Common Action White Paper Challenges Activists at US Social Forum
by Leland Rucker
Common Action, a regional anarchist organization in the Northwest U.S. with members in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Tacoma and Olympia, has issued a white paper challenging attendees to strengthen their organizations. "Despite the bright spot that the Social Forum represents, our movements are not where they need to be," it begins. "With this paper we hope to lay out some reasons why we think people's movements are so weak now, and what we can do to rectify that. This includes confronting the capitalist system, while not forgetting that all forms of oppression are related and need to be fought simultaneously. We offer our analysis, at the same time we recognize this white paper is only one part of a broader conversation. We hope to learn from you all and to bring your struggles into our analysis and organizing."
Read the entire call-to-action here.
FightBack!News -- activists and organizers in the trade unions, low-income community and oppressed nationality movements -- reports that the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the L.A. Labor Community Strategy Center are doing a workshop to discuss strategy for revolution in the U.S. on Friday. Expect lively discussion at this one.
Censored News has a lengthy post about important events at the Forum for indigenous people, including a performance by John Trudell at Hart Plaza Thursday evening and a screening of his film as a fund-raiser for the Indigenous Environmental Networking at the Majic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., until 2 a.m.
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Waiting
Waiting to see what comes of all of this. Right now, the USSF looks like the Vegas convention for the opposition movements in this country. Everyone goes. Everyone has fun. Everyone says it was great. Everyone tries to find some justification to go back to the party next year. But all anyone really did was to take a week off of work and go to the party. Here's a challenge to the attendees. Do something that makes me feel like I missed out by not going. In 1999, I didn't make it to the WTO protests in Seattle. So much came from that, so for years I regretted not going. Quick quiz, name the year and the host city of the last USSF? Now be honest ... before you started hearing about this USSF and thus maybe remembering the last one, could you have done this six months ago? If someone had walked up to you off the street six months ago, could you have answered this question. There was absolutely nothing out of the last USSF that in any way made me feel like I'd missed out. I'd almost forgotten it had existed until I started hearing about this USSF. That's my challenge to the people at this one. Make this one useful enough where I'm sorry I'm not there. And no, don't tell me about the fun parties you went to. And don't tell me about the new friends you made. And don't tell me about some endless discussion that took up a daylong meeting, but which really went nowhere. Make this event like Seattle in '99 where its obvious for years later that this was an important event. Right now, I'm thinking that won't happen. Prove me wrong.