"The World Should Know About BA": A Movement of Fundraising House Parties, Salons and Film Showings Over the Next Three Weeks
December 9, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
From readers:
A few of us wanted to write to revcom right away after the December 7 New York City premiere celebration of the documentary film Stepping into the Future: On the Occasion of the Publication of BAsics—A Celebration of Revolution and the Vision of a New World. The audience of all ages and nationalities shared with the artists and performers a beautiful celebration and premiere of the film. People crowded into a reception and talked for over an hour after the event.
Matthew Shipp and William Parker December 7 in New York. Photo: Li Onesto/Revolution
Performers from the film at the December 7 Celebration Premiere in New York. Photo: Li Onesto/Revolution
You’ll see more at revcom and in Revolution newspaper about this event and the premiere celebration in LA on December 11. But we wanted to bring home how deeply the event touched people and how much is possible and needed in this moment to involve many, many more people in learning about BA’s work and vision of revolution and a new world, and winning those people to donate to support this being spread into every corner of society. When people see this film, eyes, hearts and minds open to a whole different way the world could be, with revolution—and a whole other way people can think, feel, and be, up against the nightmare, disaster and cruelty of this world and the brutal and ugly commodification of people, human interactions and everything in society.
Right now, there is a moment to grab hold of: Create a movement of dozens of house parties, salons and small-group and large-group showings of all kinds of Stepping into the Future—challenging people with the opportunity to support BA Everywhere, the campaign to raise major funds to make Bob Avakian’s work and revolutionary leadership known everywhere.
Right now, get your friends together through the season when people gather and as they consider what they may donate to. Show the film to relatives and coworkers. Work with those who were part of the premiere celebrations or were invited and didn’t make it, as well as people across the country who are learning about BA, to go to people they know and host gatherings and start up fundraising projects. Set up appointments to talk to people about donating—including those with people who can donate in the thousands and tens of thousands. Pop in and visit with professors and students before campuses close down for the holidays. (Here, people are planning various kinds of gatherings and showings, including fundraising salons; a possible showing at a high school and at a public university campus; a jewelry sale. A group of Harlem residents is taking orders for a holiday pie-and-cookie bake sale to raise funds. These are just the beginning of a much bigger groundswell that can and should happen, very quickly.)
As you show Stepping into the Future, talk to people about what the impact could be if there were major funds raised so that literally millions of people were encountering, discussing and debating BA’s work. Expect, welcome and get into the big questions that come up about whether it’s really possible to have a different world and for people to be different—while finding the ways for people to contribute even as they are getting more into what it’s all about. Invite people from the local BA Everywhere Committee, Revolution Books, or the Revolution Club if you have any of these in your area, to help represent and talk with people about why they should donate.
Work together with groups of friends and share what you are accomplishing, what you are learning—and how to break through on what you are having trouble with. And write in to revolution.reports@yahoo.com and baeverywhere@gmail.com about your efforts. There is nothing more ambitious and nothing more vital—if you want a world that is fit for humanity and all the species that live on the planet—than making BA and work REAL and PRESENT in the world, now, today!
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