Recognizing Our Common Agenda

The Huron Regional Alliance joined 15 other area groups n endorsing the Common Agenda Coalition at a February 5 press conference in Ann Arbor. The Coalition, which has formed in scores of cities throughout the country, is calling for a major reversal of national fiscal priorities by cutting military spending and using those monies for real human needs. Many people do not realize that 50% of all federal tax dollars go to the military while less than 1% each is used for job training and environmental programs and less than 2% is used for housing. Ann Arbor citizens will be responsible for $254,000 per day for the air war against Iraq and triple that for the ground war. The simple fact is that we cannot solve critical local problems without a frontal attack on our military-industrial complex.

The February 5 press conference was a big success. The speakers included representatives from groups as diverse as People of Color Against the War and Racism and Perry Neighborhood Crime Watch. The event was covered by AGENDA, Ann Arbor News, Ypsilanti Press, Metro Times, and Michigan Daily. The Coalition will be planning further actions around the April 15 tax deadline.

The Huron Regional Alliance was formed 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 is 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 group's actions and effectiveness.

The next general meeting of the Huron Regional Alliance is Monday, Mar. 25 at 7pm at the Guild House, 802 Monroe in Ann Arbor. If your group is sponsoring an action in April, this is an excellent opportunity to get support from other groups within the Alliance. For more information, contact us below or see future listings in AGENDA.

Huron Regional Alliance, 1411 Henry, A2, Ml 48104; 663-0003