April 5th 2003 is Big Business Day. Our vision is of an annual event that provides citizens and communities the opportunity to challenge corporate power, educate the public, and build the circuit of groups persistently working to defend our democracy.

1. WHY?

Corporations have too much power. We see everyday how our society, economy, government's foreign policy, its legal and electoral systems, culture, and environment are shaped by the profit-based whims of giant multinational corporations. America's corporate driven political economy is on a collision course with democracy.

Problems including corruption of U.S. elections, sweatshops in Malaysia, oil exploitation in Africa, militarization of space, the commercialization of childhood, loss of critical ecosystems and the ongoing drive to war are all to some degree rooted in corporate abuse of power. Giant corporations are structured to place greed over the needs of people, the interests of the natural world, and the requirements of democracy. We must reverse this trend.

A Thumbnail Sketch of Corporate Power and its Impacts
· 51 of the world's 100 largest economies are corporations, 49 are nations .
· In the 2000 elections, corporations donated $1.2 billion to federal candidates of both parties ensuring that their views would be represented. Corporate donations made up 75% of the money that candidates receive .
· Each year corporations receive $125 billion just in direct federal subsidies and tax breaks .
· Corporate law violations for environmental crimes, food and drug violations, fraud, bribery, wrongful death of community members and employees, and illegal agreements cost society at least $2 trillion dollars a year whereas the FBI estimates street crime costs only 3.8 billion .
· 30% of full-time workers in the U.S. earn wages that fall below the poverty line .
· In 2001, CEOs of major corporations earned 411 times as much as their average worker .
· Industrial habitat destruction contributes to species extinction occurring at 1000 times the natural rate .
· Oil companies, arms suppliers and other industries stand to benefit from a war with Iraq that will be financed by massive amounts of taxpayer money. Bush administrations officials, 41 with close ties to the oil industry, are forcefully pushing for war.

2. WHAT NOW?!

There is a rapidly growing movement challenging the concentration of power in corporate hands that envisions a better way to organize power in our economy and society. The challenges faced by this developing movement are formidable. But from the American Revolution to the Civil Rights movement, history teaches us that even seemingly insurmountable odds can be overcome with a broad-based and well-organized movement.

The corporate power movement has three basic goals:
· Educate the public about corporate power
· Build a growing movement of citizens and organizations that are challenging corporate abuse of power
· Win concrete victories that chip away at corporate power while laying the groundwork for systemic change to reassert the sovereignty of the people over giant corporate control.

One step towards achieving all of the above goals is to coordinate one day across the country to challenge corporate rule. April 5th, 2003 is that day.

Imagine hundreds of communities and campuses around the country standing up to the specter of corporate rule all at once: each staging independent events but part of a larger action. The common thread for Big Business Day, the annual event, is challenging abuses of corporate power that hurt people, the planet, and democracy. This year's theme is Challenging the Business of War. In some communities, people will use April 5th as a day to demonstrate their opposition to war and illustrate the connections between corporate America and the war machine. In others, it will make sense to focus on local corporate power issues, however they manifest themselves. Still others may choose to highlight broader issues of corporate power, but not necessarily connect these abuses with the war. However you choose to participate, you will be contributing to a broad cross-section of voices all demanding a shift from a suicidal to sustainable economy, from profit to human-centered values and from corporate to popular democratic rule.

3. CORPORATE ABUSES: YOUR ANGLE

Decide what you want your Big Business Day event to highlight. Remember, though, that specific cases are symptoms of a larger problem: who has the power in our society. Keep reminding the public and the media about the larger context - it's not just a few rotten apples and one unjust war; these abuses are the result of the constant corporate quest for profit that trumps all other principles.

The common categories of corporate abuse include:
a. Subversion of democracy
b. War profiteering and other diversions of tax dollars
c. Environmental destruction
d. Labor abuses
e. Civil liberties violations
f. Minority exploitation
g. Consumer abuses and injuries
h. Cultural commercialism
i. Media domination

The message is simple; corporations have too much power and that power hurts people, their communities, the planet, and democracy. If you want more information on corporate power in general or any of the above issues, see the resources at the end of this document.

4. BIG BUSINESS DAY: YOUR LOCAL ACTION

A quick list of Big Business Day actions could include:
· Press conference for local press explaining the event.

· Rally in a town square, campus quad, park, a nearby Exxon, McDonald's, Lockheed Martin or other corporation that negatively impacts your community.

· Teach-in with activists, academics, and community leaders talking about corporate power.

· Mini-fair composed of groups working to change corporate behavior (for example, peace, environmental, labor, consumer, small farmer, civil rights and democracy groups).

· House party or discussion with friends, neighbors, co-workers or other community members on corporate power issues; a way to find the new leaders for the future.

