Ref. :  000027063
Date :  2007-07-04
langue :  Anglais
Page d'accueil / Ensemble du site
fr / es / de / po / en

United States Social Forum


Ten thousand activists gathered in Atlanta the last week of June for the first ever United States Social Forum. The USSF adopted the World Social Forum’s slogan “Another World is Possible,” and added to it the line “Another US is Necessary.” The week’s events demonstrated the dedication of social movements in the United States to building a new and better world.

The USSF built on the two main issues that drives the WSF: opposition to corporate globalization and repressive neo-liberal policies that leave deep marks on marginalized communities. As with all forums, the USSF took on characteristics of its local host community. In the case of Atlanta, this was particularly notable for being rooted in a history of struggles against racism and other forums of oppression.

Lead organizers of the USSF (Project South and Grassroots Global Justice) consciously and deliberately organized the forum out of communities of color. It took time and effort and at points was a painful experience, but the result was one of the most participatory, horizontal, and grassroots forums in history. Skeptics wondered whether a forum could be successfully held in the heart of the empire, but rooting the forum in local community struggles provides a challenge and model for other forums to follow.

The forum began on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 27, with a massive march through the hot and humid streets of Atlanta. Two USSF banners and banners calling for “Indigenous Sovereignty Now” and “U.S. military out of Iraq & out of our communities” led the march from the Georgia State Capitol to the Atlantic Civic Center that provided the home base
for the forum. As with other social forum marches, placards advocated for the broad range of issues that make up social
movements–environmental, homeless, immigrant, women’s, and many other issues. Numerous banners called for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney for war crimes. Theater is always a part of these marches, with puppets and others on stilts adding color and excitement to the event.

Activists gathered in almost 1000 panels during the three main days of the forum. Organizers assigned one theme for each day: consciousness, vision, strategy. The first two days began with roundtables on movement building and visions for another world. Breakout sessions were organized into three time slots, and spread throughout the downtown area. At the end of the day, participants came back together for two plenary sessions in a large hall in the Atlanta Civic Center. Parallel events, receptions, and informal gatherings were held in a series of 14 solidarity tents (Indigenous, Africa, youth, democracy, health, Palestine, peace and justice, immigrant rights, solidarity economy, and others). A film series and art events ran parallel to the forum, and concerts closed off each day’s activities.

The six evening plenary sessions reflected the range of issues that are important to activists in the United States: Gulf coast reconstruction in the aftermath of the Katrina hurricane, militarism and prisons, Indigenous voices, immigrant rights, gender and sexuality, and workers’ rights in the global economy. The National Planning Committee carefully crafted the plenaries so that presenters would reflect the range of participants at the forum in terms of race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. Most of the plenaries, scheduled from 6:00 to 9:30 pm, only attracted a minority of the forum’s participants as many left for dinner or other receptions or cultural events. The one exception was the Saturday night panel on Liberating Gender and Sexuality that played to a packed auditorium and was greeted with wild cheers.

The forum ended on Sunday, July 1, with a Peoples Movement Assembly, renamed from the Social Movements Assembly held at other forums to more closely match a North American vocabulary. Preparations for the assembly began in regional breakout assemblies on Saturday morning which gave participants an opportunity to strategize on a more local level and prepare resolutions for the following morning assembly. Organizers gave each group two minutes to present their statement. When the Indigenous group went long and organizers tore the mike from the hands of the presenter the assembly came to a standstill until the issue could be resolved. The process for bringing these resolutions to home communities are still being worked out.

The USSF plans to join the WSF in international days of actions against neoliberalism at the end of January 2008, send delegates to the third Americas Social Forum in Guatemala in October 2008 and the next WSF in Brazil in 2009, and talk is of a second USSF in 2010. The forum was clearly a success. It provided a space for ideological opponents to gather and strategize around common issues. The workshops were engaging, passionate, and inspiring. Participants reflected the face of the United States. The forum pointed to the presence of strong social movements in the heart of the empire committed to making a better world.


Marc Becker

USSF webiste


Notez ce document
 
 
 
