U.S. Social Forum
Another World Is Possible! Another United States is Necessary!
June 22-26, 2010 • Detroit, Michigan
U.S. Social Forum Web site
The
U.S. Social Forum (USSF) will take place June 22-26, 2010, at Cobo Hall
and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. Other workshops and community art
and culture programs will take place across the city. The USSF will
convene social movements from across the United States and globally.
Organizers are reaching out to young people, people of color,
unionists, laid off and unorganized workers, welfare recipients,
veterans, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, freedom
fighters, collectives and many others.
"This
is a large scale and unique opportunity to learn from each other's
experiences, shed light on social injustices and build on community
efforts to create real change," says William Copeland, a USSF staff
organizer and member of the East Michigan Environmental Action Council
(EMEAC).
Key aims
are to create an open space and a process for creating movement
convergence and coordination, raise awareness of social justice issues,
provide opportunities to share experiences and discuss strategies that
create social change and solutions to the problems facing people across
our many struggles, sectors, regions and diversity.
"Detroit
is ground zero for the economic crisis facing millions of people, not
only here in Michigan, but across the nation," says Maureen Taylor, a
USSF staff organizer and chair of the Michigan Welfare Rights
Organization (MWRO). "We are really pleased to host this historic
event, and we're sure that what happens in Detroit will have a huge
impact not only here but elsewhere."
The
U.S. Social Forum is organized by thousands of social movement and
grassroots volunteers in all sectors and regions. The planning is
underway and open to everyone who wants to see a movement for real
change succeed. Working Groups are being formed, and using Internet tools like wikis you can participate and share ideas no matter where you are.
The
U.S. Social Forum 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 multiracial, multisectoral,
intergenerational, 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.
The
first World Social Forum was held in January 2001 in Porto Alegre,
Brazil, during the early stages of Brazil's democratic transformation.
Millions have since participated in the social forum process all across
the world.
This meeting will build upon the first USSF gathering in Atlanta 2007 that drew an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people...
