Local Activist Groups
Click on name of group to visit its homepage (names in black have no site)
*If you have a group in the Sarasota/Bradenton area and would like it added to this list, please send your info to: imc-sarasota-contact@lists.indymedia.org
Unite the Struggle!
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advocates
Our ultimate mission is to make the
Sarasota-Manatee area a paradise for bicycling and walking. We do this
by educating the public, media, policy-makers and others about the
issues and opportunities with these environmentally friendly, healthy,
free, accessible forms of “active transportation.” We are a small
non-profit, membership based organization that has successfully worked
for years in this arena. Recent major successes include the prevention
of a project that would have eliminated bike lanes on Fruitville Road,
the installation of extra-wide bike lanes on Bahia Vista St., progress
toward a bicycle parking requirement in City of Sarasota Parking
garages, preservation of bike/ped safety training in the Sarasota
school system, and many numerous small acts of effective
representation of bicycle/pedestrian interests in community
decision-making.
We hold monthly membership meetings and hold special meetings more
frequently as the need dictates. We strive to be a bicycle/pedestrian
group for everyone, young or old, poor or rich, of whatever political
persuasion, united by a common belief in people-powered movement.
Please call 941-544-7788 to find out how you can become a
bicycle/pedestrian advocate.
Our current projects are:
- To continue informing the public about road/sidewalk/trail design issues.
- To continue the effort to place secure bicycle parking, in the form of lockers, cages, or locked rooms, in parking garages.
- To advocate for showers in major office buildings/workplaces.
- To extend the Legacy Trail from Clark Road to Fruitville Road.
- Connect the Alderman Street corridor to the Legacy Trail extension so that the trail will connect to downtown Sarasota.
- Develop a vast linear park system throughout our area as a car-free active transportation backbone.
- Install a bike lane on US 41.
- Install bike/ped education system wide in our public schools.
- Improve the abysmal bike/ped traffic safety record in our area.
- Install full time bike/ped coordinators in our transportation departments.
- Encourage the link between bicycling and mass transit.
- Represent the bicyclist and pedestrian in all related affairs.
We have no website as of yet. We are too busy educating and
advocating to work on that. Does anyone want to volunteer their
talents?
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advocates
POB 3746
Sarasota, FL 34230
941-544-7788
Mikel.modem(at)verizon.net
Coalition of Concerned Patriots
Mission: A Coalition of groups and individuals that discusses and takes actions non- violently to change government officials' behavior so that they support civil rights, justice, and peace. To oppose politics without principles and a government of greed run by multi-national corporations.
Meets: First Tuesdays (except November - 2nd Tuesday) of each month, 4:30 - 6:30 PM, Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 322 15th Street @ 3rd Ave., downtown Bradenton
Contacts: Dr. Don Thompson, (941)739-7103; Trudy Pratt (941) 755-6926
Food Not Bombs is an international movement that demands justice for poor and homeless people. We are all volunteers who serve free meals as a protest against the government's violence and greed.
We believe food should be a right, not a commodity. When over 800 million people go hungry and 40,000 starve to death each day, how can we spend another dollar on war?
Our meals are a direct action to fight poverty in our community. We realize that government and corporations will not solve the problems of Sarasota's poor, so we take action ourselves to make sure hungry people have food. Our meals are also a demonstration of an alternative system, where food is free and people aren't discriminated against for being poor. We are proof that another world is possible.
How you can help:
- Cook a vegetarian dish and bring it to share!
- If you'd rather not cook on your own, meet up with other volunteers at our "kitchen space" and help cook.
- Help wash dishes and clean up. Help with this job is always great!
- If you have a motor vehicle, drive some volunteers to pick up food for the Friday meal.
- If you have no time to spare, we are always grateful for donations of food, cookware, dishes and silverware, and even money.
- If you can't spare anything, contact local businesses and ask them to donate excess food they would otherwise throw away to Food Not Bombs.
Visit our web site to see what needs to be done , get directions, and sign up to help!
Grassroots Leadership Initiative
The Grassroots Leadership Initiative (GLI) is a year-long
leadership development program offered for free to aspiring community leaders
who want to work for positive social change in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
The program starts in January and ends in December each year with a class of up
to 20 participants. The four main components of the program are monthly
leadership skills development workshops; quarterly networking sessions with
local government, media, non-profit and business leaders; mentoring by an
established, experienced community leader; and a community project designed and
implemented by each participant. GLI is currently accepting applications for
the 2009 class until Halloween, October 31st , 2008.
Contact Info: Stacey Laidlaw, Project Coordinator at (941) 365-8751 slaidlaw(at)scopexcel.org
Pax Christi Usa (Manasota Chapter)
We are a local chapter of Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic
Peace Movement bringing together Florida peacemakers and activists
living in both Manatee and Sarasota counties, all those who are
interested in being builders of a world that reflects the peace of
Christ, and do so through exploring, articulating, and witnessing to
the Call of Christian nonviolence.
We meet
each month at St. Joseph Parish Center [26th Street West and 30th
Avenue West] in Bradenton on [usually] the second Saturday of each
month at 6 PM with an optional covered dish supper, and an
organizational meeting which starts at 7 PM [call Mike John just to
make sure date/time at 941.755.4335].
Rjbanner(at)aol.com
Contact Persons:
Mike John 941.755.4335
Donna Marie Marcantonio 747.6125
Suncoast Nonviolent Communication
Suncoast Nonviolent Communication's mission is to
share NVC, inspire and support NVC community building, and provide a support
system for people living the NVC consciousness.
Suncoast NVC envisions an interdependent world where
everyone's needs are held with care, and people resolve conflicts peacefully.
For meetings/trainings: Call or check website.
Contact: nvctrainer(at)msn.com 941.492.
WSLR MISSION STATEMENT
WSLR is an innovative, listener-supported, non-profit,
non-commercial FM radio station dedicated to serving the Sarasota
community. WSLR features locally produced programming and presents
cultural, artistic, and political perspectives currently
underrepresented in the media. Our goal is to inform and empower
listeners to play an active role in WSLR and in their community. WSLR’s
programming promotes equality, peace, sustainability, democracy, and social and economic justice.