Club attends national conference on organized resistance

Katie Clark / photo contributed Members of Progress gather for a conference on organized resistance last week.

Meeting with other student activist groups from across the county, Progress, a student activist group at JMU, participated in the National Conference on Organized Resistance at American University in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24-25.

Progress began last year with the purpose of protesting the war in Iraq, explained senior Brian Bernhardt, a group member.

"We organized around the war in Iraq and grew from there," he said. "After the war ended, we kept expanding."

The two-day conference focused on helping organizations make a difference in their communities.

Those who went to the conference said they returned motivated to make a difference in the community.

Sophomore Megan Joyce, who also attended the conference said, "It was a positive experience to be around people who had the same purpose of helping the community and be able to give each other ideas."

The conference focused on a range of workshops including local, national and international issues. Some workshops included, "Nonviolence: Theory & Practice," "Building Collective Leadership: empowerment as the heart of our organizations" and "Anarchist practice, rational democracy & community."

Speakers in the conference generated a rainbow of ideas, according to some members of Progress. Speakers included college professors, ex-Black Panthers, Palestinian and Jewish peace groups and other social activists.

Sophomore Bridget Cofo said she particularly enjoyed a workshop entitled, "How to be a Peacemaker before it's too late," which was presented by activist Coleman McCarthy. The workshop focused on how to achieve a more harmonious society by teaching nonviolence in school as part of the curriculum, she said. It also emphasized how conflict resolution in small terms reflects how we resolve conflicts in larger terms.

According to Bernhardt, the purpose of Progress is to make a positive difference in the community.

"We're not just a group of protestors who point out society's problems," he said. "We are dedicated to coming up with a solution. We are a group of action."

One aspect of Progress that's different from a traditional organization is that it doesn't have a hierarchy of leadership.

"By nature, we want to have leaders, whether it be in classes, sports, clubs or any organization," sophomore Brook Thompson said. "We want to empower everyone so that everyone can learn."

He added that when everyone shares responsibility, "the organization won't crumple by the loss or corruption of a leader."

Progress has a few community projects in its sights. One of its projects is a movement to help downtown small businesses compete against larger corporations, according to sophomore AndrianneKonstas. They are planning a mini downtown exhibit in Transitions where local businesses will be able to come, sell and advertise their products to students.

It also is trying to establish a bike library on campus where bikes are donated to the community and are available for anyone to ride anywhere they want, explained junior Jared Bowie.
Bernhardt said, "We're a multi-issue progressive group focused on increasing dialogue and action around the JMU campus and in the community."

This group also is sponsoring a visting scholar lecture.

Progress meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the fourth floor of Warren Hall.

"The meetings are open to all that have new ideas to improve society," Konstas said.