Statement of Principles and Member Pledge

Statement Of Principles and Practices

Collective Liberation 

No One Is Free Until We Are All Free. CCSM builds power with (im)migrants and allies, including Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, all genders and sexualities, and poor people. While these identities are traditionally oppressed, among us, they are beloved and empowering. We are warriors whose liberation is bound up with the freedom of all oppressed by existing power structures. We commit to fighting anti-blackness, classism, patriarchy, homophobia, and all forms of oppression within ourselves and our communities. We will support and work respectfully with other organizations and individuals striving for collective liberation.

Dignity & Respect

We believe in bringing our whole selves to this work and treating one another with dignity and respect. We believe everyone has the right to live free from oppression and discrimination. We center the stories, histories, and experiences of those most impacted by systemic oppression.  We will respect and nurture each other’s culture, class, gender, orientation, racial, physical, and religious differences. We will appreciate one another’s gifts, talents, and identities. We will share our cultures and respect different forms of cultural expression. We believe in accountability and making space for respectful disagreement.

Leadership From Experience 

We believe that those most directly affected by systemic injustices should lead our movements, regardless of prior organizing experience or institutional education. Those subjected to systems of oppression know best how to fix or dismantle them. We prioritize and support young people and new leaders so they can guide our movements. Our model of leadership is liberatory, collaborative, anti-racist, feminist, and anti-colonial. We actively support our members and communities in their pursuit of self-determination. CCSM’s governing body, the Coordinating Committee, operates by consensus and participatory democracy, centering the voices of those closest to the immigration system in decision making.

Diversity of Tactics

We are committed to building power with (im)migrant communities using various tactics, from mutual aid to popular education, from policy to protest. We are committed to adapting our approaches to suit the situation, remaining loyal to our goals and not to any particular tactic to achieve them. Members use their skills, interests, experiences, and gifts to increase our effectiveness and build more power. There are many paths to victory. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal. We cede no turf to oppressors, and we fight to win.

Accountability

We are accountable first and foremost to our membership and our communities. No organization is perfect. Even with the best intentions, organizations and institutions can produce or participate in systems that harm. We commit to acknowledging our errors and learning and growing from our mistakes.

No One is Illegal on Stolen Land

Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) acknowledges that we are on land that was stewarded and cared for by the Mohicans, who were then violently removed from their land and forcibly “resettled” in Wisconsin. The United States thrives on ongoing genocide and displacement of indigenous peoples. Colonizers established borders and laws to benefit colonial power and white supremacy. While we often work within these systems to best serve our members, we reject the legitimacy of the United States’ immigration law, national borders, and protection. No human being is illegal, especially on stolen land. No one has a right to deport, detain, or separate families and individuals. We support and defend the free movement of people, the right to return, and freedom to stay for all seeking justice and dignity.  

Acknowledgements

We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and the migrants and allies who have fought for centuries to get us to the point where we are now. We honor the sacrifices of those who came before us and those who paved the way for these ideas. In particular, we’d like to thank American Indian Movement, Movement for Black Lives, United Farm Workers, the Chicano movement, the Zapatistas, Mijente, Solidarity Across Borders, and the Haymarket Peoples’ Fund, among many others, whose statements have inspired our own. 

Member Pledge

1. We build the world we want to live in together through consistent organizing and loving accountability. We will consider all tactics available to us to win for our people. 
2. We are led by immigrants because those most affected know best. We are leaderful and powerful.
3. We bring our whole selves to this work and treat one another with dignity and respect. We center the stories, histories, and experiences of those most impacted by systemic oppression. We respect and nurture each other’s cultural, class, gender, orientation, racial, physical, and religious differences.
4. We work with others to organize for liberation for everyone. No one is free until we are all free. 
5. We are accountable to one another and the organization because we are part of a movement!

CCSM Membership pledge:

I commit to organizing with (im)migrants and allies to support, empower, and defend our communities. I will work with other CCSM members to strengthen our movement and build a better world. I will uphold the commitments in CCSM’s statement of principles to the best of my ability and ask for support when I need it.

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Deklarasyon Prensip ak Pratik

LIBERASYON KOLEKTIF 

Pa gen moun ki gratis jiskaske nou tout gratis. CCSM bati pouvwa ak (i)migran ak alye, tankou Nwa, Endijèn, moun ki gen koulè, moun andikape, tout sèks ak seksyalite, ak moun pòv. Pandan ke idantite sa yo tradisyonèlman oprime, nan mitan nou yo, yo renmen anpil ak abilite. Nou se vanyan sòlda ki gen liberasyon ki mare ak libète a nan tout moun oprime pa estrikti pouvwa ki egziste deja. Nou pran angajman pou nou konbat anti-nwa, klasis, patriyachi, omofobi, ak tout fòm opresyon anndan tèt nou ak kominote nou yo. Nou pral sipòte epi travay avèk respè ak lòt òganizasyon ak moun k ap fè efò pou liberasyon kolektif.

DIYITE & RESPÈ 

Nou kwè nan pote tout tèt nou nan travay sa a epi trete youn lòt ak diyite ak respè. Nou kwè tout moun gen dwa pou yo viv san opresyon ak diskriminasyon. Nou santre istwa, istwa, ak eksperyans moun ki gen plis enpak sou opresyon sistemik yo. Nou pral respekte ak nouri kilti, klas, sèks, oryantasyon, diferans rasyal, fizik ak relijye youn lòt. Nou pral apresye kado, talan ak idantite lòt. Nou pral pataje kilti nou yo epi respekte diferan fòm ekspresyon kiltirèl. Nou kwè nan responsablite ak fè espas pou dezakò respè.

