The Community Democracy Project (Oakland)

The Community Democracy Project (Oakland) Local people, local resources, local power! The Community Democracy Project is your connection to direct democracy in Oakland! They decide the city budget.

Help Oakland get a people's budget on the ballot, where residents help decide the budget: https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/qmyxb Convened out of Occupy Oakland in Fall 2011, we're gathering steam on a campaign to bring the people back in touch with the city's resources through participatory budgeting. Picture this: Across Oakland, Neighborhood Assemblies are regularly
held in every community. Peop

le come together to tackle the important issues of their neighborhoods and of the city. At these assemblies, people don't just have discussions--they learn from one another, from city staff, and they make fundamental decisions about how the city should run. Democratic, community budgeting is a powerful step toward building strong communities, real democracy, and economic justice--and it's being done all over the world. The budget of the City Oakland totals more than $1 billion per year. Although part of the budget must be used for specific purposes, still over half of the budget--over $500 billion per year--consists of general purpose funds paid by the taxes, fees, and fines of the people of Oakland. The Mayor and the City Council decide the city budget, with minimal input from the community. Working together, we will not only get a seat at the table--we will REBUILD the table itself. Participatory democracy is real democracy--join us to say: Local People, Local Resources, Local Power!

~~

Check here regularly for community events, CDP appearances and events, and information about the growing movement for real democracy and people power in Oakland and beyond. Interested in coming to our weekly meetings, hosting us at your church or organization, or learning more? Send us an email at [email protected]. Imagine that a

We’re thankful to the César E. Chávez Library staff for helping us use their meeting space to discuss whether owning rea...
11/27/2024

We’re thankful to the César E. Chávez Library staff for helping us use their meeting space to discuss whether owning real estate conflicts with economic justice. The debate revealed some complicated answers from our diverse group of supporters and attendees. Stay tuned for our next community debate!

Photo 1: group of attendees in Oakland Public Library meeting room posing and smiling together
Picture 2: CDP member kiddos crafting and playing on a colorful rug

CDP is convening a School for Organizing cohort in Oakland this February. This 11 week course will teach youth how to ma...
11/23/2024

CDP is convening a School for Organizing cohort in Oakland this February. This 11 week course will teach youth how to make changes in our government and communities. The training is free. Please help spread the word! The application deadline is December 1st. https://communitydemocracyproject.org/school-for-organizing-2025/

🏠 Is owning your own home a way to build a safety net for you and your family?🏚️ Is it the only way to escape the explo...
11/14/2024

🏠 Is owning your own home a way to build a safety net for you and your family?
🏚️ Is it the only way to escape the exploitative relationships we have with our landlords?
🇺🇸 Do you think that the government’s encouragement of homeownership is a way to depoliticize us?
🤡 Do you think it’s all a distraction?
⚒️ We have the same questions for owning businesses as well and we want to hear your answers!

🏫 Join us on Sunday, November 24th at the Oakland César Chávez Library to discuss whether owning real estate or businesses conflict with economic justice!
♿ The library is wheelchair accessible and welcomes but does not require masks.
2️⃣ This is Part 2 in the Community Democracy Project’s series of public conversations about controversial and difficult topics.

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” - bell hooksWe talked about our ra...
11/10/2024

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” - bell hooks

We talked about our rage, grief, fears, wounds that need tending, and this past week’s national, state, and local election results. Thanks to everyone who showed up to start the healing process with us!

Join us for a series of public conversations about controversial and “difficult” topics. These will be debates in the be...
10/23/2024

Join us for a series of public conversations about controversial and “difficult” topics. These will be debates in the best sense of the word: Rather than preaching to the choir, the goal is to help participants find their own voices, hear each others’ voices, and nurture a more interesting and more participatory collective voice.

Our first will be on the question: Should white people be leaders in movements for social justice in the U.S.?

Image description: flyer with image background of people facing each other and text: “community debate | white people: should they be leaders in the movement? | part 1 in our series of public conversations about controversial and difficult topics” and event details:

Saturday | Oct 26 | 3:00pm-5:00pm
Sustainable Economies Law Center
1428 Franklin St Oakland
Bathroom is not ADA compliant

Culture shift is both easy and hard. Easy because it’s simply a matter of practice: The more we do, the more we can do. ...
10/11/2024

Culture shift is both easy and hard.

Easy because it’s simply a matter of practice: The more we do, the more we can do. Again. And again.

Hard because our current social structures are good at supporting actions that reinforce the status quo, rather than actions that shift the status quo.

How do we shift our political culture in this society?

This question is at the heart of CDP’s vision and work for a People’s Budget in Oakland. A key piece of that vision is fostering a city-wide culture of dialogue across differences via empowered Neighborhood Assemblies meeting on a monthly basis in neighborhoods all over Oakland.

Also, one way that the current system of spectator politics works is by getting us to pay attention to debates where the issues are framed by political and economic elites, rather than by we the people. A key component of culture shift is political conversations driven by we the people.

Join us for a series of public conversations about controversial and “difficult” topics. These will be debates in the best sense of the word: Rather than preaching to the choir, the goal is to help participants find our own voices, hear each others’ voices, and nurture a more interesting and more participatory collective voice.

Our first will be on the question: Should white people be leaders in movements for social justice in the U.S.?

Image description: flyer with CDP logo and photo of a precious CDP event. Text reads “Community Debate / White People: Should They Be Leaders In The Movement? Part 1 in our series of public conversations about controversial and “difficult” topics / Saturday | Oct 26 | 3:00pm-5:00pm / Location TBD“

Address

Oakland, CA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Community Democracy Project (Oakland) posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to The Community Democracy Project (Oakland):

Shortcuts

Share

Category