. This is the logical next step for web-based organizing: integrating online and offline activity to build a permanent progressive majority in our state, “ added Jacobs.
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