Refreshing to hear the simple and honest truth from voices of the humble no longer wishing to hear what those on high promise to DO FOR those below them.
The film comes out of the grassroots democracy sweeping Latin America and redefining a meaning worn thin by its attachment to parliaments and congresses controlled by big capital.
Latin America with its massive bottom class and smaller middle class complicit in the rule by the upper class is quite different than the American election demographics.
In the United States we hear more of what those on high promise TO STOP DOING to the great majority middle class increasingly shut out of the increase in perks self-awarded to the upper class.
The film itself, "Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas", a documentary, is coming to the East Coast this week - Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, Amherst, Boston and back to DC.
For OEN readers who find themselves in New York,
"We're going to be showing our documentary at the IRT Theater in Manhattan on Sunday night. It would be great to see you out there to discuss these important issues. Thanks, abrazos, -Mike Fox Co-Director, Beyond Elections
"Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas"
Just weeks away from one of the most important elections in US history, everyone is talking about elections, but few are talking about democracy. To fill the void, Beyond Elections is coming to the East Coast. This documentary takes us across the Americas -from Venezuela's Communal Councils, to Brazil's Participatory Budgeting, from Constitutional Assemblies to grassroots movements, recuperated factories and cooperatives- to attempt to answer one of the most important questions of our time: What is Democracy?
Beyond Elections is independently directed, filmed and produced by Latin America-based filmmakers and journalists, Michael Fox & Silvia Leindecker.
When & Where: A Q&A with filmmakers & democracy discussion will follow all events
Washington DC, Thursday, Oct. 23, 7:30pm, The People's MEDIA Center, (3142 Georgia Ave., NW) Philadelphia, PA, Friday, Oct. 24, 7pm, Prometheus Radio Project (Calvary Church, 48th & Baltimore Ave. West Philly)
New York City, Sunday, Oct. 26, 7pm, The IRT Theater (154 Christopher St #3B, btw Washington & Greenwich Streets)
New Paltz, NY, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 5pm, SUNY, New Paltz, (CSB Auditorium, click for directions) Amherst, Mass., Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7:30pm, Hampshire College (Franklin Paterson Hall in the East lecture Hall) Boston, Mass., Thursday, Oct. 30, 7pm, MIT (Building 7, 4th floor, Audio Visual Lab, 77 Mass. Ave) Washington DC, Saturday, November 1, 11 pm, Busboys & Poets, (1025 5th St., NW)
Some Background: In 1989, the Brazilian Worker's Party altered the concept of local government when they installed participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, allowing residents to participate directly in the allocation of city funds. Ten years later, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was swept into power with the promise of granting direct participation to the Venezuelan people; who have now formed tens of thousands of self-organized communal councils. In the Southern Cone, cooperative and recuperated factory numbers have grown, and across the Americas social movements and constitutional assemblies are taking authority away from the ruling elites and putting power into the hands of their members and citizens.
Featuring interviews with: Eduardo Galeano, Amy Goodman, Emir Sader, Martha Harnecker, Ward Churchill, and Leonardo Avritzer as well as cooperative and community members, elected representatives, academics, and activists from Brazil, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, United States, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, and more.
Musician and writer, who has lived and worked on all the continents and whose articles on media have been published in China, Italy, England and the US, and now resides in New York City.
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