Utica Social Forum: Another World is Possible!

This Saturday, December 3rd the Utica Social Forum will take place at Mohawk Valley Community College in the Alumni College Center building. Members from Rochester IMC as well as Rochester Against War (RAW) and the Rochester ISO branch will be giving workshops.

The Utica Social Forum, which is being sponsored by the International Club, stems out of the World Social Forum movement which can find its roots in Brazil a few years ago. This movement has spread around the world, reaching every continent. The purpose of these gatherings, which can be thematic, regional, or local, runs under the theme “another world is possible.” Individuals and groups dedicated or interested in the cause of social justice meet up and educate each other on pertinent social issues and plan for future organizing to address an array of social, political and economic problems.

The main speakers at the event will be Green Party Syracuse mayoral candidate and cofounder of the US Green Party Howie Hawkins, director of the CNY CLU (American Civil Liberties Union) Barrie Gewanter and Les Roberts, who was involved with a survey published in The Lancet that found the death toll of Iraqi civilians at 100,000, just 18 months following the invasion of that country.

Workshops/Speakers/Topics:

Les Roberts will present the findings of a study, released last year in the medical journal The Lancet, reporting that more than 100,000 Iraqis died as a result of the invasion and first 18 months of occupation by the Coalition.  This report was ranked as the second most important "under-reported" story of 2005 by Project Censored.  Les will discuss the lack of press coverage in the
US/>/>, and the implications of this limited coverage for the average American.

Barrie Gewanter (Executive Director of the ACLU Central New York
Chapter) will give an overview of the dangers of the US PATRIOT Act and give an in depth analysis of civil liberties and their current standing.

The Prison-Industrial Complex and the Slavery of Prison

The 911 “Conspiracy Theories”

“Gay Pride and Prejudice”

Roe v. Wade: A Precedent in Trouble

Organizing a Local Progressive Movement

Environmental/Animal Rights activism

Cop Watch 101: Policing the Police

Immigrants’ rights and issues.

City Repair Project

Dr. Dhafir’s case, Operation Imminent Horizon and Muslims’ rights.

“Breaking Out of the Two-Party Prison”

“The Truth of Walter Washington”

“New Workplace Organizing for the 21st Century”

The Struggle for Democracy in
Haiti/>/>

The Occupation of
Iraq/>/>

Fighting Racism and Fascism in
America/>/>

Alternatives to Corporate Media, the Indymedia network.

Resistance to war: coalition building, counter-recruitment, etc.

Some more info, links, etc. on the topics:

“New Workplace Organizing for the 21st Century”

Greg Giorgio. IWW ‘Wobbly’ unionist.

www.iww.org

“The Truth of Walter Washington”

Walter Washington’s life ended abruptly this summer when a
Utica/>/> police officer shot him. The officer who killed him was put on the force a week later and the Utica Police and District Attorney’s Office have given several different stories to the public through the media on why and how Walter was killed. Terrance and Sue will explain what the real story is and why the DA and police are afraid to tell it. (find the article on the story at http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/4926/index.php)

Dr. Dhafir’s case, Operation Imminent Horizon and Muslims’ rights.

http://www.jubileeinitiative.org/FreeDhafir.htm

The Struggle for Democracy in
Haiti/>/>

The Occupation of
Iraq/>/>

Both the workshops on Iraq/> and Haiti/> will be given by Ed Kinane who was in Haiti/> this past April and worked there in the mid-nineties… and was also in
Iraq/>/> with Voices of the Wilderness.

Fighting Racism and Fascism in
America Daryle Jenkins. One People’s Project (anti-fascist/anti-racist group) http://www.onepeoplesproject.com 

Alternatives to Corporate Media; the Indymedia network. Andy Dillon, Xemu & Javier Maldonado. Members from
Rochester/>/> IMC.

Resistance to war: coalition building, counter-recruitment, etc.Brian Lenzo. RIT student, ISO, RAW,
CAN./>/> Polly Miller. RAW.

The closing speech will be:

Democracy vs. Capitalism. How militarism and financial speculation prop up capitalism and undermine democracy and why we need to work for a systemic alternative. (Howie Hawkins)

Howie Hawkins has been active in movements for peace, justice, and the environment since the late 1960s. He was a co-founder of the US Green Party in 1984.  A truck unloader at UPS, he is active in Teamsters for a Democratic Union. His articles on politics and economics have appeared in many publications. He is the editor of a forthcoming book, Independent Politics.

The daylong event, which effectively starts at 10am (doors however open at 9am), will be divided into 5 sessions, with three or more different workshops in each session. Participants in the forum can pick and choose which workshops they would like to attend. There will also be a dozen tables set up for literature and books for people to either look through or make purchases. Also, an all-you-can-eat brunch will be served to those who would like it – the cost is $5.95. The forum should end no later than 5:30pm.

The purpose of this event is not purely educational. Hopefully, it will act as a catalyst for future organizing in the area to make “another world possible.” The entire event is free and open to the public.

To find out more information on what the World Social Forum movement stands for, check out the charter of principles in the English section at http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/.

For more information on the Utica Social Forum, contact Brendan at 315-853-5301 or via email at maslauskas@riseup.net.