July26 gathered to caucus for the election of the new NNOC co-chairs
front: Sussen Gazal, Diane Stradling, Marilyn Frankenstein, Li Phelan, Judy Freiwirth;
top: Peter Miller, Wally Sillanpoa, Nalda Vigezzi, Charlie Welch, Bob Mulcahy
(photo by Sussen, click to enlarge).
Alas, I could attend but one session of the three-Day NNOC meeting/conference, a most informative one at that, Saturday morning/early afternoon, where 13 new organizations were nominated for NNOC membership by existing member groups and offered statements in support of their applications and where, for the first time in recent memory, there was a contested election for the two (of five) open co-chair seats.
The July26 Coalition, the Boston-Cuba Solidarity Coalition, july26.org, its domain a testimony to the group’s longevity, as Charlie Welch is still proud of its capture in the early explosion of the Internet in the 1990’s, had a good-size and good-spirited contingent and its certain cache and aura — as can be seen in Sussen Gazal’s spontaneous selfie-group of the ten of us who caucused around the election. Along with at least four other subscribing member July26ers who are prominently involved in the movement’s national leadership, we made up 25% of those attending in person.
The follow-ups and reports have barely begun on the NNOC, US-CubaNormalization, and IFCO/Pastors for Peace lists, Walter Lippmann’s CubaNews and elsewhere (e.g., the Resumen interim piece). This is a good time and place to announce that July26.org postings and pages will need to continue in a new way, with greater member participation in the photo/graphics collecting, the writing and editing, and the design and production needed for their presentation — I will be pleased to work with folks interested in taking on any of this. Those in attendance virtually as well as in-person including those July26 members of MAPA, DSA, PSL and other groups who were not part of the caucus are invited to contribute comments and reflections. —pm
july26.org 
