This session would be a continuation of a series of symposia begun in New York in December 2005 and continued in Chicago in July 2006 aimed at explicating and deepening the progressive movement's grasp of strategy and tactics--specifically, the strategy of building and organizing a progressive majority. That progressive majority would be the broadest possible coalition of progressive forces united around a minimum common program. It would be a coalition of left and center, capable of defeating the right wing and launching the country on a path to peace, justice and equality. We would hope that the audience would take away a heightened consciousness about building a progressive majority, as well as ideas for advancing concrete organizational efforts in their communities. The panel embraces the major crosscutting themes of the USSF, with core emphasis on class, race and gender as central to the programmatic foundation of a progressive majority. Each presentation in the panel will be participatory--with a question posed to the audience to facilitate broader movement-wide discussion about strategy and tactics. The panel will look at why a progressive majority constitutes the essential tactical alliance best suited for present day requirements to "connect-the-dots" on issues and movements in order to advance a powerful, cohesive progressive alternative. The session will be conducted in English and audience members will be provided with the handouts in English that will assist in explaining the panel's theme. Our biggest challenge is to overcome narrow, non-strategic thinking that hinders the broadest unity and cooperation of progressive forces. Our concrete alternative is to forge an alliance of left and center forces based upon a common program and focused efforts to affect significant change. Our strategies, as discussed above relates to building that massive coalition. Here is the proposed panel:

A Progressive Majority: What It Is and How to Build It

A panel designed to explore the meaning and construction of a progressive majority.

Three presentations and dialogue with the audience.

Presentation 1:

What Is A Progressive Majority? A presentation that would describe the nature of contours of a progressive majority, its essential elements (a left-center coalition) and what is required to develop a latent progressive majority into a manifest, organized one. The audience is invited to participate in a discussion of what it will take to develop an organized coalition.

(Charlene Mitchell)

Presentation 2:

A Program for a Progressive Majority. A connect-the-dots presentation that explores the key issues that bind a progressive majority from peace to universal single-payer health insurance to immigrant rights, to economic security, the prison-industrial complex, etc. A discussion will follow with the audience. The dissuasion aims to collectively deepen our understanding of the links between these issues

(Possible presenters: Renee Carter, Meta Van Sickle, Michael Kaufman, Manning Marable)

Presentation 3:

A Progressive Majority and the Impact of Class, Race and Gender. A presentation that explores the relationship of class, race and gender to a progressive majority. The audience will be asked to participate in a discussion that examines how these problems can be addressed.

(Possible presenters: Manning Marable, Angela Davis, Attieno Davis, Ted Pearson)