Moyenne des 74 opinions 
Note 2.31 / 4 MoyenMoyenMoyenMoyen
Du même auteur :
 flecheCommuniqué à propos de l'assassinat de Chokri Belaid
 flecheForum Social de l’Asie du Sud (18 - 22 novembre2011, Dhaka - Bengladesh)
 flecheForum Social Mondial 2011 (6-11 février 2011, Dakar - Sénégal) - Note conceptuelle
 flecheSaint Jacques de Compostelle, 27 jours pour la Culture de la Paix (4-30 décembre 2010, Espagne)
 flecheDakar lance une consultation publique sur les axes thématique pour l’édition 2011
 flecheSociété civile mondiale se réunira au Klimaforum 09 au cours de la Conférence sur le Climat de l'ONU
 flecheTout sur la mise en place du FSM en 2010
 flecheDetroit prévoit recevoir 20 milliers de militants des organisations et des mouvements sociaux au Forum Social USA
 flecheLa commémoration des 10 années commence à Porto Alegre - FSM 2010
 flecheMobilisation Indigène
 flecheForum Social Mondial 2009 (27 janvier - 1er février 2009, Belém, Brésil)
 flecheLa consultation portant sur les objectifs d’action du FSM 2009 a commencé
 flecheTextes Généraux – Débat Stratégique
 flecheII Fórum Social Nordestino (2 a 5 de agosto de 2007, Salvador / Bahia - Brasil)
 flecheA cidadania dos EUA abraça o FSM
 flecheThe Contribution of the U.S. Social Forum: a reply to Whitaker and Bello’s debate on the Open Space
 flechePrograma Completo del FSM 2007
 flecheKaribu al FSM Nairobi 2007!
 flecheFSM 2007 : Inscriptions en ligne
 flecheSéminaire international de stratégies des mouvements sociaux
 flecheII Forum Social de la Triple Frontière se déroulera au Paraguay
 flecheLa date du FSM 2007 a déjà été fixée : du 20 au 25 de janvier!
 flechePrès de 30 000 personnes ont participé au FSM 2006 de Karachi
 flecheLa date du FSM 2007 a déjà été fixée : du 20 au 25 de janvier
 flecheFSM 2006 polycentrique Karachi (Pakistan)
 flecheFSM 2006 polycentrique Amériques et le II FSA
 flecheFSM 2006 - Polycentrique
 flecheFSM 2006 polycentrique Karachi est différé
 flecheThèmes du FSM 2006 policentrique
 flecheLes inscription pour le FSM 2006 sont ouvertes!
 flecheResoluciones de la consulta de Asia sobre el Foro Social Mundial 2006
 flecheForum social mondial - Cérémonie de clôture
 flecheFSM 2005 - Ouverture
 flecheFSM 2005 – Camp de la Jeunesse 2
 flecheJosé Saramago, Prêmio Nobel da Paz, fala sobre os rumos do FSM
 flecheSaúde, Militarização e Insegurança - Exposição durante o FSM
 flecheTout sur le Forum Social Mondial 2005
 flecheLes nouveautés du cinquième Forum social mondial II
 flecheEntrevista exclusiva com o Prêmio Nobel da Paz, Adolfo Perez Esquivel
 flecheL’eau est un des sujets de débat au FSM 2005
 flecheForum Social Mondial
 flecheA água é um dos temas em destaque nas atividades do Fórum Social Mundial 2005
 flechePovos indígenas da América Latina mostram sua cultura ancestral e debatem suas questões atuais no FSM 2005
 flecheO Puxirum, encontro de populações indígenas que acontece na quinta edição do FSM
 flecheLes organisations réalisent une assemblée contre la ZLEA
 flecheEconomia Solidária movimenta R$ 2 milhões
 flecheA participação da economia solidária no quinto FSM
 flecheCassen, Bernard
 flecheLes nouveautés du cinquième Forum social mondial
 flecheFSM 2005: a nova metodologia
 flecheLancement du Forum Social Mondial 2005
 flecheClôture des inscriptions d’activité pour le F.S.M. 2004
 flecheLancement du Forum Social Mondial en Inde et du Forum social européen
 flecheFSM 2004: cap sur l’Inde
 flecheClôture du FSM
 flecheTodos os números do Fórum Social Mundial 2003

 flecheFórum Social Mundial 2004 será na Índia
 flecheLancement du Forum Social Mondial 2003
 flecheOs rumos da globalização e da democracia
 flecheGlobalização solidária, anti-globalização ou desglobalização?
 flecheA fome como produto do neoliberalismo
 flecheAtivismo contra a privatização da água e para seu uso sustentável
 flecheA valorização das manifestações culturais como alternativa à globalização
 flecheConférence sur le sujet du Travail
 flecheConférence sur le commerce mondial
 flecheLes conférenciers discutent du rôle de l'OMC
 flecheUn ministre français découvre le budget participatif du RS
 flecheConférenciers s´opposent aux lois des brevets
 flecheManifiesto - Un mundo sostenible es posible!
 flecheLa preparation du Forum Social Mondial 2002 avance
 flecheDe olho em Davos
 flecheEmir Sader fala sobre a oposição entre Davos e Porto Alegre
 flecheProposition du comité d'organisation
13
RECHERCHE
Mots-clés   go
dans 
Traduire cette page Traduire par Google Translate
Partager

Share on Facebook
FACEBOOK
Partager sur Twitter
TWITTER
Share on Google+Google + Share on LinkedInLinkedIn
Partager sur MessengerMessenger Partager sur BloggerBlogger