About the Convention
If you want to strengthen democracy where it matters most -- in our communities, our schools, our workplaces and local economies, our military, our government, our media, our constitution -- you will find something inspiring in Madison this August.
More than one conference, this first Democracy Convention will house at least nine conferences under one roof. As the great progressive reformer Fighting Bob La Follette said, "democracy is a life," and "involves constant struggle" in all sectors of society. With the 2011 Democracy Convention, we recognize the importance of each of these separate democracy struggles, as well as the need to unite them all in a common, deeply rooted, broad based, movement for democracy.
A NEW DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
A new movement -- a democracy movement -- was born in the streets of Seattle on November 30, 1999. This movement's early years were not easy. Pro-democracy organizers faced crisis after crisis: the stolen presidential elections of 2000 and 2004; the militarization of America that followed September 11th; the destruction of the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Katrina; the Supreme Court ruling that corporations wield constitutional rights to buy elections; and today, an economic crisis that is being used to impose fiscal austerity and corporatization schemes on our states and people.
Through these difficult struggles, the new democracy movement has taken form, expanded, and matured. Now it is time for a coming-of-age celebration. This is the moment to unite in one location the many different efforts to build genuine democracy in the United States. And what better place to come together, and to rejoice, than in Madison, Wisconsin, the city and state that have inspired people everywhere to declare that "We are Wisconsin!"
The Democracy Convention is a project of the Liberty Tree Foundation and co-convened by the Alliance for Democracy, Progressive Magazine, and Move to Amend. We thank our local partners on our Host Committee, as well as our national partners whose support as Major Sponsors, National Sponsor, Co-Sponsors, Endorsers, and Conference Conveners, has been vital. To find out how your organization, union, business, or community can join us, click here: http://democracyconvention.org/sponsor-convention
Democracy is coming . . . to the U.S.A.
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