July 17, 2000
 |
We are a membership-supported organization, and this provides our main financial support. Other funding sources are large donors, foundation grants, and events.
Organizational Structure
Recent organizational changes have been exciting. The goal has been to create a team to be responsible for the operations of the MEC. We have increased coordinators from the traditional one or two to six: Fiscal, Media, Volunteer, Public Outreach, Environmental, and Social Justice. The various administrative and day-to-day operations are shared by this group, called the Coordinator Council. A significant portion of the work is unpaid, and therefore requires committed people who are able to put in many volunteer hours. We made an adjustment in the distribution of available payroll funds, reducing the payroll budget and spreading responsibilities among more people. Our goal is to compensate people fairly for the work they do that is essential to the MEC. We hope to soon have the resources to do this.
We have reduced hierarchical structures, defined areas of responsibility, and developed group decision-making and conflict-resolution processes.
We have changed our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor to Cloud Forest Institute. The MEC is a 501(c)(4) organization, and thus it can lobby and do other political activity that a (c)(3) cannot. Several people with Cloud Forest have been associated with the MEC, and we look forward to expanding our connection with this group.
Our Affiliates
The MEC has been an umbrella for many groups, organizations and campaigns, including Native American Support Network, Forests Forever (state ballot initiative), the Human Rights Monitoring Project (monitoring police abuse), Alliance for Democracy (addressing corporate control), Ukiah Hours (alternative currency), Community Action Network (vineyard development and toxin use), Youth for Environmental Action, Toxic Free Future, Earth First!, and a myriad of ad hoc, issue-specific groups.
Our Programs & Projects
Over the past year, with help from grants through Trees Foundation, we have presented many hot-issue, thought-provoking public forums among the speakers the MEC has hosted in Ukiah are Ronnie Dugger, founder of Alliance for Democracy; Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange; David Barsamian, national alternative radio personality; and Julia Butterfly Hill. Most recently we had representatives from the steelworkers union, along with Mendocino County union activists, talking about environmental/labor coalition building and current labor organizing. In October the MEC is sponsoring Leon Rosselson, political and folk singer-songwriter from England.
We have produced programs on oil exploration and drilling, vineyard development, campaign finance reform, corporate control, Leonard Peltier, and sustainable living. Working with other groups, we co-sponsored Earth Day 2000. We are the principal sponsor of Active-fest, a gathering of celebration, sharing, and empowerment.
We are organizing a series of town hall meetings this fall with the assistance of Paul Cienfuegos of Democracy Unlimited in Arcata. This group was successful in passing a ballot initiative which had the city sponsor such public discussion forums about corporate control and the community.
A Day in the Life of the MEC
Our official hours of business are noon to 6pm, weekdays. However, someone is usually here in the morning, and often there are meetings in the evening and on weekends. When the phone rings it might be someone looking for a specific phone number, or a suggestion of who to contact about their problem or question. It may be a fellow activist giving us good news (We won the court injunction on the THP!) or bad news (They?ve taken out another 20 acres of oaks for a vineyard). The emails and faxes tell us of environmental degradation on a global scale, of yet another political prisoner in the US or abroad, or of another species teetering on the brink of extinction.
The mail brings notices of THPs filed and applications for water appropriations, battles being fought around the world by kindred spirit organizations, some bills, and on a good day, some money to pay them.
When someone walks through the door they may want to just look around, or to talk about what is on their mind regarding our Earth or society. They may be looking for information for a school paper or a contact for their current project. Occasionally people call or come in who are angry, and sometimes they direct their anger at us??Why aren?t you doing something about that gravel mining operation. It?s pouring mud into the river. Aren?t you supposed to protect the environment?? We explain that we are here to help them work on the issue, and that we don?t have the resources to take on every issue brought to our attention.
It is not an easy place to work, with our shared work spaces, no office doors, and several conversations happening at once. But the rewards are great. We get to work and interact with activists all day.
And there are the victories! The newly activated! The seeds of change planted and new sprouts breaking the ground! Come by and visit next time you?re in Ukiah.
More Information About
Mendocino Environmental Center
More Articles...
TOC for Forest & River News, Summer 2000