We want to offer you an introduction, and an invitation to join us in building a new social movement right here in Sonoma county. this invitation tells a story and it has 3 parts. the first part is when, about 3 years ago, a small but dedicated, intelligent yet naive, group of young people in Petaluma (from 16 to 20 years of age) began meeting constantly to discuss how they could make a real difference in their community. how they could be revolutionaries. night after night they stayed awake til 2 or 3am, drafting a platform, debating strategy, arguing over the most insignificant details. the result of these meetings was a group that came to be known as the Peoples Revolutionary Organization (PRO). Sure, it was a little pretentious and eerily reminiscent of some typical, dubious Maoist organization, but they didn't know better. what they did know was that they just wanted some shit to change, and that the political system had long ago left them in the dust. they recruited, they organized protests at the recruitment center, movie nights, critical mass bike rides. In march of 2006 they shut down the streets of downtown Petaluma, having 13 members arrested in a peaceful sit down protest. they supported and organized with the immigrants rights movement and the United Farm Workers. They caught the attention of the police and Homeland Security, who visited Casa Grande High School to investigate some of their members.

They made many friends, and not quite as many enemies. At their peak, they counted on about 30 members, met twice a week, and in July 2006, they organized 30 consecutive days of actions and activities. as a result, the law came down hard. Members were regularly monitored, harassed, their families were followed and questioned, houses were regularly patrolled, and many people got scared. this fear, coupled with political differences and a lack of dedication, caused the group to dissolve, leaving only a handful to pick up the pieces. but they did, and after a few months of more intense meetings, the United Resistance was born. Still radical, but maybe wiser this time, the UR kept organizing with the immigrants rights movement, founded a CopWatch chapter, served food weekly to local day laborers, and organized more anti-war demonstrations. in March of 2007 they returned to the streets to shut them down again. No one was arrested this time. Time went on, and the organization seemed to be growing. They were sustained by the great amount of support and encouragement of other local activists and organizations. But organizing as students and workers is no easy task. Many of their members left for school, or were prohibited from attending by their parents or obligations to school work. Some just werent that interested, or dedicated to social change. And some people, those that maintained their dedication and sustained their organizing, eventually got burnt out and were simply unable to keep going at full pace. for all these reasons, bit by bit, the movement drifted off. Not completely. Its members were still involved in other efforts, Copwatch continued to pop up here and there, and the Food Not Bombs program did indeed continue to go strong.

Now we are in 2008. 3 years after those first few kids decided they wanted to be revolutionaries. we are still here. we are still learning and growing. we have rebuilt our organization. New people continue to join every day. our name has changed to IMPACT!. We are now beginning the work of developing an effective strategy for long term social change. This involves intensive organizing in the community and in our workplaces, as well as meaningful solidarity with other efforts for justice. CopWatch has been rebuilt and is gaining momentum. Food Not Bombs is also growing, with the long term aim of founding a labor center for the immigrant workers. We have a new, exciting campaign for a City of Refuge, a safe and healthy city for all people, including those without documents. We have been holding Critical Mass bike rides, supporting other peoples’ campaigns, and strategizing for sustainable social justice in Petaluma. We're excited by this. and we hope you are too. We want to show our allies and comrades that we have not disappeared, and that we are dedicated to working with all of you towards a new and joyous world. The youth are taking action. And hopefully we will provide at least some inspiration to those who lack it. we need all of you to build this movement with us. Read below our statement of principles. then come to our meetings. or invite us to one of yours. call us to talk about the revolution. say hi to us on the street. Live intentionally. Make pretend that a new world will not appear unless you are willing to envision it and live it every single day. get free. we're not waiting any longer. its never to late to join in the fun.



IMPACT! Statement of Principles

Brothers and Sisters,

We are IMPACT!, a collection of individuals united by a vision of justice in this world and driven by a common spirit of resistance. We are students, workers, artists, farmers, travelers, poets, immigrants, friends, and neighbors. We are rebellious and dignified. We speak up and we act out. We are fanatic lovers of liberty and justice. Bad government and greedy people have controlled this world for far too long. We are one voice among many that will say "no" to them, and "yes" to a beautiful world that lays just over the horizon.

