The Welcome Project, together with local partners Centro Presente and the Somerville Community Corporation, is engaged in a grassroots effort to support Welcoming Massachusetts. A statewide campaign, the goal of Welcoming Massachusetts is to make evident the fact that Massachusetts is a Welcoming State and there is political will to pass concrete, sensible, pro-immigrant legislation that serves all residents.
In Somerville, community groups have been organizing for support of our elected officials. More than 1,000 people in Somerville have signed the Welcoming Massachusetts Pledge. Several public forums have been held -- including one forum organized by youth from Centro Presente and The Welcome Project in January 2009. Members of the community organizations have met individually with most of the board of aldermen and school committee members (UPDATE: School committee endorsed the Welcoming, MA pledge on June 22, 2009) and are asking both legislative bodies to demonstrate their support be endorsing the pledge.
The Welcoming Massachusetts Pledge:
I commit to publicly reject the politics of division and isolation that fan anger and hate against any person or community and to work towards just, workable and humane immigration policies that are anchored in America’s finest ideals and core values.
Furthermore, I call upon members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and the Administration to enact real solutions to America’s broken immigration system in the first 100 days of the 111th Congress.
To sign the Welcoming Massachusetts pledge.
Please email us at welcome@welcomeproject.org to tell you've signed the pledge.
News and Notes
Somerville Journal: Somerville School Committee in Support of immigrant campaign, June 26, 2009.
