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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Denver, CO
DENVER, CO, August 12, 2008--Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and The Nation magazine are teaming up to host "Progressive Central," a five-day gathering for activists, Congressional leaders, journalists and DNC delegates during DNC week at the Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman Street in downtown Denver.
Prominent speakers including Democratic Representatives Barbara Lee, (CA); John Conyers, (MI); Lynn Woolsey, (CA); and Robert Wexler, (FL), and leading activists such as Katrina vanden Heuvel, Tom Hayden, Jim Zogby, Medea Benjamin and Jim Hightower will participate. Events will begin Sunday evening, August 24 and continue daily through Thursday, August 28, featuring more than 20 panel discussions with topics ranging from health care and election reform to the future of progressive politics.
Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director said, "Progressive Central will be a progressive oasis, where like-minded people will meet to network, share ideas, learn from the country's foremost progressives, and help build the progressive movement. When Progressive Democrats of America launched in Roxbury, MA. during the 2004 DNC Convention, our hope was to help build the progressive movement, both inside and outside the Democratic Party. It's four years later, and we are better organized, better focused, and well on our way to achieving our goal. We've planned a great event and hope the visitors to Progressive Central will experience progressive community building at its best."
Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator said, "Progressive Central will be a hive of activity. With The Nation, we have brought together some of the country's foremost progressive minds--members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, independent media, and national and local activists--to discuss some of today's hottest issues. We'll offer space to learn, relax, and meet people It's going to be a wonderful happening. During Convention week, PDA volunteers and staffers will be visiting hotels hosting DNC delegates to personally invite them to visit Progressive Central."
A complete schedule of events and speakers is included (below). An up-to-date revised schedule is available at the PDA website: https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/309/mtglistproc.asp?formid=meet&caleventid=13414
The Monday through Thursday daytime schedule will include informal gathering time, 10-11 a.m.; free panels hosted by The Nation, 11 a.m.-12:30; lunch, 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m.; and two PDA-hosted panels, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. A week-long pass (suggested donation $125) and tickets for individual PDA events (suggested donation $10 per day), box-lunches will be available for $12.50. Lunches and tickets may be purchased in advance on the website or on-site before the various events, subject to availability.
Progressive Central is accessible by public transit, including the 16th Street shuttle, whose final stop at Broadway brings attendees to within easy walking distance of the site. Paid parking is also available near the site.
About Progressive Democrats of America: Progressive Democrats of America is a Political Action Committee that is not formally affiliated with the Democratic Party. Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and the country. It seeks to build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites--with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. As a grassroots Political Action Committee (PAC) operating inside the Democratic Party, and outside in movements for peace and justice, PDA played a key role in the electoral victory of November 2006. Its inside/outside strategy is guided by firm progressive principles. PDA recently led a successful campaign to include a "guaranteed health care for all" plank in the Democratic Party Platform. That effort, begun in late July, gained formal support from more than 450 DNC delegates to date.
About The Nation: Founded in 1865, The Nation is the longest-running weekly publication and a respected journal of opinion, featuring analysis on politics and culture. The Nation is based in New York City, and remains a leading voice in the progressive political movement.
Complete Event Schedule:
Sunday Night, Aug. 24: PDA's "Progressive Welcome to Denver"
8:00 - 10:00 PM: Welcome by Joan Fitz-Gerald. Music by Dan Reed. Hosted by Mimi Kennedy, PDA Advisory Board Chair. With: Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), Congressional Progressive Caucus; Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor, The Nation; Tom Hayden, author, activist; Jim Zogby, Arab American Institute and DNC member; Jim Hightower, journalist.
9:00 - 11:00 AM, Mon -Thurs.
Come by to network and meet representatives from our supporting organizations: Code Pink, Velvet Revolution, Backbone Campaign, Common Cause, Democrats.com, California Nurses Association and local activist groups.
Also, see "special guests" in the sanctuary before the panels begin at 11 AM.
Monday Aug. 25: Healthcare Not Warfare
10:00 - 10:30 AM Stephen Zunes, Prof. of Politics and Intl. Studies (USF).
11:00 AM: The Nation Conversations Series: Healthcare, Aids, and Africa. Moderated by author John Nichols with Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. John Conyers (MI) and Richard Kim.
1:00 - 2:05 PM: Healthcare Panel: Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign co-chairs Norman Solomon and Donna Smith (founder, American Patients for Universal Healthcare); Dr. Rocky White, Health Care for All Colorado, Marilyn Albert, RN, CNA/NNOC; and Rep. John Conyers.
2:10 - 3:15 PM: NOT Warfare Panel: Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Co-chair CPC, Norman Solomon, and Kathleen Snyder, Gold Star Mom.
3:15 - 4:00: Q & A, Closing Comments
4:00 - 5:00 PM Community Conversation on healthcare moderated by "Be the Change."
Tuesday Aug. 26: Media Reform & Activism
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: The Nation Conversations Series: Out of Iraq. Moderated by John Nichols with Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA), Co-chair Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Tom Hayden.
1:00 - 2:15 PM: PDA Panel: Media Reform. Moderated by Jeff Cohen, author and founder of FAIR; with John Nichols; Laura Flanders, journalist, Nation Radio and Grit TV; Shireen Mitchell, Digital Sistas; Maeve Conran, KGNU Community Radio Denver-Boulder; Chris Rabb, Afro-Netizen.
2:30 - 3:45: PDA Panel: Clean, Fair, Transparent Elections. Steven Rosenberg author of Count My Vote; John Bonifaz, legal director of Voter Action, and founder, National Voting Rights Institute; Mimi Kennedy, election protection advocate; Harvie Branscomb, Coloradoans for Voting Integrity; Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Hip Hop Caucus.
Wednesday Aug. 27: Economic Justice and Global Warming
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: The Nation Conversations Series: Immigration Reform and Economic Justice. John Nichols, Moderator; with Rep. Jim McGovern (MA), and Bob Moser, contributing writer to The Nation.
1:00 - 2:15 PM: PDA Panel: Economic Justice/Ending Poverty. John Nichols, Moderator; Rep. Barbara Lee; David Sirota, author, journalist; Carmen Rhodes, Front Range Economic Strategy Center; Jordan Garcia.
2:30 - 3:45 PM: PDA Panel: Global Warming. John Nichols, Moderator; with Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange, Code Pink and PDA Advisory Board; Nancy LaPlaca, Energy Consultant with Bardwell Consulting Ltd.; Majora Carter, Sustainable South Bronx.
Thursday Aug. 28: Constitutional Law & Congress and PDA: Onward from Denver
10 - 10:30 AM. Vincent Bugliosi, author, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: The Nation Conversations Series: Restoring and Maintaining our Constitutional Rights. Moderated by John Nichols with Rep. Robert Wexler (FL), Rep. Keith Ellison (MN) and Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of The Nation.
1:00 - 2:30 PM: PDA Panel: Constitutional Law and Congress. John Nichols moderator; Steve Cobble, Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies; Leslie Cagan, United for Peace and Justice.
2:30 - 3:45:PDA Panel: PDA Onward from Denver, Building the Progressive Movement, Working the Inside/Outside Strategy. Mimi Kennedy, moderator; with Steve Cobble; Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director; Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator; Norman Solomon; Jodie Evans, CodePink founder; Bill Moyer, Executive Director, Backbone Campaign.
For tickets, maps, parking, lunches and more information, visit http://pdamerica.org. . Click on "Progressive Central" in the green bar at the top of the page.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator
Phone: 435-336-2123
Tim Carpenter, Executive Director
Toll Free: 877-239-2093
