Wellstone Action is a new tax exempt organization formed to continue Paul and Sheila Wellstone's passion for and commitment to advancing progressive social change and economic justice. Its primary goal is to encourage, train, equip and mobilize citizens, particularly young people and the underrepresented, to be active in public and political life.
A consistent theme threading through Paul and Sheila Wellstone's lives was the encouraging and empowering of average citizens to participate in campaigns, in community organizations, and be active in creating progressive change. As a teacher, Paul motivated hundreds of his students to build a life and career around community organizing, electoral organizing and other public service. In his successful campaigns, tens of thousands of people were involved, gained political skills, and helped win his races. As a U.S. Senator, Paul Wellstone always lent himself and his office to help nurture and support organizing and citizen politics.
The early focus of Wellstone Action will be to extend the successful Camp Wellstone training model from Minnesota to start a national Camp Wellstone program. A Camp Wellstone would be a 2 ½ day (usually over a weekend) training session for people who want an introduction to political and organizing work in the way Paul and Sheila Wellstone practiced it.
"To travel Minnesota and the country to help empower people, to nurture and support organizing and citizen politics, to engage, energize, excite, and galvanize citizens to make our country better."
"an appreciation of three critical ingredients for effective political activism: Good ideas and policy, so that your activism has direction; grassroots organizing, so that there is a constituency to fight for the change; and electoral politics, since it is one of the ways people feel most comfortable deciding about power in this country."
"The future will not belong to those who stand on the sidelines."
For more information, or to make a tax deductible donation, contact:
Wellstone Action
PO Box 14386
Saint Paul, MN 55114
Phone (651) 251-7550
Fax (651) 251-1183
Wellstone Action Staff:
