Just out., June 03, 2005, Page 21, Image 21

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K eep Y our E yes
on the P rize
n 89-year old. A 3-month old.
A 6-year old and her pamlyzed
mother. People from 26 countries
around the world. All of these,
and 200 more, are now registered
to take part in Oregon’s Walk for Truth, Justice
and Community, which will wend its
way from
Oregonians
walk together for truth, justice and community
Salem to Portland between June 12 and 18.
by Sarah Dougher
The Rural Organizing Project, in coalition
with Oregon Action (an economic and social
justice organization) and Causa (Oregon’s
night as a tent city—hearkening to the spirit of
immigrant rights coalition), is organizing the
resistance and community created in the face of
walk, which seeks to highlight the allied causes
oppression and poverty throughout history and
of funding human needs, demanding economic
today in tent cities that house the nation’s
justice and protecting civil rights, immigrant
homeless. Each county in Oregon will fly its
rights and civil liberties.
community’s flag to declare its presence in the
ROP, according to its mission, exists to
new community that the group is building
“strengthen the skills, resources and vision of together.
primary leadership in local autonomous human
June 13 will see the group in Salem greeted
dignity groups with a goal of keeping such
by flags, banners, drums and giant puppets. The
groups vibrant sources for a just democracy.”
group will make its presence known at the Leg­
Active in a variety of issues that affect rural Ore­
islature, then gather that evening for a hoe­
gonians, ROP has consistently stood as a major
down, joined by progressive legislators and
force for queer civil rights around the state. The
Salem allies.
Rural Oregonians rally at the state Capitol to
organization was formed in the wake of the
The walkers will move June 14 toward
drum up support for the Walk for Truth, Justice
Measure 9 fight in 1992 and has broadened its
Woodbum, stopping at Chemeketa Community
and Community.
focus to multi-issue, grassr<x>ts work. Its vision of College, where they will pitch their tents and
community is united in communities across the
discuss why democracies require education
The walkers will march June 17 on Portland
lines of race, gender, sexual orientation and
opportunities and tax fairness. In Woodbum,
welcomed by urban allies at Oregon Action.
class.
immigrant and worker allies from Causa and
They will carry their message to the federal gov­
The Walk for Truth, Justice and Community
Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers Unit­ ernment via U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s office at
is designed to formulate common response to
ed will join the march in the shared commit­
the downtown World Trade Center.
the “war program”—the real costs of war for
ment to economic justice and human rights.
Joining the walk will be activist Suzanne
rural communities—to unite in action, to
The group will gather at the feast table on
Pharr, who just finished her five-year tenure as
declare resistance and to celebrate a vision for
the evening of June 15 and hear stories of the
the first female director of the Highlander Cen­
the future.
successes and struggles of the workers who plant
ter, a civil rights organization in eastern Ten­
Rural Oregon communities will send off and harvest Oregon’s fields.
nessee. She was instrumental in the initial anti­
their contingents of walkers at regional kickoffs
The walkers will reach Oregon City by
Oregon Citizens Alliance organizing and will
June 12. Caravans around the state will ren­ June 16. Here, they will affirm democratic val­ soon start work with Southerners on New
dezvous in Salem at 3 p.m. to commence the
ues, demanding protection for the Bill of Rights Ground, which works for cross-issue organizing
weeklong journey. The walkers will set up each
and equal rights for queers and their families.
in the sexual minorities community. “1 love the
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ROP, 1 love Oregon and love rural work, so I
guess 1 just had to come out for it,” she said from
her home in Knoxville, Tenn.
Walkers have differing motivations for tak­
ing up the challenge, but all seem to agree that
solidarity with fellow progressives from around
Oregon ranks high on their list of reasons.
Dancer Davis of Roseburg says, “This time calls
for a broader political analysis of the current
state of our grassroots progressive movement
that values all of us and our environment.” She
also recognizes the passage of Measure 36 and
the Democratic scapegoating of same-sex mar­
riage as directly affecting her holistic response
and desire to connect with other Oregonians.
Karen Beesley, also of Roseburg, has been
working in her community to do outreach for
people who want to communicate their concerns
but who can’t necessarily go on the walk: “I’ve
ordered T-shirts and gotten people to sign post­
cards that we will deliver to the governor and
Legislature when we get to Salem. I’ve done
some recruiting for the walk at kx^il supportive
businesses around town. I’ve found some peace
activists who are marching in a local parade here
on the weekend of the 18th and got them to
carry our signs, as well.” Beesley, whose activism
includes environmental action as well as queer
issues, sees the march as an opportunity to con­
nect the topics that are important to her.
Stuart Henderson from Florence concurs: “I
want to take part in the movement to change
America’s direction. As an artist, I’ve used paint
to try to call attention to the misplaced priori­
ties of this administration. Now it's time to take
a walk with my progressive brothers and sisters
in this show of support for a different kind of
vision.” jm
To register for the W alk FOR T ruth , JUSTICE
and C ommunity call the Rural Organizing
Project at 503-543-84 1 7.
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