Global Teach-In on Corporations/Democracy

[Patricia Dines <73652.1202@CompuServe.COM>]

For your info - P. Dines

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From: Jim Davis, INTERNET:jdav@mcs.net
Sender: o-imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu
To: Patricia Dines, 73652,1202
Date: Tue, Nov 12, 1996, 8:12 AM
Subject: Global Teach-In on Corporations report

GLOBAL TEACH-IN EXPOSES CORPORATIONS

The National Teach-in on Corporations, Education and Democracy
holds forums on dozens of campuses

By Chris Mahin

)From Maine to Southern California, and from Texas to the Pacific
Northwest, students, teachers and other concerned people organized
a series of events in late October and early November designed to
call attention to the destructive role played by corporations.

The National Teach-In on Corporations, Education and Democracy
included panel discussions, public forums, vigils and guerrilla
theater on dozens of college campuses.

The organizers of the Teach-In had hoped to force a public
discussion of a very basic question: "Can we pursue democracy and
social justice when corporations are allowed to control so much
power and wealth?" Their efforts represent an important beginning.
While complete information about all the Teach-In's results was
not available when the People's Tribune went to press, Teach-In
activities had been scheduled to take place on at least 110
college campuses in the United States and in some other countries,
including Canada and South Africa.

In each location, the Teach-In was different.

In New England, the "First Annual Democracy Fair and Teach-In"
took place at the University of Southern Maine in Portland on
November 2. Three thousand miles away, in Seattle, the theme of
the Teach-In was "Confronting corporate power, creating democracy:
How can we get Boeing, Microsoft, and Weyerhauser off of public
assistance?"

In Austin, a rally at the University of Texas on October 18 was
attended by 200 people. It included speakers, theater, music, a
life-size "Monopoly" game and a corporate "job fair" depicting the
sordid history of major corporations. An "interactive teach-in"
followed. In Kansas City, a program on "Populism: Real People
Fighting Back" was held October 29 which featured Ronnie Dugger of
the Alliance. (This event was co-sponsored by the Green Party and
the Labor Party.)

It was in Wisconsin, a state with a long progressive tradition,
that the most events took place. A dozen schools across the state
held teach-ins.

On October 13, after a workshop on challenging corporate power,
students at the University of Wisconsin's Madison campus walked to
the statute of Abraham Lincoln located at the top of Bascom Hill.
There, as the bells in the bell tower rang out, they held a
candlelight vigil for those who have fallen or been silenced in
the struggle for democracy and related freedom struggles.

Five more days of panel discussions, forums and workshops followed
in Madison. (One workshop featured anti-poverty activists
analyzing how Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's W-2 "workfare"
program for welfare recipients aids corporations.)

Events in Madison culminated at the university's homecoming parade
on October 18. Inside the parade, which wound its way from the
western edge of the campus past many dormitories, was a Reebok
sneaker float. It depicted two women in chains surrounded by
guards dressed in army fatigues. (Reebok corporation brutally
exploits women workers in Asia and recently purchased joint
ownership of the University of Wisconsin's "Bucky Badger" athletic
mascot for $8 million.) On the float, "Bucky Badger" was also
depicted in chains, and a roving reporter was shown being harassed
while documenting the story.

[Preparations are already underway for further teach-ins at other
campuses. For more information about this, contact the Democracy
Teach-In Clearinghouse at 608-262-9036.]

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This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE (Online Edition),
Vol. 23 No. 12 / November, 1996; P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL
60654, pt@noc.org or WWW:

             http://www.mcs.com/~jdav/league.html

For free electronic subscription, email pt-dist@noc.org
with "Subscribe" in the subject line.

Feel free to reproduce; please include this message with
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