Detroit to Host Second US Social Forum in 2010
The second U.S. Social Forum (USSF) will take place June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit. Next year’s event is a follow up to the inaugural U.S. Social Forum, which attracted 12,000 attendees to Atlanta from June 27-July 1, 2007.
Organizers say Detroit is the right place for the second forum because it “is a harbinger for what we must do in our communities.”
Detroit has the highest unemployment of any major city in the country—23.2% (March 2009)—with nearly one in four Detroiters unable to find work. Michigan has had the highest number of unemployed people in all 50 states for nearly four years. Thousands of living wage jobs have been permanently lost in the automotive industry and related sectors. Some think that it will take at least until 2025 for Michigan to recover from the economic collapse and social dislocation. What is happening in Detroit and in Michigan is happening all across the U.S.
Why another forum? Organizers explain:
The gathering in Atlanta in June 2007 had 12,000 people come together in the belief that “Another World Was Possible!” Movement forces from all over the country took advantage of the opportunity to celebrate, organize, teach, debate and otherwise contribute to a growing sense that “Another U.S. Was Necessary!” The USSF made it clear our need for greater convergence among progressives and the left in this country and to begin to articulate our vision for “Another World.”
The purpose of the USSF is to effectively and affirmatively articulate the values and strategies of a growing and vibrant movement for justice in the United States. Those who build towards and participate in the USSF are no longer interested in simply stating what social justice movements “stand-against,” rather we see ourselves as part of new movements that reach beyond national borders, that practice democracy at all levels, and understand that neo-liberalism abroad and here in the US is not the solution. The USSF provides a first major step towards such articulation of what we stand for.
You can learn more about the USSF 2010 and donate to the cause at USSF2010.org. Organizers have set up a Wikipedia planning page here.