happy new year! thank you for your energy and support in 2006. we hope to share another year with YOU in our struggle for justice. we aim to overcome the CORI and build a society where all people can find work and support their families with dignity. if you’re not already active, please think about sharing your energy this year.

last year, we had many accomplishments:

- BWA members helped organize a CORI Friendly Job Fair at the Hyatt Hotel.

- BWA hosted a successful CORI Justice and Peace Day in Malcolm X Park.

- BWA members helped win a new law that requires City of Boston vendors to be CORI friendly in their hiring.

- 12 BWA members went to NYC to attend the 2nd Annual Worker Co-ops Conference, to learn about starting new businesses in the community.

- BWA members are beginning to build a Non-Profit Temp Agency, and hope to start placing workers in jobs in 2007.

- BWA members helped mobilize for a CORI Education Day on the Boston Commons, and educated our politicians about unnecessary harm of the CORI.

- we’ve helped our members get into job training programs and find new jobs.

- we’ve helped over 25 members write resumes and prepare for interviews.

- we’ve helped half a dozen members seal their old CORIs.

- we held an exchange with the Argentinean Unemployed Workers Movement and learned about their struggles abroad.

- BWA hosted a successful Pre-Holiday Gathering at the 12th Baptist Church, shared a delicious potluck and watched Al Gore’s movie on Global Warming.

- BWA members helped register voters for our historic November election.

- BWA members gave dozens of CORI Presentations to community groups, halfway houses and civic organizations.

- BWA members delivered over 350 postcards and letters to the State House and met with 15 different Legislators to push for CORI Reform.

- BWA received positive media coverage in the Bay State Banner, M.I.T. Radio, The Black Commentator, The Harvard Crimson, Spare Change News, Boston IndyMedia, and the Boston Globe.

it has been a busy year, and there is more to come in 2007. can you believe we’ve only been around for a year and a half?

in addition to the hard work and dedication of our members, we have many other people to thank. BWA is sponsored by the District 7 Roundtable Inc.

some of our allies and supporters include:

City Councilor Chuck Turner
American Friends Service Committee
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Massachusetts Alliance to Reform CORI (MARC)
ICA Group Inc.
Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee
2nd Chance Job Fair Committee

thanks also to City Life, Boston School Bus Union, New Market Business Association, United for Justice with Peace, Youth Advocacy Project, Greater Boston Legal Services, Dimock Community Health Center, EPPOCA, Veterans Benefit Clearinghouse, Rev. Ed Rodman, SHaRC, North American Alliance for Fair Employment, ABaC, Jericho, Dorchester People for Peace, Boston Connects and the many other groups who have invited us to their tables. also, thank you to the generous donors who help fund our operations.

BWA meets on the 1st Thursday of every month at the Dudley Library at 5pm. you can call BWA at (617) 427-8108 for more info.

wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 2007,

A.Tanaka