[Antiracism] WM Social Forum Gen. Assembly Aug 11

[Emily Kawano]

PLEASE CIRCULATE

Western Massachusetts Social Forum
General Assembly Meeting

Date:     Friday, August 11
Time:    6:00-8:00 pm
Place:    El Mercado, 413 Main St, Holyoke

The WM Social Forum meeting will be followed by a Poetry Slam at El Mercado. Check it out!
No potluck this time.

Background info. below:





WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SOCIAL FORUM



What is a Social Forum?

·       In 2001, the first World Social Forum (WSF) was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil and was attended by around 15,000 people from around the world. Every year the WSF has drawn together more and more people. In 2005, around 155,000 people attended the WSF. http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=2 

·       The World Social Forum has become the largest and most important gathering of social movements in the world, united in their opposition to neoliberalism (for definition, see below) and united in the belief that 'Another World Is Possible' - one grounded in social and economic justice and sustainability.

·       Social Forums are open spaces for learning, networking, discussion, exchange, celebration, visioning, strategizing and mobilization. 

·       Social Forums are also a process of movement building, not just series of meetings.

·       Social Forums are meant to be independent of political parties, although political parties have played an important role in supporting the social forum process. 

·       For more details on the principles, see the WSF Charter of Principles below. 

 

Why a Western Mass. Social Forum?

·       To link local struggles and organizing with the larger global justice movement. To learn from and contribute to struggles around the world.

·       To build a more powerful and unified movement for social and economic justice and sustainability in W. Mass. 

·       To advance discussion, debate, understanding, common interests and strategies for change. 

·       To celebrate and create/experience a bit of our vision of the future through a culture of solidarity. 

·       To build awareness and mobilization for the first U.S. Social Forum, June 27-July 1, 2007 in Atlanta. http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html 

·       The WSF has inspired many regional and thematic social forums throughout the world, from Europe to Africa, Asia, Africa and Pan-America, to more localized social forums such as Boston and New York.   

 

What does a Social Forum look like?

·       A combination of talks, roundtables, workshops and cultural events. 

·       Most of these are self-organized by the organizations or individuals facilitating the event. Some events, such as the plenary events (attended by everyone), are organized by a program committee. 

·       A rich mix of social and cultural exchange. Social Forum participants describe the experience as inspiring, rejuvenating, exhilarating, re-affirming, eye-opening.

 

For more info. including minutes from past meetings visit WMSF website: http://www.westernmassafsc.org/wsf/wsf.html



 




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.hampshire.edu/pipermail/antiracism/attachments/20060803/5ad67156/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 9388 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.hampshire.edu/pipermail/antiracism/attachments/20060803/5ad67156/attachment.gif>