Our ideas, experiences, and methods are as varied as the streets we grew up on, and there are a thousand ways in which each one of us will choose to struggle towards a just and peaceful world. We are neither politicians, nor do we wish to hold power over anybody. We are not a vanguard and we do not have "the answers." We will not be arrogant, or claim that our way is the only way. We search for a world where respect and cooperation maintain us, instead of violence and coercion. We use our differences as tools that can strengthen our communities. We do not ignore them or let them tear us apart. We are not weak and we will not be co-opted by clever and disingenuous politicians or officials. We will always keep our word and never act dishonestly. We are a tension, a resistance to injustice everywhere, an example, a dream of a new world where all worlds fit. We do not follow any one ideology.

As an organization, we have five main points. These are not the only points we have to make, but they will begin to give you a small picture of what exactly we are fighting for. They are:

Community Governance/Autonomy

We want freedom. We can no longer accept that rules and customs be imposed on us from outside our community. We recognize that we are fully capable of making our own decisions and that each community must be free to guide its own destiny without being restricted or oppressed by outside forces. Thus we propose, not a new regime or political platform, but rather the opening of spaces for ALL to participate directly. These would be in small assemblies in every neighborhood, where the people are able to decide best what they need and how to meet those needs collectively and democratically. We neither seek political office, nor do we believe that real change will come from above. Bad government has given us nothing of value, nothing of freedom or democracy, nothing good and certainly nothing worth defending or maintaining.

Workers' Power/Local Economy

The fruits of our collective labor must be enjoyed by all. The shops, factories, and fields all belong to those who work them. Thus, we suggest that all workers organize themselves into strong and democratic unions in order to take back what is rightfully theirs. We seek to support local merchants, farmers, artists, etc. and defend them from greedy people and corporate chains. Furthermore, we believe in creating a strong local economy by resisting the unbridled invasion of big development. These massive companies, in exchange for our money, resources, labor, sweat, and land offer us nothing but monotony, boredom and uniformity. In short, we do not need them.

Solidarity

This struggle is a puzzle with seemingly infinite pieces, and it takes all types to put it together so that we may see an image of the new world we carry in our hearts. We come from different places, with different ideas, and we take different paths, but essentially we are all seeking the same thing- justice and peace with dignity. We must respect these differences and focus on how we can each contribute to this expanding global movement for democracy and justice, and not on where we diverge from other people. We will always work in solidarity with others who are struggling for social justice, in a way that mutually complements our efforts. One organization alone cannot create the momentum necessary to achieve sustainable social change. Neither can one idea, approach, strategy, nor tactic appeal to the amount of people necessary to build a truly democratic world. Our movements must operate like an open hand, each digit capable of moving separately and independently, but at any moment ready to bring itself together to form a clenched fist.

Equality/Anti-Oppression

We will actively and consistently confront all forms of oppression that exist in our community, and especially in our organization. We will create safe spaces for those whom identify with oppressed groups to discuss the problems that exist within or outside the organization. Furthermore, we will work towards fostering leadership among traditionally marginalized groups, including, but not limited to: youth, people of color, womyn, queer/trans folk, immigrants, and the working class. We are products of a flawed and oppressive society. Not only does oppression flourish in our established institutions, but all too frequently it appears in our organizing. Many of us have grown up with unearned privileges due to our skin color, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, class, and their combination. It is our responsibility to bring about real equality and an end to these privileges.


Culture

Culture must be something that is open and free to everyone. It should be provocative, not numbing. It should be what makes life exciting, not something for which we ask permission. We vow to work towards defending our artistic spaces and fighting to construct many more. We suggest many diverse and collective acts that together can breathe life and joy into our communities, creating spaces for socializing, free expression, and recreation.

A community must have music, art, color, poetry, ideas, theater, and literature to give it meaning. Otherwise it is dull, dreary and dreadful. Yet every day we find that we have fewer and fewer spaces to create, to play, and to express ourselves. Socializing has become criminal. Youth music venues are shut down. Public space is made private, leaving many artists with no legal outlet for creative expression. School programs for art and music are cancelled. Our culture has become something far removed from us, something only those who can afford it get to enjoy. And the rest of us become outlaws and criminals. Without culture, all social movements are meaningless. Therefore it will be central to everything we do.