The Gotham Greens local of the Green Party of New York County is organizing a free public forum on the candidacy of Bernie Sanders for President. The Sanders campaign has generated a lot of interest because it is raising the public profile of issues that have wide support among those on the political Left. A number of registered Greens are involved in the Sanders campaign in order to advance certain policy objectives even while taking issue with some of the candidate's specific policy positions. Others are critical of Sanders' decision to run as a Democrat and feel that the long-term path to building an independent political movement must be outside of the two corporate parties. Regardless of who wins the Democratic Party nomination, the Green Party will be running its own candidate for President in 2016 and Jill Stein and others are actively campaigning for the Green Party's nomination. This forum will explore whether and how Sanders supporters and Greens can work together to advance our shared policy goals both during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
LGBT Center, Room 110
208 West 13th Street (between 7th and 8th Aves)
New York City, New York

Moderator:
Mike Emperor is active in the Green Party of Brooklyn, serves on the State Committee of the Green Party of New York State, and is co-chair of the GPNYS Campaign Committee.

Speakers:
Alan Akrivos is a leading member of Socialist Alternative. He is active in the Greek American Solidarity Movement (AKNY) and Queens People for Bernie. He writes and lectures frequently on labor and international issues and is a contributor on socialistworld.net.

Jack Baldwin is active in the Gotham Greens local, Green Party of New York County, and serves on the State Committee of the Green Party of New York State. Jack has been involved in a wide variety of activist antiwar and environmental organizations, including Shut Down Indian Point Now and Occupy the Pipeline.

Marilena Marchetti is active in the Harlem branch of the International Socialist Organization. She was active in the 2014 Howie Hawkins / Brian Jones campaign for Governor / Lieutenant Governor of New York State.

Russ Weiss-Irwin is a member of Democratic Socialists of America and was recently elected to its National Political Committee. He is active in DSA's #WeNeedBernie campaign and work to start a new DSA local in Central New Jersey. He also has been active in campus organizing at City College of New York, in the Gotham Greens local, and in the Hawkins / Jones campaign. He studied political science at CCNY and has written about left electoral strategy for Jacobin Magazine.

Rebecca White is active in the Green Party of Brooklyn and serves on the State Committee of the Green Party of New York State, as well as its Rules & Policies Committee and Campaign Committee.

Supporters of Bernie Sanders campaign representative (invited)

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/792112810914815/

The LGBT Center is accessible via the 1, 2, 3, A, C, E and L trains at 14th Street.