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<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dear friends,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>We appreciate all the work, time and commitment that
people have put into planning the social forum so far. As some of you may know,
there have been several conflicts in planning meetings during the same time as
other events, and these conflicts have prevented some people from being involved.
There have also been concerns raised about the class divide in, and the
structure of, the organizing process, and the fact that the coordinating
committee is not representative enough of the people, the struggles, and the
organizing in <st1:place w:st="on">Western Mass.</st1:place> We think these
conflicts represent larger issues that we face here in <st1:place w:st="on">Western
MA</st1:place> and across the country as a whole. The way we organize the
Social Forum will affect whether or not more unity and cooperation comes out of
the process for people in <st1:place w:st="on">Western MA</st1:place>. There is
the potential to bring people together through organizing an event like this
and there is always the potential that the process might divide people and move
the work backwards. A Social Forum that is not organized in an inclusive
way can do more harm than good.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 color=black
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>What if we
dared to use this opportunity to transform the ways in which we work
together? What if we took the risk to really talk honestly and listen
deeply to each other in order to create a way of working together that really
is inclusive and representative of all of us? </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>When we first starting planning, these were some of
the reasons listed for taking this on:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> Why a <st1:place w:st="on">Western Mass.</st1:place>
Social Forum?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>• 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></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>• 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></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>• To advance
discussion, debate, understanding, common interests and strategies for change.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>• To
celebrate and create/experience a bit of our vision of the future through a
culture of solidarity.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>• To
build awareness and mobilization for the first U.S. Social Forum, June 27-July
1, 2007 in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:City></st1:place>.
</span></font><font color=black><span style='color:
black'>http://www.ussf2007.org/home.html<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>We are proposing that we stop and ask ourselves how we
can truly meet these goals in the current structure of organizing the social
forum. We, are proposing that we slow down- even backtrack- the process
until we have a larger, more representative and inclusive group involved in the
planning ( many other people have also expressed this idea). We are calling for
a meeting to talk about these issues. We are NOT calling for a discussion about
this on line. We need to be sitting together to work this out. We propose
that we hold the meeting in a central and accessible location and let people
know the purpose of the meeting so all can attend who are interested. We think
it is very important to get a wide range of people at this meeting and so we
are proposing a handful of dates and times, and asking for individuals to email
Susan at <a href="mailto:reneandsusan@comcast.net">reneandsusan@comcast.net</a>
</span></font><font color="#003300"><span style='color:#003300'>(please
put Social Forum in the subject line) </span></font> <font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'>with all of the days and times listed that work for you. We
will then reply with the day and time that works best for most people.
Please offer suggestions for central and accessible locations as well.
Another world is possible but it is going to be a lot of work to create it
while living in the one we have now. Let’s support each other
lovingly but honestly and we can turn this around. We are still early in the
process and the time we put in now on working through the barriers can make all
the difference in where we end up. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Potential dates</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=purple face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=purple
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'>Thursday,
November 30th, 7 PM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=purple
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'>Saturday Dec
9th 1PM <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=purple
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'>Sunday, Dec
10th, 12 pm, 4 pm, 6:30 pm <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=purple
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'>Thursday, Dec
14th, 7 pm<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=purple
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>With appreciation for all of the work and
care that people are putting in to make this happen,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 color=black
face="Comic Sans MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Susan Theberge,
Shira Wolf, Carlos Fontes, Jon Weissman, Jo Comerford, Doug Renick</span></font>,
<font color=black><span style='color:windowtext'>Maurice
"Soulfighter" Taylor<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 color=black face="Comic Sans MS"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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