Center for Democratic Values

Center for Democratic Values

Founding conference

__________________________________________________ Does the American Economy Serve Democratic Values? A "Left versus Right" Debate at Capital University __________________________________________________

Thursday, November 6, 1997 at 8:00 pm . . .

Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, is sponsoring a public Left-Right debate, featuring Cornel West (Harvard University) and Barbara Ehrenreich (Blood Rites) versus David Frum (Dead Right) and Stuart Butler (Heritage Foundation). In conjunction with the debate, the Center for Democratic Values, the think-tank project of Democratic Socialists of America, is holding its first national conference, "Arguing with the Right," November 6-7 at the Clarion Hotel (Worthington). The conference will include historical and analytical sessions, plus skills workshops for contesting the Right's current dominance of American political discussion.

Contact Ronald Aronson, Wayne State University 5700 Cass Avenue, Room 2426, Detroit, MI 48202 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; phone (313) 577-0828; fax (313) 577-8585 ______________

"Arguing with the Right" Tentative Program

Thursday, Nov. 6

    8:45  Registration, Coffee, and Welcome

    9:15  Panel on the Right's Success: Chip Berlet ("Eyes Right"); Eric

Vega (anti-proposition 209 and 187 activist and DSA National Political Committee); Holly Sklar ("Chaos or Community")

   10:45  The Right's Key Ideas: Jim Aune ("The Rhetoric of the Market");

Harvey Kaye ("Why do Ruling Classes Fear History?"); Jessica Jerome (University of Chicago), Paul Kockelman (University of Michigan)

   12:15  Lunch - Keynote address: "Arguing with the Right about Public

Schools," C. J. Prentis (Ohio State Representative)

    1:45  What is the Left's Core Identity?: Allen Hunter (Haven Center

for the Study of Social Change); Herb Boyd (The Black World Today); [[Barbara Ehrenreich]] (DSA National Co-chair)

3:45-5:00   A:   Reclaiming Religion, Values, and Morality from the Right:

Duane Oldfield ("The Right and the Righteous"); Eugene TeSelle (Vanderbilt University Divinity School); Rabbi Melody Johnston

            B:  Is the Right Attacking Women?: Barbara Bergmann ("In

Defense of Affirmative Action"); Chris Riddiough (DSA Political Director); Russ Bellant ("The Coors Connection")

            C:  How Contemporary Debate Gets Framed and How to Open it to

the Left: Ellen Ratner ("101 Ways to Get Your Progressive Issues on Talk Radio"); Rich Schrader (former NYC Commissioner of Consumer Affairs); [[Mary Jean Collins]] (People For the American Way)

     8:00  Does the American Economy Serve Democratic Values? -[[ Cornel

West]] and Barbara Ehrenreich for the Left, and David Frum and Stuart Butler for the Right

Friday, Nov. 7

    8:30 Evaluation of Debate by Capital University Students, led by [[Guy

Molyneux]] (Peter Hart Research)

   9:30 Skills Training

(Each workshop will be presented at 10:00 and again at 11:15) A. Talk Radio: Ellen Ratner B. Using TV and Video: Bob Fitrakis and Suzanne Patzer (Host and Producer of "From the Democratic Left" C. How to do Op-Eds: Holly Sklar and Allen Hunter D. Arguing: Devon Burghart (Center for a New Community) and Deborah Halbert (Otterbein College)

   12:00 - 1:00 Lunch - Keynote address: "Saving Our Children from

Poverty," Barbara Bergmann (American University)

    1:30 Issue Workshops: The Right's Key Ideas and the Left's Responses

(These are round-robin workshops, lasting 25 minutes and presented 3 times) A. Affirmative Action:Barbara Bergmann and James Upton (Ohio State University) B. Arguing for Public Schools: Mary Jean Collins and Mary Jo Kilroy (Columbus Board of

Education)

C. Living Wage: Dave Reynolds ("Democracy Unbound") D. Arguing for Health Care: David Green (UHCAN!) and Cathy Levine (UHCAN! Ohio

Issues Coordinator)

E Arguing for Unions: Milt Tambor (Michigan AFSCME) F. Arguing about Racism: Herb Boyd and Ernest Green (Otterbein College) G. Arguing over the Environment: Harvey Wasserman (Greenpeace) H. Arguing about Crime: Kevin Pranis (DSA Youth Section Field Coordinator) and Lynn Chancer

Center for Democratic Values National Conference November 6-7 Columbus, Ohio

Registration fees: $75 per person; $50 for participants; $15 for students. If you are attending the DSA National Convention, the $110 registration fee includes free admission to "Arguing with the Right," which immediately precedes the DSA convention. Checks can be sent to the address below and can be made payable to: Center for Democratic Values.

Location: Clarion Hotel, 7007 North High Street, Columbus, OH Phone (614) 436-0700