Corporations v Democracy Seeks Activists, Writers, Visionaries

By the Corporations v Democracy Issue Committee

When the Corporations v Democracy Issue Committee of WILPF US relaunched in June 2019, there were so many possible corporate power issues to address that it was a bit paralyzing to prioritize which ones the committee would take on. Planning for the next 2-3 years, a survey was sent out to the existing committee list to identify which issues were top priority following the committee’s three-year hiatus.

“I was a little nervous about what results we would get and who would commit to work on any projects we developed,” says Marybeth Gardam, CvD Committee Chair. “But we’ve identified some really neat projects and some realistic priorities. Now we just need more hands on deck!”

The CvD Committee meets every third Tuesday at 8:30 pm eastern/7:30 pm central/6:30 pm mountain/5:30 pm pacific.

Read on to see what the committee is up to. Then contact Marybeth Gardam, Committee Chair, for info about how to connect with this hardworking committee of activists.

First Priority: Educating About Corporate Threats to Democracy

GOAL 1: The Committee made a commitment to FINALLY revise and update the extremely important WILPF US resource, the “corporate study guide” from the early 2000s, “Challenge Corporate Power: Assert the Peoples Rights.” This course has been educating the public about the way unfettered corporate power has been encroaching on human and constitutional rights since the 1600s.

The last edition covered history up to around 2009. But since then, the Supreme Court’s collusion with corporate power has been restated again and again, including its disastrous Citizens United decision. None of that was covered in the most recent version of the course, so many organizations have asked us over the last nine years to revise the course. It was originally produced by some of WILPF’s most committed members: Virginia Rasmussen, Jan Edwards, Molly Morgan, Mary Zepernick, and Jim and Tomi Allison, among others.  

Following in these authors’ footsteps is a heavy responsibility. “This course, more than any other factor in America, put the words ‘corporate personhood’ into the public discourse,” Gardam says. “The fact that the person who asked Mitt Romney the question at the Iowa State Fair about ‘corporate personhood’ was a graduate of our corporate study course is ample evidence of our impact nationally.”

The committee members working on updating the course are led by Shoshana Osofsky (NJ) and Marybeth Gardam (FL). Part of the committee’s plan is for the entire committee to read and help edit a new version of the course, in order to gather the collective wisdom of the committee. A first draft of the revised course might be ready as early as January, Gardam hopes.
    
GOAL 2: Creating an Audio Book. Because we recognize that vast numbers of Americans don’t read any longer, we’re looking at ways to get our message out by recording articles and excerpts from books, and even potentially recording part of our corporate study course, and marketing an Audio Book that focuses on feminist leadership in the area of defeating corporate power and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the 1%.

Mary Sanderson (Madison WI) and Marci Henzi (Pittsburgh PA) are uncovering ways to move this project forward with help from the rest of the committee, especially Tana Hartman (NC) and Rickey Gard Diamond (VT). The Audio Book may be a fundraiser for WILPF and could be part of the Feminist Tool Kit. The committee foresees having original authors and WILPF activists record their work.

Second Priority: Changing the Economy

An economy that is no longer working for most Americans is continuing to prop up late stage Capitalism. If we want system change, changing the economy is going to be key. Our ONE WILPF Call speaker on Sept. 12th, feminist economist and environmentalist Gwen Hallsmith put it really well when she said the keys for transition to sustainability are: Ownership, Money, Markets, Management, and Methods. “OMMMM.”

GOAL 3: The CvD Committee heartily agrees and has made addressing economic system change a priority with a new project, “Building & Promoting a Feminist Economic Toolkit.” The entire committee is contributing to this toolkit but the effort is being led by Rickey Gard Diamond (VT) and Marybeth Gardam (FL).

The toolkit will be divided into categories so activists can choose from topics like Advocating for Public Banking, Money & Currency Policy, Cooperative Business Development, Democratized Sustainable Energy, Planning Livable Cities (gentrification and homelessness), and other topics.

GOAL 4: Advocating for Public Banking. Using a lot of the tools that are already out there and are being proven successful in California, we’ll be providing talking points, educational materials, and a HOW TO guide to begin the Public Banking dialogue in any city, or to join activists already making a difference.

This effort is being led by Randa Solick and Nancy Price who report great success with the passage of the Public Banking legislation in California; now awaiting approval by the Governor.  

GOAL 5: Activism to Get Money Out of Elections

Since 2010 WILPF US has endorsed and supported what is now known as the “We The People Amendment,” as promoted by our longtime allies Move to Amend and United To Amend. We’ll be continuing to encourage activism by WILPF members to pass the amendment and raise the need for it within their communities. Another up-and-coming effort to identify the CORRUPTION that has multiplied since Citizens United is the organization www.RepresentUS.org. We’ll also be helping our members understand what that is about and how to connect with them.  

CvD will be updating their website presence on the WILPF US website this fall. Watch for updates there.

This is a fun group of women to work with, doing really important work. Please consider joining us. Contact mbgardam@gmail.com. We’re committed to moving the work forward effectively. We won’t waste your time.