WEdecide2010 We educate for a democratic clean and independent elections for 2010 Email: [email protected] Mobile Numbers: 09182086666 09279598022 Concept 2010 Elections The Philippines is again agog with 2010 elections. The electoral landscape is littered, mostly, with traditional politicians, a.k.a. trapos, all claiming to have grassroots beginnings and promising to be good public servants. Once again, urban poor communities, grassroots formations, people’s organizations and other vote-rich sections are sought after, not to give them relief from drudgery, but to clinch their votes. Trapos’ promises do not have much effect on the electorate. They have been used to it. Some of them still cling to a glimmer of hope they see from charismatic and some promising candidates. Some just consider elections a circus, a break from the otherwise monotonous life of struggle for survival. In the end, most of the constituents believe that they only have themselves to depend on. This culture of apathy and indifference cannot be blamed on the electorate. This is the result of years of hopeless electoral exercises they have witnessed. It is this context that WEdecide 2010 confronts. It hopes to contribute in translating the apathy and indifference of the electorate into positive actions and maximize 2010 elections to the people’s advantage. Objectives The general objective is to bring the real issues of the people at the forefront of the electoral exercises, make them critical about 2010 elections – its nature and dynamics, educate the voters as the principal stakeholders in this exercise, and organize them around these concerns. In particular, the campaign hopes to: 1. Collectively study the issues of the people and the local electorate. 2. Formulate and put forward demands that would provide tactical relief for the people. 3. Challenge the candidates to take on the people’s issues. 4. Make the people’s agenda the electoral platform and the parameter in selecting candidates. 5. Call on the candidates to translate their slogans and promises into concrete and realistic platform for the people’s welfare. 6. Educate the local electorate about the nature, character and dynamics revolving around the 2010 elections to help them vote intelligently. 7. Organize groups, clusters, organizations and build an active network of intelligent electorate. 8. Clinch “Covenant” or “Pledge of Commitment” between the electorate / specific sections of voters and the candidates that would adhere to the people’s agenda. 9. Defend whatever benefits the people already had and expose candidates who, wittingly or unwittingly, are planning to take these away from them. 10. Create an active, intelligent and vigilant electorate and make their presence felt through different people’s forums and discussion groups in the local levels. 11. Popularize the people’s issues and agenda by maximizing tri-media. 12. Disseminate to the widest number the people’s issues and demands through popular propaganda materials, leaflets and the like. 13. Engage the indifferent, apathetic and skeptical sections of the populace into substantive discussions and significant actions. WEdecide2010 Concept This is envisioned to be the people’s alternative electoral campaign to rally significant sections of the populace to their own agenda. Its primary task is to bring into the forefront immediate issues and concerns while creating an intelligent electorate in the process. WEdecide2010 will take off from the known issues of significant sections of the people. These issues will be talked about, studied and sharply defined as the campaign moves on. The initial resolutions will be drafted from the series of consultations which will be part of the people’s platform. These will then be lobbied to the candidates during electoral forums. Likewise, it will be popularized in media and through people’s education and propaganda campaign. It will have the following components: Activities 1. Localized discussions – community level, cluster of households, barangay meetings, school meetings, etc. 2. Dialogues with candidates – presentation of the people’s platform. 3. Forum with Covenant or Pledge of Commitment signing. 4. Leaders’ workshops to sharply identify issues and formulate the people’s platform. 5. Voters’ education 6. Cultural activities 7. Distribution and reproduction of electoral education materials and people’s platform 8. Dialogues among sectors 9. Radio and TV station - hopping Inital Convenors and WEdecide 2010 Machinery 1. ServeNet (a service institution for North Luzon focus on grassroots organizing) 2. Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya – North Luzon (Movement for National Democracy) 3. Linnaaw Cultural Group 4. KaisaKa Baguio 5. MKP (Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon ng Pilipinas) – PLDT Union – Baguio 6. Digitel Employees Union – Baguio 7. Youth4Rights – People’s Rights Advocates North Luzon 8. BAMAPFE (Baguio Market Peddlers Federation) 9. Human Rights Defenders – Luzon 10. Assert NL (Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers) 11. CWP Baguio (Communication Workers of the Philippines) 12. Green Cause Movement 13. Summer Youth Campers 2009 14. YND NL Target Basic Unit Formations: 1. Barangay level structures 2. Barangay Clusters 3. Community – b ased organizations Prepared by: ServeNet September 27, 2009
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