Resurrecting King’s Dream: Anti-poverty campaign kicks off March to Fulfill the Dream

Sunday marked the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, cutting short his dream.

But it also marked the launch of a historic march from New Orleans to Detroit by the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) to resurrect Dr. King’s dream of ending poverty in the United States.

The March to Fulfill the Dream seeks to highlight the critical issues facing tens of millions of poor people in the United States, including lack of affordable housing, health care, and living-wage jobs.

Road to USSF in Detroit I: Bay Area People’s Movement Assembly Kick-off

People's Movement Assembly kick-off at Poder Offices in Mission District

The Road to the US Social Forum in Detroit has begun and the kick-off for the People’s Movement of the Bay Area was hosted at ¡Poder! offices in the Mission on Saturday.

Ruben Solís, co-chair of the national PMA working committee and an organizer for the Texas-based Southwest Workers Union (SWU), provided an overview of the PMA process and Social Forum background, then facilitated an exercise to brainstorm and share solutions to various issues confronting the Bay Area.  Solís has been traveling around the southwest United States to kick-up off several assemblies in preparation for USSF 2010 in Detroit.

Poder’s meeting room was packed to capacity by individuals and representatives from organizations across the Bay Area, including Smart Meme, Courage to Resist, Bay Localize, Critical Resistance, Design Action Collective, Movement Generation, POWER, Ruckus Society, JASECON, One Struggle One Fight, Poor Magazine, Mobilization for Climate Justice, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, GIFT (Grassroots Institute for Fundraising), and teachers from Cesar Chavez and June Jordan.

Ruben Solís, co-chair PMA working committee, explains social forum process

For the first time, people’s movement assemblies are being held before, during, and after the main social forum events, in order to better articulate and integrate issues and movements and to coordinate national action plans following the Forum.  Solís described it as one of the United States social movements’ contribution to the social forum process.

Check out Road to Detroit, an info site specifically for Bay Area organizations and activists.

The next Bay Area People’s Movement Assembly will cover cross-sector collaboration, the logistics of getting to Detroit, and other specific issues in the Bay Area on Sat, March 27 from 2-5pm at Poder’s offices at 474 Valencia St. (near 16th Street BART).

General USSF 2010 information, including organization and individual registration.
Self-organized Workshop Proposal Call: Deadline is April 20.

Also check out the Detroit People’s Movement Assembly video.

Plant the Seed: Bay Area People’s Movement Assembly

As part of the Social Forum process various regions hold People’s Movement Assemblies as a space to coordinate and cross-pollinate ideas and prepare to attend the USSF 2010 in Detroit:

You and your organization are invited to participate in the Peoples Movement Assembly session taking place in San Francisco, California.  This session is a “kick off” of the process to get organized and to get to the US Social Forum II taking place June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan.

Saturday, March 13, 2010
2pm – 5pm
Poder Office
474 Valencia St #120
San Francisco, CA

WHAT IS A PEOPLES MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY?

What is this US Social Forum thing all about?

Have you heard the buzz about the US Social Forum but have questions about what it’s all about? Want to know how to register, how to get involved, what will be happening in Detroit June 22-26? For the month of March, the US Social Forum will be hosting informational call-in sessions every Tuesday (in English) and Thursday (Espanol).

The one-hour phone sessions are a great opportunity for anyone to ask questions and hear about the goals and history of the Social Forum, details about what will be happening in Detroit this summer, logistics on how to get involved, and how to use the Forum as an opportunity for local and regional movement-building.

Registration is open. Workshop and Cultural submissions can be made until March 20th. For more information, check the website at www.ussf2010.org.

The US Social Forum is bringing together grassroots groups to develop vision, collaborations, and strategies needed to construct a more peaceful and just world.  The Forum builds off the decade old process of the World Social Forum.  Bringing together the social justice work of low-income communities, people of color, young people, and LGBTQI communities, the forum is built by the grassroots for the grassroots to ensure that those affected by issues are at the center of movement responses and actions. It is a movement-building process that opens space for convergence, strategy exchange, and expanding our visions under the banner Another World is Possible. Another US is Necessary. A New Detroit is Underway.
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Call Information:

Call: 712-432-0075
Password: 388105#

Thurs 3/04 6pm EST (span)
Tues 3/09 2pm EST (eng)
Thurs 3/11 6pm EST (span)
Tues 3/16 2pm EST (eng)
Thurs 3/18 6pm EST (span)