We need to start thinking about presenting a real progressive alternative agenda at the USSF Detroit and it should start with advocating real health care reform and countering the reactionary direction the Obama administration and the Democrats are taking this country.
There is something wrong about the way this United States Social Forum 2010 in Detroit is developing if every participant doesn’t go back home into their communities and stimulate movements for real health care reform.
A major problem with this Social Forum movement has been its inability to unite participants to undertake struggles aimed at accomplishing specific tasks, goals and objectives.
To bring so many activists together and not bring forward an agenda for real health care reform we can all unite and fight for just doesn’t seem right.
I would urge people to contact the working groups and insist that the struggle for health care reform becomes a primary objective of this Social Forum in 2010.
We need to send Barack Obama and the Democrats a loud, clear message that 25,000 activists will be organizing, as a complement to all their other activities, a national struggle for real health care reform.
I would encourage people to read my blog posting on this topic:
http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/health-care-reform.html
If 20,000 activists all assembled in one place at the same time can’t launch a real fight for health care reform and forge a massive “people’s front” by creating some kind of massive “people’s lobby” there is something wrong with how these Social Forums are being organized.
Health care reform, real health care reform and not this phony crap of Barack Obama’s, should become the centerpiece in the struggle for a “people’s bailout.”
Capitalism is on the skids to oblivion and it is time to start talking about the socialist alternative… let the talk begin by bringing forward the advocacy of socialized health care.
Alan L. Maki
Working Groups
Mon, 06/22/2009 – 03:05
One of the many ways that you can get involved in the organizing efforts for USSF Detroit is through the national Working Groups. There are currently 10 Working Groups, and several committees, where you can participate in regular (often biweekly) conference calls. With representatives from the Detroit Local Organizing Committee, each Working Group and committee discuss ideas, strategies, and plans around the work needed to bring the USSF to Detroit.
For more information about joining a Working Group or committee, please contact the following point people (all contacts are interim):
Working Groups
Culture – Oya Amakisi, Detroit Local Organizing Committee, amakisi@gmail.com
Communications – Bill Bryce, Southeast Michigan Jobs with Justice, williamabryce@att.net
Resource Mobilization – Genaro Lopez-Rendon, Southwest Workers Union, genaro@swunion.org
International Solidarity – Cindy Wiesner, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, cindy@ggjalliance.org
Language Access – Danielle Mahones, CTWO, dmahones@ctwo.org
Logistics – Maureen Taylor, USSF Staff, chuteh7@hotmail.com
Outreach – Tammy Bang Luu, Labor Community Strategy Center, Tammy@thestrategycenter.org and Ahmina Maxey, EMEAC, ahmina@emeac.org
People’s Movement Assembly – Stephanie Guilloud, Project South, stephanie2@projectsouth.org
Program – Walda Katz-Fishman, LRNA, wkatzfishman@igc.org
Religion – Bill Wylie-Kellerman bill@scupe.com and
Rev. Charles E. Williams II Cwilliams@im4justice.com 313.303.8002
Technology – Alfredo Lopez, May First/People Link, alfredo@mayfirst.org
Women’s – Ariel Dougherty, Women’s Media Equity Collaborative, arielcamera@gmail.com and Jacqui Patterson, Women of Color United, jpatters1@yahoo.com
Committees
Detroit Local Organizing Committee – Will Copeland, USSF Staff, williamwholenote@gmail.com