[NLA] Re: COABE, race & social justice

[AndresMuro@aol.com]

I am not going to COABE this year for reasons not related to the boycott. At the same time I have not spoken for or against the boycott. However, I see the connection clearly. COABE, as an organization has a responsibility to participants and the entire community not promote activities and events that may profit from the suffering of a particular group. This is a moral choice. At the same time, COABE has a commercial responsibility to make sure that it attracts attendees. 

The first responsibility is tough. An organization needs to make sure that it does not promote anything that may bring harm to anyone for fear of loosing participants. As an entity promoting education it cannot deny that it does have the responsibility. IF because of an oversight, COABE uninentionally promotes an activity that is harmful to a group, COABE constituents needs to infomr COABE of the overstight and request that this oversight is corrected. 

At this point, COABE has issues to weigh. First, is the correction of the oversight, the ethical thing to do? second is the monetary cost of fixing the oversight such that we must continue to act unethically. Third, would the choice to act unethically result in a greater financial lost ie: a boycott.

Some may question if COABE has acted irresponsibly or unethically by chosing not to correct the oversight. COABE directors should ask themselves if anyone is offended by COABEs actions. If people are choosing to boycott, I can only infer that people are offended. 

Ultimately, the boycott is valuable as a learning expereince for COABE directors. Next time they plan a conference, they will have to look carefully to make sure that their plans may not be harmful to a particular group of people. In capitalist societies, boycotts are a way to force change in organizations that need $$$ to continue to survive. 

Andres  

In a message dated Mon, 1 Apr 2002 10:40:18 PM Eastern Standard Time, JCretella at aol.com writes:

>To All on this List,
>I have some serious concerns about some recent posting concerning the COABE 
>conference and the NAACP boycott issue.  It sound like some wrong assumptions 
>are driving some conclusions about how the conference should be appraoached. 
>I am a long standing member of COABE and I am disturbed and  with the 
>perceptions being created by those who seem to know little or nothing about 
>COABE.
>First of All...The MIssion of COABE is very clear:
>"The Commision on Adult Basic Education (COABE) provides leadership, 
>professional development, networking opportunities, and advocacy for adult 
>basic education practioners in order to advance the unification and 
>professionalism of the field."
>One of the major vehicles of accomplishing the COABE Mission is through and 
>annual conference which has attracted hundreds and hundreds of practioners 
>from all over the country. The conference moves all over the US to reflect 
>the issues and interests of adult education practioners and to showcase 
>programs in local areas. States bid more than two to three years in advance 
>to host the conference. There are published guidelines which must be followed 
> by the local /state committtee before they will even be considered. They 
>must submit a written proposal amd make a public presentation the the COABE 
>board before  being considered as the "host site. I mention this process 
>because the suggestion that COABE may be crossing the line of a Boycott are 
>simply not fair. The Conference was planned well in advance of the boycott.
>Secondly, Our colleagues in COABE from South Carolina are just as senitive to 
>issues as anyone else...in or out of the state...In fact, COABE has been 
>dealing witht poverty/race issues for many years...I am retired after more 
>than 30 years in the field. My wife and I will travel to Charleston to the 
>COABE conference and support the conference in every way we can...I am afraid 
>the boycott of not spending dollars or whatever else will hurt the wrong 
>people, including minority populations who benefit from COABE scholarships.
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