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is a network of individuals founded in 2005 committed to long-term social change through organizing and civic participation. United Action for Idaho is affiliated with United Vision for Idaho, the permanent coalition of grassroots groups in Idaho founded in 1995 to build the movement for social change in Idaho by nurturing new organizations, developing new leaders and changing public policy. - United Action for Idaho's members are individuals.
- United Vision for Idaho's members are organizations
United Action for Idaho members are forming local networks of individuals who want to work together to improve their communities.
come from all walks of life. We believe political and economic power starts from the community level, not from the eliltes on the national and international level. We believe that all members of the community have an equal right and responsibility to shape our community's political and economic priorities.
UAI members are working to overcome the barriers created when institutions assume some people are more valued because of their race, or because they have more money or education, or because of their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, or because they are able-bodied, or because they are not too young or too old, or because they speak without an accent...These barriers deprive the community from benefiting from the rich and diverse gifts that all people bring to a community.
. Many national groups tell us ordinary folks on the state and local level what we should do to make the world a better place. Then they sit back and decide from the top whether we are worthy of their attention and/or investment. Most are probably run by well meaning people but they forget what democracy really means: that power originates from the people. National groups - corporations, government agencies and associations - must be accountable to people on the people on the community level, not the other way around!
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Are you on a social network? Many people who are part of United Action for Idaho are part of social networks, including Facebook. There is a group on Facebook for United Action for Idaho. Look into joining this or other social networks and find out about how communities on line are being formed, ideas are shared, and events announced, etc...
Newsweek magazine recently ran an article called "Facebook Grows Up" describing this new form of social networking.
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Actions you can take this week
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Idaho is next on mercenary, private security, war profiteer Blackwater's list for a training facility. (See article below). They are under investigation by the Congressional Oversight Committee for several areas of misconduct. They already own a company here- Backup Training. We are forming a coalition to fight this.We are gathering signatures on a petition and will protest and try to convince Idaho POST (Idaho Peace Officer Standards & Training) Council not to enter in agreement to be a tenant in a Blackwater facility and not to use Blackwater as trainers unless they are Idaho POST-certified. We also don't want Idaho tax moneygoing as incentives to bring Blackwater here. Idaho POST Council members should be contacted directly and are listed here: http://www.idaho-post.org/Council/Council.html
We are meeting at 1 pm (PST) on Sunday, June 8th, at City Perc (on 4th Street in the block north of Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene) to plan a protest at the Hampton Inn on Riverstone site of the Idaho POST Council meeting on June 12th from 7:30 am to 9 am. We believe this may be the Idaho POST Council meeting where the agreement may be presented. Sign messages could say: Idaho Just Say No to Blackwater, Idaho POST Doesn't Need Blackwater, Kootenai County Voters Don't Want Blackwater, Shoshone County Voters Don't Want Blackwater, etc. Many of those attending this meeting will be sheriffs and chiefs of police and are elected. Any help you can give us to get the word out and help us find people in North Idaho that oppose this would be greatly appreciated. I have attached a petition and information sheet for your use. Alter them to meet your needs. Please forward this to your North Idaho and Eastern Washington friends.
~ Bonnie Douglas, Peace Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Here's the article which made it public: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2008/05/01/news/news02.txt
Postscript: The Western Days Parade was held in Twin Falls this past weekend, as scheduled. Unfortunately there was not enough time to negotiate the terms of the participation of the Southern Idaho GLBT Community Center. So, the Center participated in the parade, abiding by all of the rules outlined by the parade committee. To read more about the community's reaction to the float in the Magic Valley Times-News, go to:
Just because the event is over for this year does not mean the work ends there. Members of the SIGLBT will be working on their participation in next year's parade.
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The
Idaho Equality Committee recently received word from Kelly Dickard,
Vice President of the Southern Idaho GLBT Community Center, who is once
again facing discrimination while attempting to participate in the Twin
Falls Western Days celebration. Continue to send letters to the editor about this event and how you feel about human rights. Let's help them be able to participate fully in next year's parade!
****** A letter from Kelly:
Hello, My
name is Kelly Dickard and I am the Vice-President of the Southern Idaho
GLBT Community Center. Over the past year you may have seen articles
about our attempts to participate in the Western Days Parade held here
in Twin Falls every year in May. This time last year we were told that
we could not participate because we were gay and this was not San
Francisco and that they just didn't know what was going to be on that
float. It was actually the most in theme float and the most
conservative of the parade. Once again this year we have applied to
participate in the parade and once again we were given more
discrimination by this Western Days Committee through the Chamber of
Commerce. We were told that we could be in the parade, however we could
not use our Southern Idaho GLBT Community Center name; we had to become
the Southern Idaho Community Center. We could not wear any shirts with
our logos on them, we could not hand out any information about our
group or how to get involved, we could not use pride colors on the
float, there could be no reference of GLBT or any type, nor could we
mention AIDS/HIV, Meth, or any type of drug prevention. There could be
no cross dressers, drag queens, or transgendered people on the float at
all. When we asked our contact person with this committee about it, she
said, "I support you, but I am not willing to let you go in front of
10,000 people and children." We of the Community Center feel that this
is extreme discrimination once again and want to get help in correcting
this. We are a group that supports all walks of life and feel that we
should be allowed to participate in a city event just as much as the
other groups do. If there is any help you could offer it would be
greatly appreciated. Any contacts or information or help you could send
would be great. Or if I can give you more information please feel free
to contact me. The parade will be this Saturday and we are ready to
stand up and fight for our rights as citizens of this community please
help.
