On Jan. 31, 2009, activists, community organizers, labor leaders and neighborhood coalitions came together for the half-day "Townhall on the Economic Crisis" event at First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. The first event of its kind in the nation and organized by Portland Jobs with Justice, the townhall brought a diversity of progressive thinkers to organize efforts to confront the impact of the economic crises in our communities.
The opening plenary session featured Marty Hart-Landsberg, Professor of Economics at Lewis and Clark College, who talked about the confluence of factors that brought on the collapse of the housing and financial markets, rising unemployment, and credit crunch that is gripping world markets. Veronica Dujon, Chair of the Portland State University Sociology Department, talked about the importance of organizing in "Making a New Vision a Reality."
Listen to Marty Hart-Landsberg discuss the anatomy of the housing bubble
Factors leading up to the breakdown of the global financial system
Workshops brought smaller groups of people together to talk about specific approaches to the crises, including universal health care, rethinking trade agreements, building a green economy, and uniting across racial and ethnic divides.
The final plenary session focused on "Working Together: Building a Movement" and highlighted the points of view of leaders who encouraged attendees to step up and build coalitions across all sectors to advocate for the needs of all people in our communities and neighborhoods.
Author David Bacon encouraged progressives to address the interconnected problems of racism, globalization and marginalization of undocumented workers.
Oregon Action Executive Director Jo Ann Bowman talked about the importance of engaging people from all backgrounds and representing people of all colors in coming up with solutions to problems shared by all.