Tomorrow The New Agenda turns 4 months old…
December 10, 2008
by Amy Siskind
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Tomorrow will mark a bittersweet anniversary for The New Agenda: our organization will turn four months old (yes, that is right – four months).
The New Agenda has quickly become a national organization. We are known by every major media outlet (we have lost track of keeping up with our newspaper coverage). We have been in dialogue with many women’s organizations (political, business, and issue specific) and have built coalitions and been asked to join other’s coalitions.
On the other hand, what lies ahead is somewhat daunting. When we started The New Agenda on August 11th, we had no idea of the size and depth of the void. Yes, there are wonderful women’s organizations out there, but the amount of work to be done is mind boggling.
Back on August 11th, a group of 30 Hillary Clinton supporters came together because of the grave mistreatment of Sen. Clinton during the primary. We had a simple premise for a new organization: since Hillary was out of the running for president, we wanted The New Agenda to be an organization that would speak out for the millions of women in this country that often have no voice. We are quickly learning that there is much to do.
Since our three month anniversary, The New Agenda has started the following organizational initiatives:
- Wednesday is “Bring a Friend Day” at The New Agenda;
- Our first Grass Roots Meeting in Columbus, OH;
- Working on a new “tab” for our website to distribute Grass Roots materials (should be up shortly);
- A new series titled Women Who Help Women in which we celebrate our modern day heroines;
- Working on incorporation papers so that we will be able to accept donations in the short-term (while our 501c3 and 501c4 process unfolds);
- Establishing a Cabinet Watch to track President-elect Obama’s cabinet appointments.
The New Agenda has also taken the following actions in the last month:
- The first organization to speak out on Favreau and “Gropergate” (thanks to Riverdaughter or Murph for coming up with the term);
- Speaking out against Larry Summers as a candidate for Treasury Secretary;
- Speaking out on Timothy Geithner trying to fire FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair:
- Building a coalition of women’s groups and issuing a press release on parity in cabinet;
- Speaking out on the replacement for Hillary’s Senate Seat.
- Our radio show Chewing the Fat with Ophelia hosted a domestic violence expert.
Join us as we continue to fight for the women of this country.
Congratulations, NEW (agenda) on the 4 month anniversary-
and thanks to all the efforts on our behalf.
(Now if you’d just steer some members from MA my way so we could meetup……….)
Congratulations I found you on the PumaPac website. As crazy as it seems, I am a Republican, who would have voted for Hillary, simply because she is a woman. She would have been very successful because she realizes what it cost to get to be president. I appreciate that you will speak for Women everywhere.
I posted the following review on StumbleUpon to counteract the negative reviews (misrepresenting this site as Republican).
“The New Agenda is an action group that is dedicated to achieving equal rights for all. Their focus is on gender issues. They were born out of the 2008 election cycle in the US. The misogyny directed at both Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Sarah Palin was obvious and obnoxious. It is clear that this nation needs a non-partisan group to respond to such attacks against all women (irrespective of party affiliation). The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2007 lists the United States at 27 of 128 countries. There is room for improvement.”
If anyone else is a StumbleUpon member then please write a review of The New Agenda. If this site becomes highly rated then more people get directed to it. Great potential for spreading the word.
Thanks for the tip Egallantry. We will certainly look into it!
I want to think that I understand why this organization was created.
As a college student, I’m still trying to shape my perceptions and political affiliations. I looked to the election cycle for inspiration and ideas. Although I found much of it interesting, I was shocked and disappointed by the unbalanced criticism of both Gov. Palin and Sen. Clinton. Even though I didn’t really agree with either of them on significant issues, I felt a need to hear them both out. Unfortunately, amidst the wave of media attacks on both of them I found it hard to do so.
A long time ago, when I was young and naive, I believed that discrimination was something of the past, an ancient crime that still echoed throughout society much like the destruction of the Native American people.
However, once I experienced the cruel realities of the world, I didn’t know what to think.
I appreciate the goals of this organization. Some of the first guest lectures I went to in college were on domestic violence. Again, I was shocked by what I heard. Then, I decided to research and do my speeches in public speaking on abortion. Once again, I was shocked by the depravity that still exists among us, especially for women.
I hope that this organization strives to be a non-partisan vehicle of discussion and thought, a group that seeks to unveil the truth to many who have yet to see it with their own eyes. Give a voice to those who remain too afraid or too ignorant of the terrible conditions and mindsets that exist in this country.
I believe that knowledge and truth will prevail eventually, but it is only through active support of these ideals that we can come together. May you succeed in reaching out to those who need support.
I’m glad that I found a link to this site. It’s very intriguing. I’ll continue to post my comments, if you don’t mind.
Hopefully, the New Agenda is on guard that Prof. Elizabeth Warren, the chairperson of the panel Congress set up to oversee the TARP program will not become the “fall guy” regarding its lack of oversight, or progress.
I am less concerned about sexist remarks that men (and women) say on occasion than examining the actions of men and women in power that can affect women with respect to three issues:
- parity in pay
- employment in traditionally glass ceiling jobs
- programs that balance the burden of the dual careers (home and work) that women face that hinder their career advancement
Sometimes I think the New Agenda focuses too much on the little stuff and not the big stuff. Somebody should have Elizabeth’s back and they should also have Sheila Bair’s back. For example, parity in Cabinet spots is okay, but the big issue with respect to women in the Cabinet so far is that the three Cabinet spots filled by women really are not charged with changing legislation, enforcing laws or creating programs in the three areas above for women in the US.
For US women, the score for women within Obama’s cabinet is actually less than 9 to 3.
Kevin,
We did speak out for Bair – read the article that you commented on.
I wrote an op-ed piece that was published in The Daily Beast. Click on the link in the article above.
Congratulations and thank you.
I am confident that TNA has the right agenda. Over time TNA can build a significant number of politically independent women who are willing to vote based on this agenda. Each of the major political parties believes that they can count on “their” women to vote for them, regardless their position or lack of action on these agenda items. The pressure for change will begin when the major political parties come to believe that they need to earn votes.
One encouraging note… When I first searched for The New Agenda it came up on page 5. It now comes up as number 1. Our voices are getting louder…
Amy,
You are right about Bair, sorry.
I guess I am a conspiracy theorist. I really think women are getting the shaft regarding policy initiatives not being enacted or discussed by the Obama administration that benefit women but we can get lost in discussing parity and sexist remarks.
I am with you.
Our voices are getting stronger and louder, that is true. But it’s google (if you searched TNA with google) who is ranking it according to your personal searches.
Yeh. Google’s been through your underwear drawer too.
Sis,
Try other search engines you never use and you’ll see what I mean.
Congrats, TNA – you are filling a huge need in feminist activism. Let’s keep all the pressure on: 2008 taught us that we have not come that far at all.
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The New Agenda is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing about systemic change in the media, at the workplace, at school and at home. More...