What the Left Needs to Know About the Venezuelan Bolivarian Process

Mass education on Venezuela to build solidarity and Support

From:            Venezuela Solidarity Network (VSN) Staff

Subject:        Creation of Organizing Committee for the March 2008 Symposium  on Venezuela

Date:            September 7, 2007

The US government and corporate media campaign to vilify Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian process has made inroads into the US progressive movement and media.  The relentless drum beat of criticism, false claims of dictatorial powers, civil rights violations, and reckless economic policies, have confused even those on the Left and weakened the young movement against US intervention in Venezuela.

The proposal below seeks to address the information disparity that exists in the Left community surrounding the Bolivarian Revolution unfolding in Venezuela. Many in the left are now parroting George Bush and the right-wing fanatics of Fox News. This Symposium will challenge the core of this disinformation campaign and seeks to address these and other issues head on in a format that will closely resemble the mass teach-ins which resulted in the movement that forced the withdrawal of US troops from Viet Nam.  This format will feature prominent US and Venezuelan academics, social movement leaders, and Venezuelan officials.  The symposium will take place on the weekend when the anti-war movement will converge on Washington, DC to protest the 6^th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.  The target audience of the symposium will be grassroots activists and opinion leaders, teachers and the progressive media.  The symposium will “recess” on Saturday so that those who choose to do so can take part in the anti-war demonstration.

To insure the broadest input into the planning of this Symposium, we are seeking your participation on a Venezuelan Symposium (“What the Left Needs to Know About the Venezuelan Bolivarian Process” (working title)) planning committee that will meet to plan and organize the logistical and programmatic processes for the upcoming symposium, via telephone conference call.

If you can commit yourself to planning and insuring the achievement of this symposium, please send me your name, e-mail address and phone number. We look forward to working with you for the success of this endeavor.

Proposal for a Symposium March (17-19), 2008

What the Left Needs to Know About the Venezuelan Bolivarian Process

(A People’s Perspective)

This is a proposal for, in essence a teach-in, a learning experience.  I would propose that it be held in Washington, DC, at Howard U.

Opening Remarks.

Opening remarks (10-15 minutes each) taped presented by Presidents: Hugo Chavez, Venezuela. The remarks may either be via satellite, computerized live tele-conference feed, or on pre-recorded DVD, translated by their Ambassador in their Washington Embassy. 

Proposed site: Howard University’ Blackburn Center

These opening remarks should be followed by information on the logistics of the schedule for the next two days.

A cultural event or reception could be planned for the rest of the night.

Proposed Symposium Panels: Saturday 10:00 am – 8:15 pm @ 1.5 hr per panel & 15 minute for room change. Rooms needed for Panels: 1  Size: 400-1500 persons

Saturday: 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Panel 1. 21^st Century Socialism; What it is and how it is being built.

10:00 am – 11:30 am

Carlos Lanz, Professor,  Susan Gonzalez, President of Alcasa and Robert Weissman, CEPR

Panel 2. Venezuela – New Constitution & New Government

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Panelist: Panelist:  Luis Reyes Reyes, Governor of Lara State;

Panel 3. Participatory Democracy

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Panelist: Congressional Black Caucus; ACLA; Jorge Guerrero La Red Afrovenezuala

Panel 4. The Indigenous, the Africans and the Women in the Bolivarian Revolution

3:15 pm – 4:45 pm

Panelist: Indigenous Parliament of Latin America, Dip. Jose Poyo Casacante; La Red Afrovenezuala; Venezuelan Women’s Organization

Panel 5. The Role of the Missions

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Panelist: Charles Hardy; Representative of Co-operatives; Representative of Cuban Doctors.

Panel 6. Internationalism and Pan-Americanism = Bolivarianism

6:45 pm – 8:15 pm

Panelist: PetroCarib representative; New Orleans Hurricane Relief; Venezuelan Counselorate in Chicago; PRPA-GC

Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:45 pm

Panel 7. US War Against Venezuela

11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Panelist: Eva Golinger; VIO, James Jordan, Worker to Worker

Panel 8. ALBA; What is it and how to support it

12:45 pm – 2:15 pm

Panelist: PetroCarib; Telesur; Venezuelanalysis; NNOC; VSN

Panel 9. OIL

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Panelist: PDVSA workers union; Citgo

Panel 10. US Supports in Solidarity with Venezuela

4:15 pm – 5:45 pm

Panelist: VSN; VIO; BC; HOV; LASC

Purpose:

Mass education on Venezuela to build solidarity and Support

Creation of future educational materials such as books and videos.

Strengthen the existing solidarity movement for Venezuela.

Develop new geographical and sectors support among students, community organizations, labor and other groups.

Special effort to reach out to groups who have traveled to Venezuela in the past 1-5 years to broaden their/our network.

Consolidate relationship between the solidarity movement and the Embassy, etc.

Set in motion a milieu that will encourage political/cultural/educational tours of Venezuela.

Set the tone for a stronger working movement in solidarity with Venezuela

The Venezuela Solidarity Network Symposium will address these and other issues head on in a teach-in format featuring prominent US and Venezuelan academics, social movement leaders, and Venezuelan officials.  The symposium will take place on the weekend when the anti-war movement will converge on Washington, DC to protest the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.  The target audience of the symposium will be grassroots activists and opinion leaders and the progressive media.  The syposium will “recess” on Saturday so that those who choose to do so can take part in the anti-war demonstration.

Suggest presenters at the symposium will include academics such as Professor Dan Hellinger and Economist Mark Weisbrot from the US.  From Venezuela, academics have been suggested such as Prof. Carlos Lanz, President of ALCASA, the Venezuelan aluminum company and Prof. Alejandro I. Correa, of the University of Bonavento; social movement leaders such as Jorge Guerrero, of the La Red Afro-Venezuela and Jose Poyo Cascante, of the Latin American Indigenous Parliament; Venezuelan political activist and political leadership such as  Governor Luis Reyes Reyes and Eva Golinger and others.