-- Kelly Dickard, SIGLBT Vice-President
If
you are unaware of the events that took place last year regarding this
issue, here are some helpful and informative links that should shed
some light on what is going on in Twin Falls:
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/06/02/news/local_state/113421.txthttp://www.pridedepot.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=303The Idaho Equality Committee is a statewide network of individuals and
organizations dedicated to communicating effectively, breaking
isolation and mobilizing voters in our community. It is time that we
use our grassroots power to ensure LGBTQIA people are afforded dignity,
respect and full equality and protection. Please
respond with any questions, concerns, helpful ideas or thoughts. We
need a widespread brainstorm on how to react peacefully, respectfully,
and effectively to the Twin Falls Western Days Committee.If you live in Twin Falls, you could submit a Letter to the Editor of the Times-News:Simply go to this url: http://www.magicvalley.com/home/about/index.phpOnce there, select "Submit A Letter To The Editor"Complete the online form, including typing or pasting your letter in the box, and click "Submit Your Letter."
Not Another War!
Join United Action for Idaho,
USAction and True Majority in Saying: NOT ANOTHER WAR! NotANOTHERWar.org
TrueMajority's new eye-popping, war-opposing machine is hitting the road for
peace...and it might be coming to a street near you. The IranMobile is on an
important mission: to gather petitions and deliver them to senators who have
not taken the lead on preventing a war with Iran. Sign our petition asking senators
to support S. Res. 356, legislation that would force President Bush to get
congressional approval before attacking Iran. Then join us in delivering
this message of peace in a town near you! http://www.notanotherwar.org
Memorial
Day "Circle of Peace"
Veterans for Peace (VFP) will be holding it's annual Memorial Day
"Circle of Peace" Ceremony and Commemorative Cemetery at Veterans
Memorial Park at the corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and State
Street in Boise . We will begin the formal ceremony at 10:00 am, which
will last about 30 - 45 minutes. Headstones, crosses and the "Eyes Wide
Open" display will be set up for public viewing and visitation from
9:00 am to 4:00 pm. VFP 117 will also staff an information table during
the entire day. Please come and join us. Volunteers are needed for this
event. For more info about the event or volunteering please contact
Dwight at 562-1463 or vfp117@msn.com.
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Learn how to organize a campaign to change local or state policy or to elect someone to public office who shares your values? Camp Democracy draws on successful models that connect authentic engagement of people who want to change their communities with the nuts and bolts skills of running campaigns. Grassroots democracy is a key component to strengthen our values for justice, equality and freedom.
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Announcement:
The Board of Directors of United Vision for Idaho, and its partner organization United Action for Idaho, are seeking qualified applicants for the position of Executive Director.
The Executive Director will serve as the chief executive officer of United Vision for Idaho and United Action for Idaho, with primary responsibility for leading the vision of the organization to create change in Idaho.
Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals are encouraged to apply.
Salary and benefits comparable with executive director positions in the region and depending on experience.
For more information, please visit the United Vision for Idaho website at www.uvidaho.org to find a more detailed job description and information on how to apply.
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Have your voice heard! Your generous donations help make our work possible and all our voices heard! Donate today.
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United Action for Idaho is an affiliate of a national organization called USAction. Many people on the local level in Idaho can sometimes feel left out of important national issue campaigns. United Action for Idaho demonstrates that Democracy happens from the grassroots up and USAction helps to remind national players in DC that ALL communities are entitled to be heard in the national debate on national issues. Through United Action for Idaho, people in Idaho organize local actions on issues of national importance ranging from the occupation of Iraq to student loans to Medicare and the minimum wage. Three areas where USAction is currently focusing the energies of its affiliates are:
 is a national coalition to encourage members of Congress to make a down payment on America's Future by passing legislation to make college affordable; to lower the cost of prescription drugs; to repeal tax breaks for oil companies and invest in alternative energy; and to raise the minimum wage. All of these goals were met in the first 100 legislative hours in the U.S. House; now the Senate must follow suit.
is a nationwide campaign of national and grassroots organizations to reverse the upside-down tax and budget priorities of the Bush administration and the 109th Congress. In order to meet critical needs, the 110th Congress must establish a path to fully funding domestic programs serving people in need by 2012.
is a coalition of organizations that represent workers, students, academics, policy experts and activists who oppose the president’s plan to escalate the war in Iraq. In our efforts to protect America’s highest priorities, we cannot ignore the toll President Bush’s morally bankrupt war has taken on our ability to invest in America’s future.
- Idahoans want an end to the occupation in Iraq. The Idaho Peace Coalition is taking the lead in organizing many activities in Idaho to demonstrate that we expect our Congress to be accountable to the families who have born a disproportionate burden of the ill-concieved and mismangaged ventur into Iraq. So far, however, Idaho's delegation has loyally bowed to political elites and decried imposing a deadline. They have opted for an indefinite occupation that is costing more and more.
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