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<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>PLEASE CIRCULATE</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>Western Massachusetts Social
Forum</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>General Assembly Meeting</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Date: Friday, August 11</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Time: 6:00-8:00 pm</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Place: El Mercado, 413 Main St,
Holyoke</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The WM Social Forum meeting will be followed by a
Poetry Slam at El Mercado. Check it out!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>No potluck this time</FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Background info. below:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR
style="mso-ignore: vglayout" clear=all><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><IMG height=69
src="cid:036801c6b713$f72a8b60$46a37780@Dell820" width=249
v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></B></st1:place> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><st1:place w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS</SPAN></B></st1:place><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> SOCIAL
FORUM<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></B> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What is a Social
Forum?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In 2001,
the first World Social Forum (WSF) was held in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Porto Alegre</st1:City>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place> 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. <A
href="http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=2">http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=2</A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The World
Social Forum has become the largest and most important gathering of social
movements in the world, united in their opposition to <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">neoliberalism</I> (for definition, see
below) and united in the belief that ‘Another World Is Possible’ – one grounded
in social and economic justice and sustainability.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Social
Forums are open spaces for learning, networking, discussion, exchange,
celebration, visioning, strategizing and mobilization. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Social
Forums are also a process of movement building, not just series of
meetings.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Social
Forums are meant to be independent of political parties, although political
parties have played an important role in supporting the social forum process.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For more
details on the principles, see the WSF Charter of Principles below.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Why a <st1:place w:st="on">Western
Mass.</st1:place> Social Forum?</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To link
local struggles and organizing with the larger global justice movement. To learn
from and contribute to struggles around the world.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To build
a more powerful and unified movement for social and economic justice and
sustainability in <st1:place w:st="on">W. Mass.</st1:place>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To
advance discussion, debate, understanding, common interests and strategies for
change. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To
celebrate and create/experience a bit of our vision of the future through a
culture of solidarity. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To build
awareness and mobilization for the first U.S. Social Forum, June 27-July 1, 2007
in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:place></st1:City>. <A
href="http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html">http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html</A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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 <st1:City w:st="on">Boston</st1:City> and <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">What does a Social Forum look
like?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A
combination of talks, roundtables, workshops and cultural events.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.2in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.2in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .2in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A rich
mix of social and cultural exchange. Social Forum participants describe the
experience as inspiring, rejuvenating, exhilarating, re-affirming,
eye-opening.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">For
more info. including minutes from past meetings visit WMSF website: <A
href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/wsf/wsf.html">http://www.westernmassafsc.org/wsf/wsf.html</A></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
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