Building the Social Forum, Building Our Movement

Abstract

The 2010 US Social Forum held in Detroit, Michigan, sought to participate in the international Social Forum process while simultaneously advancing the movement building practices in the host city. This essay highlights organizing strategies that Detroit organizers implemented, which included tours and work projects, locally led political actions with national significance, and holding space in the Detroit Local Organizing Committee. The essay contrasts the organizing strategies at the US Social Forum with the observations of local students at the 2011 World Social Forum who felt that its emphasis on the “global movement for change” drowned out local voices. The practical aspect of building a movement for social justice in the United States must deepen, connect, and expand existing motions toward justice. A movement is not a spontaneous phenomenon, but is built from time and energy invested in people and places. The theoretical aspect of an alternate economic system, a “socialism for the twenty-first century,” must build from the foundation of the people's current struggles for the economics of life: work, food, shelter, utilities, water, and so on. Social justice activists in the twenty-first century should take heed of these lessons.

Keywords:

• coalitions
• community organizing
• Detroit
• direct action
• local organizing
• People's Movement Assembly
• US Social Forum
• World Social Forum

Notes

Significant portions of this essay refer to USSF reports by Priscilla Dziubek, Lizzy Baskerville, and Diana Copeland, to whom I offer thanks. Thanks to Maureen Taylor and Joan Smith as well for taking time to talk about the PMA actions. Photographs of several events described herein may be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/backbone_campaign/sets/72157624305550637,http://climate-connections.org/2010/06/26/photo-essay-detroit-incinerator-action, andhttp://news.swunion.org/2010/06/photos-of-ussf-opening-march.html.