American People's Congress

Preamble

In a country as rich as ours it is unconscionable that people sleep on the streets, go hungry, lack basic health care, and remain uneducated. The United States is the only Western nation that fails to provide for the basic needs of its most vulnerable citizens. Those who are willing and able to work should be gainfully employed to use his or her skills and talents to contribute to our country’s prosperity and to the common good.

We must engage our imaginations, our brains and our talents in a partnership with the main street sector and the government to best utilize the resources that will advance the welfare of all citizens. We must return to being a nation of producers, rather than gambling our future with speculation by paper. We must repair the damage done to the land by plunderers in their greed for profit. We must work to rebuild our family farms, create opportunities for small businesses and political and economic justice for all regardless of race and gender. We respect the right of private property, but we must maintain an equitable balance for the welfare of citizens with laws that are just and taxation that is fair. We must work with the family of nations to maintain peace and justice in a world for all its citizens. We must change the election laws to allow independent parties and all eligible citizens an opportunity to participate in the election system.

AMERICAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS, an organization leading a movement to restore sanity to our government through a coalition of organizations and citizens to bring pressure for the necessary changes to restore government to the sovereign people of American. They mean business and I sincerely believe this group deserves your attention and support. If you have any questions or have an organization that would like to participate please feel free to contact the founder, John Mulkins at johnmulkins@peoplescongress.org
http://peoplescongress.org

J. Glenn Evans
Managing Director

Activists for a Better World

AMERICAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS MISSION STATEMENT

It is the intention of the People’s Congress to secure change directly in accordance with the will of the People and the principles established by our Constitution. We seek an end to the systemic dysfunction within our government by demanding and securing the Common Sense remedies required to re-balance the wheels of Democracy.

UNITY FIRST

We seek a just and sustainable Society through specific reforms.
We demand an end to the Corporate takeover of our Government.
We demand a truly representational and transparent Electoral System
We demand a more democratic media accountable to the People
We demand open and transparent Policy making.

To this end The People’s Congress will write the fundamental legislative remedies and with the full force and vigor of the People’s Congress present them to our Representatives for ratification.

The People’s Congress will remain in place, united voices, to express our collective will and determination, with continued vigilance, until true Democracy has been restored to our Nation.

ABOUT US

The call for a People’s Congress went out in February, 2011 as an on-line proposal to directly address the growing concerns about the system of governance which has evolved in D.C. over the past several decades, The proposal was first drafted by John Mulkins in 2005, and was then adopted by the Northwestern Region of the Reform Party as a part of their National Platform. Unfortunately, the movement for a People’s Congress did not go much further due to several factors, and the web site was taken down until this year.

In 2011, with the encouragement of his sister, John Mulkins registered the domain peoplescongress.org, and transferred the site to it’s current home. Subsequently, several activists from around the country heard about the proposal and a formed a group of all volunteer organizers to redesign the original web site. The current site is the result of that collaboration.

After 3 months of diligent effort, this team of volunteers produced the current web site, forums, classrooms and discussion boards. This group is currently the Executive Committee of the People’s Congress, and will be operating the web site and associated portals for the immediate future.

Currently outreach is in it’s “soft” phase. The Ex Com is looking for specific partnerships and alliances which it feels will best foster the right environment for a healthy Steering Committee and sub committees. Given the momentum of the Occupy Movement, it is becoming more of a priority to share ideas concerning the overall strategy and goals of the Movement. Peoples Congress fully supports the Occupy Movement and it’s decisions. We are here to provide additional resources and ideas should that be helpful, and we will advocate for our Agenda within the Occupy Movement as equal partners with other members of the Movement. When a better solution to the ongoing emergency in Washington evolves, we will be eager to support it.

We are and will remain a grass-roots coalition of individuals and organizations advocating to sponsor a game changing event in Washington, The Peoples Congress is a citizens organization aimed at ensuring that US governance policies are in alignment the “People’s Will” Because the National Legislature is currently broken and unable to restore itself, this responsibility has fallen on “WE the PEOPLE”

The Four Main Tenets of the People’s Congress Are:

Reform the Way we Govern Corporations
End Rigged Elections.
Restore our Media.
Transparency in Government Policy-Making

The people’s Congress is an invitation to form a broad based coalition of

organizations and individuals committed to meaningful and immediate reform of our Congress, our Elections, our Media and Policy-making Agencies. Participating groups understand that the essential obstruction to a more just society is the undue influence of corporate power on Congress. Because this power asserts itself on our elected officials, our elections, our media, our environment, our schools, our financial institutions, and because it ultimately threatens our biosphere, we have no choice but to challenge this power directly. The People’s Congress is a concise, focused and simply structured vehicle organized solely to address the obvious institutionalized practices that enable a very broken Congress to appear normal. Together we seek to re-balance our democratic institutions.

Participating organizations will determine how Members of the People’s Congress will be selected and will nominate as many as 1,535 Members to be seated in the People’s Congress on the Mall. Members will vote on legislation reflecting the concerns of the Agenda and send the legislation on the same day to the national legislature for consideration. It is the goal of the People’s Congress to pass this legally binding legislation in order to reclaim our democracy and to restore the common good.

“A pure democracy is a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person.” —James Madison

The People’s Congress will be held for 5 consecutive days, of which 3 days will be dedicated to the passage of specific reforms. Throughout those 3 days, legislation will be marched to the Capitol Building by the People’s Ambassadors, who will also be selected by participating organizations. Each Ambassador will lead a Parade to accompany him or her on the route to the Capitol Building. The Ambassador Parades will feature both Donkeys and Elephants and will portray a theme representing the legislation being delivered to Congress. People on stilts, floats, balloons, music, flags and lots of costumes and color will make this an irresistible media event. The People’s Congress and Ambassador’s Parades are the central focus of this call to action. It is through the specific legislation, spectacle and tenor of this event that we acquire both meaning, power, and results.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

CONTACT: John Mulkins
johnmulkins@peoplescongress.org
http://peoplescongress.orgp

Copyleft 2011 J. Glenn Evans