Join the Latin America Solidarity Coalition in Detroit!

Work with us on the US Social Forum
(June 22-26, 2010)

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition would like to invite Latin America grassroots solidarity organizations to participate in the US Social Forum scheduled for June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit. We also invite you to collaborate with like-minded organizations at the Social Forum in the following ways:

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition plans to work with the US Social Forum 2010 planning committees by helping organize workshops related to Latin American issues at the Social Forum.

We are contacting you because we suggest that the many organizations related to defending the peoples of Latin America seek to collaborate together to have the maximum impact at the USSF. One major element of this would be in offering joint workshops.

We understand the Detroit USSF 2010 seeks to streamline the number of workshops so that there will not be so many as at the 2007 USSF in Atlanta. The 2010 USSF plans to consolidate workshops when possible.

We think it wise that all of us, the Latin America solidarity organizations, work among ourselves to organize our workshops as much as possible before hand to maximize the impact we have at the Social Forum.

Each group that registers for USSF 2010 is limited to sponsoring only one workshop. However, we can work jointly and open our own organization’s sponsored workshop to include speakers from other of our organizations. If we all do this, we will all have a chance to participate in 2-4 other workshops sponsored by other groups by reciprocally inviting other speakers to our workshops. In this way we can make stronger ties with other organizations, and double or triple the number of workshops our own organization can present in. It also opens each of our organizations up to reaching out to the milieu of our fellow organizations.

Moreover, our combining of workshops would limit the competition between workshops and boost attendance in our workshops.

To accomplish this, we ask that you forward your workshop proposal to us, LASC, before, or at the same time you submit it to the USSF Planning Committee. Be sure to include your suggestions of which organizations’ speakers you would like to have in your workshop. We can email you the proposals of the other Latin American solidarity organizations so that you can decide which ones you would like to invite speakers from and which other workshops you would like to have added your own speaker.

Note: Your group is not required to submit a proposal to the LASC in order to be included in the USSF calendar. LASC will not “approve” workshop proposals. Rather we are seeking to help Latin America solidarity grassroots groups work together to collaboratively submit workshop proposals that will stand out among the expected 1800+ workshops during the four-day social forum.

If you have other suggestions, please let us know.

Second, there will be major plenaries on the third and fourth days of the USSF 2010. Day 3 will be “US and International Social Movement Responses to Global Crises” and Day 4 will be “Solutions, Alternatives and Visions.” If Latin American track organizations present ourselves as well organized in advance of the USSF, we are sure this will give us more input on who, and what subjects will be covered in these major plenums.

Third, we plan to have a “tent” (probably a church or other large space), at the Social Forum of all the organizations working with the LASC in solidarity with the peoples of Latin America. Let us know if you are interested in participating in this collective tent. Other ways collaborating with LASC and each other will help your organization:

1. Sharing the costs and planning
2. Attracting the best possible panel speakers
3. Web page and flyer promotion of workshops IN ADDITION to the listings in the official USSF publications
4. Use of the LASC “space” in Detroit for meeting, materials storage, and possibly sleeping bag-style housing
5. Network with existing and new Latin America solidarity activists to grow your group and our movement as a whole. You may register now for the USSF. Early registration rates now apply. The period for submitting workshop proposals is Jan. 20-March 20. The website is http://www.ussf2010.org

If you are interested in collaborating on a Latin America Solidarity “track” at the USSF, please contact Chuck Kaufman a the Alliance for Global Justice – [email protected] or 202-256-8032 or Alexis Stoumbelis, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) – [email protected] or 202- 521-2510 or Stan Smith, proposed LASC rep to the USSF National Planning Committee- [email protected], 773-376-7521

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