The Progressive movement made Bush listen to what it had to say, but now what?

This weekend I was in Washington DC producing a live broadcast from the 'Operation: Ceasefire’ protest and concert organized by United for Peace and Justice. Organisers wanted to protest the war in Iraq and fight for justice for those communities affected by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. And just for the record, far more people attended the event than was reported by the mainstream press. And many of those people who attended the event were not ‘die hard’ protesters; they were people who were moved to act by what they have seen this administration do.

The rally and concert may have been a success, but what next for the movement? How will the movement continue to build and convince other ordinary Americans that this war does not help us? How can people get elected officials to act in their interests rather than the interests of their lobbyists or their friends (the latest news on Bill Frist hardly came as a shock now, did it?!). I think the movement could do well to speak with more people like Randy Jones, a former Marine, and his mother Becky Jones, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They supported Bush on some – but not all issues. But at the same time, while they are not against war, they want American troops to return home. I asked Randy to respond to a comment someone said to me earlier that day. A (very nice) lady said to me: ‘for every person who wants Bush out, there are two people who want him to stay’. Listen to his response (and his thoughts on Cindy Sheehan) here (1 min 58). And let us know what you think.

Likewise, how is the progressive movement going to deal with its approach to racial diversity? Is it enough to have high profile speakers on stage? Do these speakers reflect what local organizers think – and are their experiences the same? And what has Hurricane Katrina taught the movement? Nile Malloy from Oakland California is a member of the environmental group, Rainforest Action Network. He said that while the progressive movement looks diverse and people know what to say, marginalized communities continue to be – or feel locked out of the movement. And he provides some ways in which the movement could overcome its problem with the lack of diversity. You can listen to what he has to say here (4 mins 06).

Coming up:

Alice Wu – making her film Saving Face made her realize why we are all really the same…

David Sylvester – why aren’t African’s interesting news?

Jackson Allers – He says Serbs are still not safe and there are no conditions for the return of refugees