Americas Social Forum
Location: Brecht Forum
Thursday, October 9
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Join together, in real time, with participants of the Americas Social Forum in Guatemala, for a simultaneous workshop on collaborative democracy and the Internet. This workshop is a unique opportunity for those of us in New York to attend the forum, interact directly with Latin American activists and organizers, and contribute to building a collaborative and democratic agenda on the Internet. Learn more!
The book about the Internet for progressive activists.
"...a must read for anyone who is wanting to organize meaningful social and political movements."
Ana Willem (USSF Tech 'Zine)
What is May First/People Link?
We are an organization of progressive people who use the Internet. We have joined together to pool our resources to assure ourselves quality equipment and staff support and to improve our access to the Internet, enhance its function as a tool for mass communication and organizing, develop new technologies and uses for it, and help social justice movements use it effectively to communicate with each other and with the world.
How did it develop?
May First/People Link formed in May 2005 when May First joined forces with People Link.
People Link started in 1995 as a project of the Institute for Mass Communication. Back when pictures on the web was a new thing, People Link was hosting web sites, setting up email accounts, and providing email discussion lists for activists all over the country.
May First Technology Collective began in 1999 (then it was called Media Jumpstart). A worker run collective from the beginning, MFTC provided technology support to New York City nonprofits, ranging from designing web sites to fixing networks.
In May 2005, faced with funding cuts and increased overhead, MFTC decided it was not able to effectively meet it's mission. However, several of its staff and board members expressed a desire to continue with its social mission of providing technology support to the social justice movement but to now concentrate specifically on the Internet.
For several years, May First and People Link had been collaborating on many projects; in fact, members of each of the groups were members of the other's Board of Directors.
With the outgoing Board's blessing May First formed a new board to pursue this goal by combining the skills, experience and the already developed technology, equipment and infra-structure of both organizations to build a new, larger and more ambitious one.
That new Board now directs May First/People Link activities in collaboration with several other "decision making" bodies assigned to specific tasks within the organization.
Who's involved
May First/People Link is made up of hundreds of people who contribute in any number of ways. The organization has two Co-Directors. You can read their bios below.
Jamie is the co-director of May First/People Link. Prior to working at May First, Jamie worked at Libraries for the Future network administrator, national Youth ACCESS coordinator, and Information and Technology Policy Specialist. Jamie was formerly on the Board of Directors of Paper Tiger TV where he was an active producer and activist between 1994 and 2004. Previously, Jamie worked as a video instructor for Sidewalks of New York, teaching basic production skills to homeless youth. He also worked as a community organizer for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and was an active member of ACT UP New Orleans.
Alfredo is a co-director of May First/People Link.
He has been involved in movements for social change for 40 years.
As a college student, he was among the leadership of the Puerto Rican Student movement in the United States and was involved in the struggles for Open Admissions and other reforms in the New York City University system.
After graduating from college, Alfredo led the Carlos Feliciano Defense Committee (which worked to free that reknowned Puerto Rican political prisoner) and in 1972 joined the Puerto Rican Socialist Party and became the editor of the U.S. Edition of its newspaper Claridad. He remained in the top leadership of the PSP until 1980.
It was during his PSP days, that Alfredo worked on organizing a coalition, of which he became Executive Director, to organize a mass rally for Puerto Rican independence in Madison Square Garden. That rally, on Oct. 24, 1974, filled the Garden and remains among the largest demonstrations of its type in U.S. history.
He helped organize the U.S. Delegation to the first International conference supporting Puerto Rican Independence, held in Cuba in 1975 and in 1976, he was principal organizer of a large, national anti-imperialist rally taking place on the country's bi-centennial: July 4, 1976.
Since then, he has worked on many campaigns around a wide range of issues -- including anti-privatization of hospitals, labor rights for "workfare" workers and anti-repression and anti-racism campaigns.
Alfredo has written five published books including Dona Licha's Island (one of the more popular books about Puerto Rico), produced and directed over a dozen documentary films, and produced two radio series and a television documentary series: City Look.
He's written articles for a wide variety of publications, has spoken and lectured to audiences in virtually every state of this country and has been a faculty member at nine colleges in New York City.
In 1994, Alfredo founded People Link and has directed the organization until it merged into the May First/People Link organization, of which he's co-director.
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