Decide what type of event makes sense for your area based on your resources, the theme of your event and what issue you think would resonate with members of your community.

5. PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Once you decide what type of event you want to organize for Big Business Day, find others who can help you plan and organize the event. Local peace and environmental groups, small business owners, and college students may be interested in helping out.

The next four sections explain the basics of putting on each of these events and outline the simple components necessary to make these events happen. Some of the components are more or less the same for more than one event, and sometimes you can combine events.

There are additional organizing guides and materials on the Citizen Works website, www.citizenworks.org. You can also contact the Citizen Works Field Team: Jen Tucker (jtucker@citizenworks.org) or Katie Selenski (kselenski@citizenworks.org) at Citizen Works, 202-265-6164.

A PRESS CONFERENCE

The key components of a press conference are location, message, speakers, materials, and media.

Location - Pick a location that is symbolic, for example an Exxon station to highlight the connection between the oil industry and the looming war. Have visuals that will draw photographers. For example, last year a coalition of organizations in Washington DC organized a press conference where mock corporate executives shredded American values in a giant democracy shredder. It's best to hold press conferences between 10:00am and 1:00pm when reporters are not rushing to meet afternoon deadlines, and remember that you may need a permit to demonstrate at certain public locations.

Message - You know how corporate power specifically impacts your community, but many people don't. Pick a basic message that will resonate with your community and stick to it. Put that message on your materials, your signs, and in your speeches. Think like an ad exec: something short, important, and easy to remember.

Speakers - Find good people to speak at your event: local activists, a professor who does research on the environment, or a minister to speak about greed. Make sure that they all understand the message and know what they're going to talk about ahead of time.

Materials - Create a simple packet to give to the reporters who come. Include some statistics about corporate power abuses, contact info for the speakers, and, importantly, a press release that is, quite simply, the ideal article you'd like to see, with ready-made quotes from your speakers.

Media - Your press conference won't be useful if no reporters come. Two or three days before, fax a press advisory to the media outlets in your community. A press advisory is a simple list of speakers, what they'll be talking about, why reporters should care, and where and when the press conference will be. The day before your press conference, call up the newspapers, radio stations, and television stations in your community and ask for the "Assignment Desk." Ask if they have received your advisory, if they're going to send someone, and if they have any questions. Don't be afraid to be assertive when telling them why this is important, and also, don't be upset if they aren't always friendly. Reporters are busy people, treat them that way: as busy, and as people. Have a sign-up sheet at the conference so you can follow up with reporters and fax the press release to any reporters who didn't come. For more information read Making the News: A Guide For Non-profits and Activists by Jason Salzman.

A RALLY

The key components of a rally are recruitment, location, message, speakers and media.

Location - Pick a symbolic and/or easily accessible location. Have good visuals that attract attention. You may need a permit. Call the police; they should be able to help you. If you expect a small crowd, find a bullhorn to magnify your speakers; with a bigger group you may need to rent a stage and a sound system.

Recruitment - The difference between a mediocre rally and a great one is not the speakers or the signs: it's the numbers. Recruitment will likely take the most amount of time and attention to organize. People will only come if they've heard about it - preferably more than once, or twice, or three times. Make hundreds of fliers and put them up all around your community or campus, send emails to every possible list, stage publicity stunts to spread the word, call into radio station call-in shows, or otherwise creatively advertise the event. The most effective recruitment tool will be personal calls to individuals or groups who you think may want to attend. Work to get a commitment! Most people are busy, but corporations are the largest stumbling block to creating a sustainable society so confidently ask folks to make time.

Message - You know how corporate rule affects your community, but many people don't. Pick a basic message that will resonate with your community and stick to it. Put that message on your materials, your signs, and in your speeches. Again: think slogan, but also include meaningful content.

Speakers - If there is going to be a significant crowd, invite a speaker or two who can talk about corporate power. When choosing rally speakers it's important pick people who know how to speak powerfully, clearly, and not for too long!

Media - Getting media at a rally is much like a press conference, see the press conference section.

A COMMUNITY TEACH-IN

The key components of a teach-in are location, speakers, recruitment and media. All it really takes is at least two people willing to talk about the subject, a space to hold the teach-in and a bit of time invested in recruitment.

Location - For a teach-in, pick a quiet, comfortable place where people can sit and learn. Classrooms and lecture halls at a college are always a safe bet.

Speakers - Find speakers who can tie the issues of corporate power in to your Big Business Day theme. Make sure to pick people who are clear, informed, and easy to understand. Set clear guidelines and format ahead of time so people don't speak for too long!

