What
Is NoPPP?
Purpose
of Network
NoPPP is a network of Northern
organizations working to stop the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP)
and the model of corporate globalization behind it. Our members
seek direction from grassroots organizations and anti-PPP
movements in the region of Mexico and Central America. This
is a network only, not a coalition nor an organization.
The purpose of the network
is to share information between organizations and build strategic
alliances to support both the movements in the region and
actions taken in the North (U.S./Canada/Europe) to stop the
PPP. We seek to include grassroots groups, immigrant organizations,
working class groups, students, and all other constituencies
that oppose the PPP and the model of corporate globalization
for the purpose of sharing information and building alliances
across a broad base.
While expected to abide by
our binding principals, particularly as it pertains to respecting
and working with grassroots southern-based efforts and initiatives
each member organization is encouraged to formulate its own
work plan to fight the PPP and look for support from organizations
inside or outside of the network. Participating organizations
should not expect a NoPPP governing body or structure to come
up with a campaign plan for members to support.
Communication Mechanisms
and Membership Commitments
The PPP organizing member listserve
and periodic conference calls are presently the specific communication
mechanisms for the whole network. Additionally, organizations
are encouraged to build alliances with each other outside
the formal NoPPP mechanisms. NoPPP also hosts a PPP informational
listserve for anyone that wants information on the PPP -all
members should promote this informational listserve to activists
and organizations. Members commit to posting all relevant
PPP news and announcing organizing events to the over 200
members from all over the world of the informational listserve.
We host a NoPPP webpage on the ACERCA website yet we are also
considering having an independent web site for NoPPP.
We aim to hold conference calls
every two months (sometimes more, during periods of high activity)
to update each other on the PPP and actions/movement-building
against the PPP. The purpose of these calls is not to discuss
structure nor to hash out NoPPP campaign plans, but to find
out what members and our Southern partners are doing and to
build alliances as organizations within the network.
Before joining NoPPP we ask
that you provide the basic information in our NoPPP invitation.
On the conference calls NoPPP members provide updates on their
PPP work and their southern partners PPP work. If you can’t
be on the call we ask that you submit relevant and brief updates
to the organizer listserve before the call. This complements
our goal of being guided by southern partner’s realities
and experiences.
Decision Making
NoPPP may decide on some occasions to endorse a plan of action
as a network. This will only happen if all participants in
a conference call agree with the endorsement, the decision
is then posted to the listserve, where members have a specified
time period to comment. The same goes with any other decisions
to be made. When taking on a collective task, project or initiative
as NoPPP we encourage a non-hierarchical, inclusive, and consensus-seeking
decision making process.
Coordination of Calls
In order to ensure that the conference call coordination responsibility
does not fall on one organization we have a team of Conference
Call Coordinators (CCC), made up of 4-6 organizational representatives.
These reps would each be responsible for coordinating 1-3
conference calls per year, in rotating order. The organization
responsible creates and circulates a draft agenda (generally
consisting of updates on PPP organizing from involved parties),
finds a conference call system, arranges to pay for the call,
identifies a facilitator and note-taker and post the notes
from the meeting. CCC members will commit to the team on a
yearly basis.
Outreach
An Outreach Committee has been formed to recruit more organizations
into the network. WE ARE PRESENTLY FOCUSING ON IMPROVING OUR
INTERNAL DIVERSITY AND PLURALITY BY SEEKING YOUTH, PEOPLE
OF COLOR, WOMEN AND GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY BASED (CBO’s)
ORGANIZATIONS TO JOIN. We clarify to any new members that
this is an informational and alliance-building space, not
a centralized coalition that is going to provide a ready-made
campaign. Although, we have an outreach committee we hope
that all members will actively engage in our outreach inviting
organizations that share our goal to stop the PPP and the
model of corporate globalization that is behind it.
To join the PPP informational
listserve e-mail write to noppporganizing(@)mutualaid.org
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