Rochester Social Forum Planned for Sept. 12 and 13

Rochester joins with movements throughout the world in opposition to corporate greed and war. Groups will gather in Rochester to learn, network and move toward actions that "will make another worlds possible."

Let's show each other how to live in a world where people are more important than profits.

Let's learn together and demand that our voices be heard in decisions that affect our lives.

Let's enjoy each other and build bridges in our community.

Recently 200,000 people gathered in the French countryside in that same spirit, to strategize for a Fall campaign against commercialization and privatization associated with WTO policies. More than twice as many people as anticipated showed up, and organizers were forced to close the event to new arrivals. (see Larzac attachment)

In the U.S., many are organizing local events to clarify and oppose WTO policies. United for Peace and Justice and Global Exchange for example, both have websites calling for international days of action against the WTO to coincide with the Cancun meetings.

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1857
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/

The WTO embodies the policies of corporate domination and control that lead to social injustice and poverty for millions here in the United States and throughout the world. It is a critical component in the web of elites who divert our much needed resources to militarism, imprisonment, displacement and war.

Rochester joins with movements throughout the world in opposition to corporate greed and war. Groups will gather in Rochester to learn, network and move toward actions that "make other worlds possible."

The forum will include themes relating to:

Corporate Globalization (the neoliberal agenda of "free trade," deregulation, privatization and special corporate protections enshrined in the WTO)
Militarism and War
The effects of corporate globalization and militarism on us locally and how local groups are working to fight back
Working together, we can demand a more democratic global economy where:

Global citizens are democratically represented in the economic and social decisions that impact our lives.
Corporations are accountable to public needs, provide living wage jobs and are environmentally sound.
Financial policies, including unfair debt, are overhauled so that communities may thrive.
Human and economic rights are reflected in international trade agreements.
Womens'needs are integrated into all economic restructuring.
Free and strong labor unions are built, and obstacles to labor organizing are removed.
Community controls over capital are put in place, promoting socially responsible investment.
FAIR trade, not free trade is promoted. We can start by purchasing locally made goods and locally grown foods that support local economies and cooperative forms of production and trade.
*From "Ten Ways to Democratize the Global Economy" (for more info on social forums go to http://www.nycsocialforum.org/whatis2.html).

Activities are being planned by various groups and individuals from the Rochester area. In addition there will be room for spontaneous discussion/planning to occur. We hope to have a wide variety of groups and philosophies represented at the forum.

In order for this to work well we need your help. This could mean anything from showing up and letting people know that your group exists to giving a presentation to being part of the planning of the forum itself. Basically, any way that you could contribute would be very appreciated. If a decent amount of groups sign on and put in only a minimal amount of time, we can expect a very good forum. If a wide variety of groups want to take an active role in planning and executing the forum, we can expect something great.

While the world elites are forcing their vision of the future onto the world, lets work together to build ours.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO GET INVOLVED WITH PLANNING THE SOCIAL FORUM:
come to a planning meeting, EVERY THURSDAY AT 5:45PM
contact:
Ben Dean IshiPutnam@hotpop.com 442-6301
Andy Dillon adillon@frontiernet.net 442-1418
Mary Shoemaker mary_shoemaker@urmc.rochester.edu 464-8965
Earthman earthman@indymedia.org