US Social Forum II: Get on the Road to Detroit with WESPAC’s Delegation
"One workshop really sticks in my head. It was by the Welfare Queens. They are amazing. They tell their stories in a way that will get anyone’s attention and keep it. They taught me to tell my story in a new, more powerful way. I plan to teach the teens I work with, here in West Virginia, how to tell their stories. Because telling your story is one of the steps in the revolution. And the teens of today will be the ones leading the revolution of tomorrow." -Beth Dortch, West Virginia, Teen DAWG
This testimonial was from an attendee of the first US Social Forum which took place in the summer of 2007 in Atlanta. There will be a WESPAC delegation, made up of of community members, organizers and activists who will attend the upcoming US Social Forum II to take place in Detroit, MI from June 22-26.
So, what is the US Social Forum? From their website: " The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a? conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the ?economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our? struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational,? diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and? changes history. We must declare what we want our world to look like and we ?must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn ?from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems ?our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international ?brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world."
In 2007, some 12,000 people came together to oppose poverty & capitalism, patriarchy & male supremacy,
white supremacy
& racism, heterosexism and colonialism. But more importantly people came around the belief that "Another world is possible and another US is necessary." People came together to work towards that other, better world. Following the first US Social Forum, WESPAC and a coalition of organizations put on a smaller local forum in White Plains, NY. The Lower Hudson Valley Social Forum took place in 2009 and was attended by over 250 people with many workshops, performances, speakers, vendors and activities.
For the upcoming US Social Forum II, WESPAC will be helping to coordinate a group from the region to attend in Detroit.
We will be holding an interest session on Thursday, March 25th at
White Plains WESPAC
at 7pm. There we will give more background about the Forum, discuss transportation and talk about offering a workshop for the Forum! If you’re interested in coming along email
or call the office at
(914) 449-6514.
For more info on the US Social Forum 2010 in Detroit visit:
or email:
or call toll free #
877.515.USSF
.
Para mas informacion del Forum Social de los Estados Unidos, visita:
http://www.ussf2010.org/es/Acerca
For more info about the history of the World Social Forum:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=
-Roger Drew (And thanks to Antoinette Klatzky & Jalal Sabur)