LIDÈCHIP SOTI NAN EKSPERYANS 

Nou kwè ke moun ki pi dirèkteman afekte pa enjistis sistemik yo ta dwe dirije mouvman nou yo, kèlkeswa eksperyans òganizasyon anvan oswa edikasyon enstitisyonèl. Moun ki sibi sistèm opresyon yo konnen pi byen ki jan yo ranje oswa demonte yo. Nou bay priyorite epi sipòte jèn yo ak nouvo lidè pou yo ka gide mouvman nou yo. Modèl lidèchip nou an se liberatè, kolaboratif, anti-rasis, feminis, ak anti-kolonyal. Nou aktivman sipòte manm nou yo ak kominote yo nan pouswit otodetèminasyon yo. Kò gouvène CCSM, Komite Kowòdinasyon an, opere pa konsansis ak demokrasi patisipatif, santre vwa moun ki pi pre sistèm imigrasyon an nan pran desizyon.

DIVÈSITE TAKTIK

Nou pran angajman pou konstwi pouvwa ak kominote (i)migran yo itilize plizyè taktik, soti nan èd mityèl rive nan edikasyon popilè, soti nan politik rive nan manifestasyon. Nou pran angajman pou adapte apwòch nou yo pou adapte sitiyasyon an, rete fidèl a objektif nou yo epi yo pa nan okenn taktik patikilye pou reyalize yo. Manm yo sèvi ak konpetans yo, enterè yo, eksperyans yo, ak kado yo pou ogmante efikasite nou yo ak bati plis pouvwa. Gen anpil chemen pou viktwa. N ap kontinye sèvi ak tout zouti ki disponib. Nou pa lage okenn tèritwa bay opresè, epi nou goumen pou genyen.

RESPONSABILITE

Nou responsab anvan tout bagay anvè manm nou yo ak kominote nou yo. Pa gen òganizasyon ki pafè. Menm ak pi bon entansyon yo, òganizasyon ak enstitisyon yo ka pwodwi oswa patisipe nan sistèm ki mal. Nou angaje nou rekonèt erè nou yo ak aprann ak grandi nan erè nou yo.
 

PA GEN MOUN KI ILEGAL SOU TÈ YO VÒLÈ LI 

Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) rekonèt ke nou sou tè ke Mohicans yo te jere ak pran swen, yo te retire yo ak vyolans nan tè yo epi yo te “reinstalle” lafòs nan Wisconsin. Etazini pwospere sou jenosid ak deplasman pèp endijèn k ap kontinye. Kolonizè yo te etabli fwontyè ak lwa pou benefisye pouvwa kolonyal ak sipremasi blan. Pandan ke nou souvan travay nan sistèm sa yo pi byen sèvi manm nou yo, nou rejte lejitimite lwa imigrasyon Etazini, fwontyè nasyonal yo, ak pwoteksyon. Okenn moun pa ilegal, sitou sou tè yo vòlè li. Okenn moun pa gen dwa depòte, kenbe oswa separe fanmi ak moun. Nou sipòte ak defann mouvman lib moun, dwa pou yo retounen, ak libète pou rete pou tout moun k ap chèche jistis ak diyite.

REKONESANS

Nou kanpe sou zepòl zansèt nou yo ak imigran yo ak alye yo ki te goumen pandan plizyè syèk pou mennen nou nan pwen kote nou ye kounye a. Nou onore sakrifis moun ki te vin anvan nou yo ak moun ki te fè wout lide sa yo. An patikilye, nou ta renmen remèsye Mouvman Ameriken Ameriken, Mouvman pou Lavi Nwa, Travayè Agrikòl Ini yo, Mouvman Chicano, Zapatista yo, Mijente, Solidarity Across Borders, ak Haymarket Peoples' Fund, pami anpil lòt, ki gen deklarasyon yo te enspire. pwòp pa nou.

Kat Pwomès Manm yo 

1. Nou bati mond lan nou vle viv nan ansanm atravè òganizasyon ki konsistan ak responsablite renmen. 
2. Nou pral konsidere tout taktik ki disponib pou nou genyen pou pèp nou an. Se imigran ki dirije nou paske moun ki pi afekte yo konnen pi byen. 
3. Nou se dirijan ak pwisan. Nou pote tout tèt nou nan travay sa a epi youn trete lòt ak diyite ak respè. Nou santre istwa, istwa, ak eksperyans moun ki gen plis enpak sou opresyon sistemik yo. 
4. Nou respekte ak nouri diferans kiltirèl, klas, sèks, oryantasyon, rasyal, fizik ak relijye lòt. Nou travay ak lòt moun pou òganize pou liberasyon pou tout moun.
5.  Pa gen moun ki lib jiskaske nou tout lib. Nou responsab youn ak lòt ak òganizasyon an paske nou fè pati yon mouvman! 

Pwomès manm CCSM: Mwen pran angajman pou m òganize ak (i)migran ak alye yo pou sipòte, bay pouvwa, ak defann kominote nou yo. Mwen pral travay ak lòt manm CCSM pou ranfòse mouvman nou an epi bati yon mond pi bon. Mwen pral kenbe angajman yo nan deklarasyon prensip CCSM nan pi bon kapasite mwen epi mande sipò lè mwen bezwen li.