INVITATION TO A HEARING
Public Hearing
Saturday March 10, 2007
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Institute of Contemporary Art – 118 South 36th Street in Philadelphia, PA.
The Coalition of Inquiry into the State of the Future (herein referred to as “The Coalitionâ€) alleges that
language used in certain documents of public and journalistic record, and written with the
intention of informing a general public as to the nature of certain subjects (below), bears a spurious
and suspicious relationship to the truth.
The Coalition further alleges such language has the potential of causing harm through false
representation, through the perpetration of an illusion of participatory democracy, and through other
forms of harm to be assessed. The subjects allegedly misrepresented by said language include but are not
restricted to the following:
I) The nature and demographics of the city of Philadelphia
II) The transparent and participatory nature of certain institutions and current and future initiatives associated with the city of Philadelphia
III) The condition for artists and cultural workers in the city of Philadelphia.
IV) The condition and status of working people and/or residents of the city of Philadelphia.
V) The nature of democracy and democratic process
The Coalition is therefore conducting a public HEARING in order to gather facts, information and testimony
from parties responsible for the propagation and circulation of the allegedly misrepresentative language, and to hear testimony by witnesses and by parties that might be affected by mischaracterizations of Philadelphia, its political processes, its cultural and other workers and residents, and its future possibilities.
This Hearing will take place on Saturday March 10, 2007 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Institute of
Contemporary Art at 118 South 36th Street in Philadelphia, PA.
All participants may offer additional documents into evidence, provide testimony and participate in deliberation.
DOCUMENTS CITED AS EVIDENCE
Gallery Notes: Locally Localized Gravity
Jenelle Porter, Elyse Gonzales and Naomi Beckwith
Help make Philly the Next Great City
Chris Satullo, Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec 3, 2006
Professor Harbors ‘Great Expectations’ for Philly –
Jewish Exponent, March 1, 2007
Building the School of the Future and School of the Future: Understand the Vision- Microsoft website
publication
http://www.microsoft.com/education/schooloffuture.mspx
The Next Great City: Philly, Really
Andrew Nelson, National Geographic Traveler, October 2005
www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/philly0510/philly.htm
Shell Global Futures Scenarios
www.shell.com/scenarios
Oil Futures: Shell’s ‘Trilemma Triangle’ and the ‘Force of Community
Anna Zalik
An investigation initiated by:
BLW – a media arts collective (represented by Rozalinda Borcila, Sarah Lewison)
Think Tank that is yet to be named, Philadelphia: (represented by Lena Helen, Director of the Department for the Investigation of the Unmentionable; Meredith Warner, Director of the Department for the Investigation of Neutrality and Palatability)
Invited witnesses and investigators at-large:
Carolyn Thomas, Philadelphia resident, featured in documentary “All for the Taking†produced by George McCollough
Philadelphia IMC, Media Mobilizing Project represented by Nijmie Dzurenko
Rozalinda Borcila, artist, participant in Locally Localized Gravity exhibition at ICA, co-author of “Past Futuresâ€
Mark Warshaw, Organizer, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals
New Kensington Community Development Corporation staff: Economic Development Director Sarah Corlett, Executive Director Sandy Salzman, Frankford Avenue Coordinator James Wright, Community Relations Specialist Kevin Musselman, Coral Street Coordinator Laura Semmelroth, Community Organizer Jim McNulty
Bruce Schimmel, Philadelphia resident, journalist City Paper
George McCollough, Filmmaker and educator
Mark Stier, writer and politician
Jenelle Porter, Associate Curator ICA
Elyse Gonzales, Assistant Curator ICA
Chuck Valentine, native to Fishtown, participant in “Great Expectations” forum
Chris Sotullo, journalist, Philadelphia Inquirer
Organizations invited
The Castle Coalition – http://www.castlecoalition.org
Multi-Community Alliance – http://www.casinofreezone.com
Hallwatch – http://www.hallwatch.org/
Prometheus Radio Project – www.prometheusradio.org
Media Tank – http://www.mediatank.org/
Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative – www.sephillyyouth.com
Youth United for Change – yuc.home.mindspring.com/
Wooden Shoe Anarchist Bookstore – www.woodenshoebooks.com
F U R T H E R I N F O R M A T I O N
The proceedings will be used for fact-finding and the taking of testimony to investigate specific
allegations:
That language in the cited documents of public and journalistic record potentially misrepresents the
activities, intentions and circumstances of the agents and groups indicated in said documents.
That language used in cited documents to describe certain activities, programs and initiatives is vague
in its claims of who is to benefit from said activities, programs and initiatives, and in what way.
Such language, through its implication that activities, programs and initiatives are for the benefit of a majority of the population might, if proven fraudulent in intent, facilitate the diversion of public funding, without recourse.
That language and/or the particular words and/or the context of the words used in the documents (cited
above) either deliberately conceal information or misrepresent scientific facts or actual demographic
figures and calculations.
Filed under: calls for participation,Places: BLW,Places: Philly
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