Our Mission
Rockford Progressive Meetups is committed to strengthening democracy through the promotion of compassion, fairness, and social justice for all individuals. We will accomplish our goals by bringing together like-minded progressives to develop and support progressive candidates, communicate our values to current officials, and promote awareness to the public about critical issues affecting our nation and community.
We believe:
- In grassroots involvement in the democratic process
- In working to get trustworthy candidates selected;
- In advancing progressive values in our communities;
- In opposing divisive policies that hurt the nation;
- In equality for all individuals;
- In social responsibility (corporate, political, and individual);
- In respect for all religions;
- Diversity is a strength;
- In working with all nations to create a stronger, safer America;
- In honesty as a critical component of effective government;
- All citizens have a right to employment that pays a true living wage;
- A robust, healthy environment is critical to our physical, mental, and economic health;
- Protecting our natural world is our responsibility to future generations and as stewards of the Earth;
- That our children are our greatest resource;
- That freedom of press and information is crucial to democracy;
- And that it is our responsibility to take care of our communities, and those who live there.
What we do
As an organization for progressive change, we take care of our own local community while working for national and international change. Our activities are varied between local action to scales far beyond our own backyard, allowing members to choose their own form of involvement, and to help work towards their own interests. On a national level, we work with Democracy for America, Progressive Democrats of America, and a number of other progressive organizations, and challenge all levels of government on our own terms as well. Yet, we don’t lose sight of our communities. We work on a local level affecting change in government and public awareness, and reach out to the community through volunteer activities to directly improve our area and help others.
Our general monthly meetings typically include a short presentation, an announcements and group issues period, and a time for dividing into smaller, more intimate groups to talk, discuss, or plan. During these meetings, we also announce our monthly volunteer activity in the community, which changes every month. In the future, further activities and optional goal-oriented meetings will likely arise as the group continues to evolve, and members branch out from the monthly general meetings. All are fully optional according to each member’s own interests and time.
Come to a meeting and see what is happening at Rockford Progressive Meetups!
About Our Organization
Although we are a chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, we are not a Democratic Party group. Our membership does include many Democratic Party members, and we can often support progressive actions and candidates of the Democratic Party. There are also many Democratic Party members in our organization trying make the Democratic Party a more progressive party from the inside, and we support these efforts.
Our membership includes a variety of political alignments, and we welcome all who hold and work toward progressive values, no matter their party or lack thereof.
We are currently a fledgling organization, and do not yet operate with a treasury or in fundraising. We do, however, freely spread information of those who are, and the causes they are supporting. We welcome all progressive persons, actions, and entities to speak with us, and ask for our help.
RPM is not as yet a registered organization, hold non-profit status, or raises funds. (However, if you can help us understand the ways to do so in the future, we would love to hear from you). We are also not a Political Action Committee, and do not collect funds for candidates, and do not currently plan to. RPM operates as an informal community of people with common values, even if we may not always agree on every detail.