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Livestream: Dilma Rousseff: The Attack on Democracy & Human Rights in Brazil (4/14)

Friday, April 14th | 6:30pm
Murphy Institute
25 W. 43 Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY

Can’t make it in person? Watch the livestream here:

CUNY’s Murphy Institute is pleased to host a presentation by Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil, co-organized with the Committee Defend Democracy in Brazil/New York.

Brazil’s former president, Rousseff − impeached in August 2016 in what many have called a “soft coup” based on what analysts almost universally have described as minor and highly irregular charges − will discuss the attack on, and current efforts to defend, democracy, labor rights, and social and economic justice in Brazil.

Brazil, whose young democracy was re-established in 1985 after 21 years of violent military rule, has achieved huge growth in the recent years, lifting 45 million people out of extreme poverty. Under the democratic leadership of the Workers’ Party, led initially by President Lula da Silva and subsequently by President Rousseff, Brazil saw dramatic changes towards a more equal society. Advancements under the Workers Party have included an enormous expansion of the middle class, steady increases in life expectancy, and the country’s removal in 2014 from the UN Map of Hunger.  Rousseff is currently undertaking an international tour to discuss with concerned people throughout the world what is at stake: Brazilian democracy, and the historic gains in the rights of workers, women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, communities of color and of the poor.

This event will also feature a photo exhibition highlighting important moments of the struggle from activist groups around the world.

Please join us for this historic event!

Press registration/inquiries: defenddemocracyinbrazil@gmail.com

Events, Home, Murphy News

Livestream: The Resistance with Frances Fox Piven (3/23)

Thursday, March 23 | 6pm-8pm
Murphy Institute
25 W. 43 Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY

Can’t make it in person? Watch the livestream here:

Across the country, people are organizing in growing numbers. Who is participating? What kind of organizing is happening? Is this resistance different than what the world has seen before? What are the prospects of sustained resistance?

Join us for a discussion on the resistance with internationally renowned social scientist, scholar, and activist, Frances Fox Piven. She is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology, CUNY Graduate School, and Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies at the Murphy Institute, author and co-author of more than 200 articles published in academic journals, books, popular publications and journals of opinion since 1965. Her most recent book is Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven? The Essential Writings of the Professor Glenn Beck Loves to Hate. Read more.

Events, Home, Murphy News

Immigrant Workers Organized: Challenges, Achievements and the Trump Times

January 27, 2017
4:00 -6:00 PM
25 W 43rd St., 19th floor
New York, NY

RSVP: Gabriela Ceja gabrielaceja.morales@gmail.com

Worker centers and community-based organizations support low wage and immigrant workers, many of whom have survived a worldwide system of inequality and exploitation.

The day to day efforts from agricultural, to construction, to garment workers, and countless other kinds of laborers, are essential contributions to this society, benefiting every single person, especially the top 1%.

Protecting the rights and dignity of such an important but vulnerable population, especially under the threats of the new administration, is extremely necessary.

This Friday, we’ll come together to learn and discuss strategies to fight against discrimination and abuse, from people and organizations working towards creating effective networks to protect and improve immigrant, and all workers’ lives.

Catherine Barnett Immigrant Workers Organized: Challenges, Achievements and the Trump Times is the Director of Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY), an affiliate of ROC United, a national organization advocating for fair working conditions and wages for restaurant workers. Previously, she spent more than a decade assisting micro enterprises in New York City, from start-ups and informal home-based to incorporated brick and mortar establishments.

Denise G. Vivar Acevedo is a Mexican immigrant activist living in Queens. She has been involved in organizing against deportations and for immigrant and workers’ rights through her work with various pro-immigrant community organizations, unions, and worker’s centers.

Jazmin Cruz is currently a senior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice majoring in Political Science with a double minor in Economics and Latinx Studies. She is very active on campus with student organizations including the Youth Justice Club. She has been working with Make the Road for the past 5 years, currently in the Adult Education Department.

Gonzalo Mercado, a native of Chile, is the executive director and founder of La Colmena Community Job Center and the New York coordinator of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). Gonzalo has over ten years of experience working with low wage immigrant workers through grassroots organizing, leadership and workforce development.  He has also established the first transnational project with immigrant workers from Puebla, Mexico living in Staten Island, NY that has resulted in the reunification of over 20 families after over 20 years of separation and the creation of the NewYorkTlan Transnational Festival. Most recently he facilitated the incubation of the first worker owned cooperative on Staten Island. Gonzalo also serves on the board of the New York Immigration Coalition and the North Star Fund.

Home, Murphy News

Livestream: Unions, Workers, and the Democratic Party (9/18)

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With: Randi Weingarten | Larry Cohen | Juan Gonzalez | Basil Smikle | Ed Ott

[A version of this post published on 9/11 has been edited to include the livestream window. – Ed.]

American Labor is facing the most exciting political contest since 2008’s rivalry between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Both candidates have a long record support from unions.  During their overlapping time in the Senate they voted together 93% of the time.

While this (mostly behind the scenes) contest is going on, the official DNC debate schedule will only start in late October. Partisans for each candidate and observers interested in the process are eager to see the first debate of the season – even if the candidates aren’t present, and the debate format is a friendly roundtable. Please come back on Friday, 9/18, at 8.30 am for the livestream of Unions, Workers, and the Democratic Party.The video will appear below.

Regardless of who becomes the Democratic Party candidate for President in 2016, organized labor is poised once again to spend millions of dollars on the Democratic candidate. What is labor shopping for? What is it likely to get for its political money? How will it determine whether or not its resources were wisely spent? Will the larger, diverse working-class find a distinct voice in a political environment dominated by big money?

Speakers:

  • Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
  • Larry Cohen, Making Progressive Politics Work; former President, Communications Workers of America
  • Juan Gonzalez, reporter for Daily News and co-host of Democracy Now!
  • Basil Smikle, Executive Director, New York State Democratic Party

Moderated by Ed Ott, Distinguished Lecturer, The Murphy Institute

CWOP, Home, Labor Studies, Urban Studies

Coop Event at Murphy Draws Large Crowd

On March 30th, the Murphy Institute hosted “Building a Worker Coop Ecosystem: Mondragon Meets the Five Boroughs,” a public conversation featuring Frederick Freundlich of Mondragon University and moderated by Stephanie Guico.

The conversation began with an explanation by Freudlich of the Mondragon network of worker coops in the Basque region of Spain. The network includes approximately 120 cooperatives and 130 affiliates or subsidiaries, all working across four broad areas — manufacturing, retail, finance, knowledge — and creating a livelihood for approximately 74,000 people. Freundlich discussed the history of the Mondragon system, tracing its origins back to the Spanish Civil War and describing the emergence of ancillary institutions, such as the cooperative bank, that have provided resources and support to the cooperative network throughout its development. Continue reading Coop Event at Murphy Draws Large Crowd →