Developing A Comprehensive Plan For The Area

Developing a Comprehensive Plan for the Area

The Huron Regional Alliance is a new group dedicated to improving the climate for grassroots social change by emphasizing the interconnectedness of social movements and facilitating cooperation among groups. We believe there is far too much duplication, fragmentation, and isolation on the part of activist groups in the area. We urge groups to give the Alliance a try - one member attending our monthly meeting is a small investment that could yield greater support for your groups actions and effectiveness.

The Huron Regional Alliance was born at the Earth Day Regional Town Meeting on April 7 in Ann Arbor when 26 environmental, peace, democracy, and social justice groups convened a long-overdue dialogue. The Alliance has been meeting the last Monday of the month since May. We are proud of the diversity of some of our more active groups: Huron Valley Greens, Homeless Action Committee, Augusta Environmental Strategy Committee, Gray Panthers, Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Earth First!, Rainbow Organizing Committee, Habitat for Humanity, and the Rainforest Action Movement. To emphasize the regional nature of the group, meetings are rotated. So far we have met in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Augusta Township and this month we meet in Dexter.

One current project is to begin to scope out a Comprehensive Plan for Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities. Consistent with our group's overall goal, this plan would entail a vision for the future that would encompass a broad range of important issues including housing, education, transportation, environmental quality, government services, and alternative community-based and decentralized economic structures. This long-range project can only succeed if the Alliance continues to attract a diverse set of grassroots groups.

The next meeting of the Huron Regional Alliance is Monday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 pm in room 3409 of the Michigan Union. The primary topic of the meeting will be the Comprehensive Plan, but if your group is sponsoring an action in December, this is an excellent opportunity to get support from other groups within the Alliance. For more inforrnation, contact us below or see future listings in AGENDA.

Huron Regional Alliance, 1411 Henry, Ann Arbor, Ml 48104; 663-0003