Wellstone House of Organization and Activism

Goals

We hope to create a diverse community of students with experience in a variety of different areas of grassroots political or social movements who can foster organization and activism at Carleton. We especially hope to broaden awareness about similar groups at St. Olaf and in Northfield and inform Carls about the events and actions of these groups. Our house seeks to become a resource center for campus organizing, and a catalyst for connections between campus, Northfield, and Minnesotan organizations.

We will broaden Carleton student body's awareness of what human rights are and how human rights relate historically and currently to Americans and peoples of other nations. We will enhance the Carleton student body's awareness of and connection to human rights groups. We will encourage political debate of progressive issues and respectful exploration of contrasting viewpoints.

The house will foster reflection on political activism and sharing of experience between both veteran and new activists. We will explore the philosophies and ethics of activism the Carleton and Northfield communities. Foster connections between social theory and real action. We hope to create a more holistic vision of life in which ideals are intimately tied with lifestyle and grassroots mobilization for those ideals. We will show people that tremendous activism has begun here in the past and continues to happen right now.

Methods

As a house we will establish formal ties with organizations involved with social activism. We will display information on these organizations and keep them abreast of relevant events at Carleton. We will establish particularly close connection between the St. Olaf Peace and Justice and the Northfield People for Peace and Goodwill group to expand the links between activism at St. Olaf, Carleton, and Northfield.

Our house will serve as a meeting place for any Carleton group that seeks a comfortable and energizing space to work on social action. We will hold teach-ins (lectures or speeches) and workshops on a variety of issues relating to social activism and relevant to current events. We will hold dinner discussions, panel forums and will organize trips to activism related events. We will seek out local and national leaders of activist groups and important speakers to come to Carleton to raise awareness and show how students can make a difference.

We will create an activism office that will be open to students seeking literature and information on different groups. We will seek to create a library of literature and documentary videos relating to political activism that will be accessable to students and organizations. In the office we will post local job-listings related to activism and help students find national/international volunteering or internship opportunities with activist groups during their breaks. We will maintain our website as a locus for activism at Carleton to enhance the house's mission and ability to reach out to Carleton students and beyond. Our website will provide easy links to many different organizations and facilitate coordination between activist groups at Carleton and in other places. We will publish a weekly bulletin of events related to activism. This will be like the NNB of activism that deals not just with Carleton but with Olaf, Northfield and all of Minnesota.