(photo - on the Panel - Elizabeth Falzone - GSFSO/ MFSO - WA chapter and Rich Moniak - MFSO - Alaska chapter listen to two days of testimony)
(photo - Stacy Bannerma, wife of returning Iraq veteran - WA Natl Guard, gives testimony)
(photo Lietta Ruger, MFSO- WA, in support Lt. Ehren Watada, June 2006, Tacoma, WA)
(photo - Lietta Ruger, Judy Linehan, Jenny Keesey - from MFSO - WA chapter, June 2006, Tacoma, WA)
(photo - Judy Linehan, MFSO - WA at support rally for Lt. Watada, June 2006, Tacoma, WA)
photo - Sue Niederer, MFSO. Her son U.S. Army 2nd Lt.Seth Dvorin, 24 yrs old was killed in Iraq Feb 3, 2004.
photo - Nancy Lessin, MFSO Co-Founder 
photo - Lietta Ruger, MFSO - WA 
photo - Stacy Bannerman, MFSO - WA
Now Playing: Lietta Ruger
Topic: Online Activism
INTERNET IMPACT
Northwest Progressive Institute and Pacific Northwest Portal Conference. This weekend past Arthur and I were invited to attend this first time ever conference in Olympia at State Capitol buildings.
This was well, what else to call it but a blogger's conference meeting with our state elected officials, their aides and staffers, some local mainstream media, and of course the networking of bloggers that makes up Pacific Northwest Portal (Arthur and I have separate blogs carried at the Portal, recently Arthur has been invited to be a feature blogwriter at one of those featured blogs = Washblog).
This event was sponsored by 4 other significant Washington organizations, including labor SEIU (Service Employees International Union), Institute for Washington's Future, Progressive Majority....they seem to believe that regional bloggers have some impact worthy enough of sponsoring this kind of conference and connecting bloggers with elected officials to affect change in the political process and system.
Andrew Villanueve, who at age 15 publicly challenged initiative guru Tim Eyeman spearheaded this whole conference. Now pushing 20 (but not there yet) Andrew is the founder of the Northwest Progressive Institute and creating strong progressive waves in the Washington State political scene. He is in example of what happens when determination meets with motivation.
I was seriously impressed by the number of young people involved in the conference and that have engaged in the political process.
We know MFSO is non-political, non-partisan, and when I am representing MFSO, I represent MFSO with the core message and in the non-partisan position.
At the conference this past weekend we were introduced and recognized by our colleagues as MFSO bloggers. This afforded an opportunity to represent MFSO at a politically based venue. Although partisan to be sure, our focus remained on what has always been primaryh ... getting the troops home and out of Iraq, and that message goes out to either and all sides of the political venues.
Why this is relevant is because I am learning that cross-networking has significant relevance to the work we do and message we bring under the MFSO umbrella.
Why this is relevant is because I am learning that cross-networking has significant relevance to the work we do and message we bring under the MFSO umbrella.
I find repeat names amongst the different networking, for example, Dina Lydia, who helped with flyers and website reporting on the Jan 7 Seattle event that featured our 2 MFSO Speakers; a blogger Cool Aqua at Pacific Northwest Portal also reported on the event giving attention to Military Families Speak Out.
Northwest Progressive Institute as well as Backbone Campaign gave online attention to Arthur and I when I went down to Crawford, Texas.
Majority Visibility Project and Stand Up Seattle have been supporters of our MFSO efforts in Pacific NW.
The Seattle area SNOW coalition (Sound Non-Violence Opponents of the War) have been helpful supporters and many members of those coalitions cross over to other groups that support MFSO. Nina Laboy, Associate Regional Director of Seatlle AFSC has been a strong supporter and helpful in many of our MFSO efforts, recently providing us with a place to hold one of our rare in person meetings.
Recently we have new MFSO member in Liz Rivera Goldstein, Liz@teenpeace.org who has her own non-profit organization, Teen Peace Conscientious Objector working with teens who do 'informed recruiting' testimony to other teens across cities and towns in Washington state. As well Liz is on an advisory board of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ).
Another of our MFSO members in Eastern part of the state, Tricia Turner, is on National Board of Directors of Veterans and Military Families for Progress cougsrule@msn.com (Tricia can you provide website link?).
Actually I learned of VMFP thru another networking contact, Brian Moran, with featured blog Washblog at Pacific NW Portal.
Posted by SwanDeer Project
at 12:01 AM PST