Recruitment - Recruitment is the most important part of your teach-in! Decide how many people you want to attend…and then recruit twice that because generally about half of the people who say they will attend actually show up. The most effective recruitment tool is the phone. Make personal calls to individuals and organizations that you think might be interested in your teach-in. Seek a commitment and keep track of who plans to attend. You can later use this list to follow up with people and remind them to show up. You can also use email-list serves, flyers, posters and radio spots to spread the word.

Media - If you decide to invite the media it is much like a press conference, see the press conference section.

A COMMUNITY FAIR

The key components of a fair are location, organizations, recruitment and media.

Location - Pick an open space where people can wander among tables with information about different corporate campaigns and issues. If possible hold it somewhere where there's already a lot of traffic like a college union building or a public square. Find out who is in charge of the space, get permission, and find enough tables for every group.

Organizations - Invite groups in your community or campus or that are working on corporate power issues and ask them to have a table with information. They will likely be excited about an opportunity to meet new people concerned about their issues, especially if you make it sound like a well-run event.

Recruitment - Recruiting for a fair is much like recruiting for a teach-in. See teach-in section.

Media - You may want to have a mini press conference at your fair. See the press conference section.

CORPORATE POWER DISCUSSION GROUP

Citizen Works has reading materials available online for anyone who wants to organize a one-time or longer series of discussions on issues of corporate power. All you need to do is determine the location and invite participants. For a more detailed guide and to access the readings, go to www.citizenworks.org.

OTHER WAYS TO CONVEY YOUR MESSAGE

Here are just a few ideas of other ways to spread the word about corporate power:

· A local radio call-in show - tell them (in advance) that April 5th is a national day of action to challenge corporate power and ask them to discuss the topic. AM stations may be easier to break-in to, but FM stations generally have a broader listener-ship. College radio stations, local Pacifica stations or other community based stations would likely love to hear about your event.

· Local newspapers, - write a letter to the editor about Big Business Day and how corporate power issues are affecting your community and send your published letter to Citizen Works.

· Progressive churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship - people of faith often are committed to volunteering and social justice work. Suggest that they have a discussion or sermon about greed and corporate abuse of power.

· Progressive cafés, bookstores, co-ops, libraries, community centers or campuses - maybe they'll let you use their premises for a teach-in or poetry reading. Suggest they serve "anti-corporate antipasto" blue-plate special. Whatever works, so long as it will help raise awareness and spark discussion.

However you choose to participate in Big Business Day, please let Citizen Works know what you are planning and how your event goes. We want to help build a growing movement of citizens and organizations working to reassert citizen control over corporations. To do this we need to stay connected! Contact the field team at 202.265.6164 or jtucker@citizenworks.org; kselenski@citizenworks.org

INTERNET RESOURCES

There are lots of great resources available on the web. Here are some of the most useful:
· For help with organizing the events go to the Citizen Works website and click on the tools section: http://www.citizenworks.org/tools/index.php.
· The Citizen Works site can also help you if you want information on a specific issue. Just click on the "Get Informed" tab at the top.
· The CorpWatch website, www.corpwatch.org, has a lot of information on corporate power issues and campaigns.

· The Program on Corporations Law and Democracy, www.poclad.org, has information on the legal foundations of corporate power abuses.

Other useful websites of groups that run corporate campaigns include:
· Multinational Monitor www.multinationalmonitor.org (check out the Jan/Feb 2003 issues on the Business of War)
· Essential Information (www.essential.org)
· Arms Trade Resource Center (www.worldpolicy.org/project/arms/about.html)
· Target Oil (www.targetoil.com)
· United for Peace (www.unitedforpeace.org)
· Peace Action (www.peaceaction.org)
· Federation of American Scientists (www.fas.org)
· STARC Students Transforming and Resisting Corporations (www.starc.org)
· 180/Movement for Democracy in Education (www.corporations.org/democracy/)
· Campus Greens (www.campusgreens.org)
· The Corporate Accountability Project (www.corporations.org)
· The Rainforest Action Network (www.ran.org)
· Public Interest Research Group (www.uspirg.org)
· Sweatshop Watch (www.sweatshopwatch.org)
· United Students Against Sweatshops (www.usasnet.org)
· Mal-Wart (www.geocities.com/mallwart)
· INFACT (www.infact.org).
· Empowering Democracy (www.empoweringdemocracy.org)

BOOKS
· Corporate Warriors by Peter Singer
· Private Warriors by Ken Silverstein
· The Economy of Death by Richard Barnet
· The Silent Takeover: Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy by Noreena Hertz
· When Corporations Rule the World by David Korten
· Corporation Nation and People Before Profit by Charles Derber
· Unequal Protection:The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights by Thom Hartmann
· Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington

Last Updated March 3, 2003