In the last week of June, a crew of UFE staff and interns will travel to Detroit to join as many as 15,000 activists and organizers at the second United States Social Forum (USSF). The Social Forum, in the words of its organizers, "will provide a space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, and share analysis of the problems our communities face, [and] will help develop leadership, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world."
More than 1,000 workshops, plenaries, cultural events, and street demonstrations have been organized. UFE will present its highly demanded workshop on the financial crisis: "Bankers, Brokers, Bubbles and Bailouts," and two new workshops in Spanish: "Refugiados Economicos Imigracion: la Desigualdad Economica y sus Raices" and "Entendiendo la Crisis Economica en la Comunidad Latina."
Our partners in the US Solidarity Economy Network (USSEN), which was formed at the 2007 Social Forum and is directed by UFE board member, Emily Kawano, will lead one of fourteen program tracks. USSEN's track will focus on addressing poverty and developing an alternative US economy that prioritizes people and planet over profits.
With income and wealth inequality peaking once again, economic recovery for Main Street low on the power brokers' list of priorities, and unending wars and environmental disasters roiling the globe, the stage is set for a powerful people's movement.
For many of those planning to attend the Social Forum, how to build a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-class, multi-generational, and democratic social movement is the central question. The answer starts with an acknowledgement of the truth in the Forum's theme, "Another World is Possible. Another US is Necessary!"
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One of the most valuable aspects of a social forum is the ability to learn directly from people facing different challenges in their own communities. Workshops, discussions and informal conversations can help participants discover new approaches to organizing, leadership and collective action.
Events of this scale also demonstrate the importance of cooperation. Meaningful social change rarely comes from one organization or one individual alone; it often develops through partnerships, shared experiences and a willingness to listen to different perspectives.
After engaging with social and community issues, readers can also take a break and explore other forms of digital entertainment at https://chickenroadcanada.ca/.
The Social Forum’s broader message remains relevant: bringing people together can create the relationships, knowledge and shared vision needed to imagine practical alternatives and work toward positive change.