Guatemala, October 11.- The Social Forum of the Americas is coming to an end. Today was the last day of workshops and events at the Universidad de San Carlos. The event will conclude on Sunday with a march and rally at the Plaza Central in the historical downtown area at noon. I started the day attending the "Globalization and migration: effects on indigenous peoples" organized by MIGUA, the Movement of Guatemalan Inmigrants in the U.S." Among the panelists were Elvira Arellano, Carlos Lopez from Casa del Migrante, Eliza Orozco, indigenous leader, and Eduardo Jimenez. They stressed the impact of migrations in the local communities and the need to correct through education a consumerist development in those receiving remittances from the U.S. For those who are left behind, believing that those who have left are successful materially, are left with a sense of worthlessness.

Battered by budget cuts and burdensome tuition costs while facing an indifferent administration, students at the City University of New York (CUNY) will hold a three-day gathering to chart a course for reviving campus activism.

The CUNY Social Forum will be held at the City College campus in Harlem Oct. 17 to 19. The goal is to bring together students, adjuncts and faculty from across CUNY’s 23 campuses to share their experiences and strategize around a host of important issues including tuition hikes, the university’s increasing reliance on low-wage adjuncts, restoring open admissions and defending ethnic and gender studies programs. Organizers also envision CUNY as a place where student, faculty and the community have meaningful decision-making power. Read More | Related: The Third Social Forum of the Americas Has Begun in Guatemala

Guatemala City -- October 7, 2008. The Social Forum of the Americas has begun, with most of the nearly 2000 participants arriving today. The registration process begun normally while switching from an automated system to a manual one. All the packets and a beautiful bag where distributed to each registered delegate. There was not doubt here that Spanish is the official language of the forum. The other undisputed presence is that of the Mayan people. In fact, their presence has been felt not only in numbers, but also in spiritual influence. Mayan religious ceremonies have gone on at dawn and sundown.

Next weekend, Friday June 27th to Sunday June 29th is the LA Social Forum. Billed as “a weekend of building bridges between LA-based campaigns for social justice, environmental action, criminal reform, election fairness, gender equity, political power and cultural expression.”

The conference kicks off Friday evening at 6 pm on the campus of USC. Over 70 workshops on a wide range of issues will be offered during the weekend. The Los Angeles Independent Media Center is among those groups holding a workshop, see: LA Indymedia Workshop.

“The Los Angeles Social Forum is a place where Southern California activists will meet and share power, plans, perspectives, and ideas while building a network for peace and social justice.” For more information please see: LASocialForum.org

Boston, Mass.—Hundreds of thousands around the world will join forces tomorrow, January 26, 2008, for a historical celebration of social movements and social justice as they take action locally on the Global Day of Action called forth during the World Social Forum (http://wsf2008.net/). People all over the world will hold talks, demonstrations, concerts, vigils, and many other creative ways of resistance to clamor “another world is possible.” In the Greater Boston area, the Global Day of Action launched last weekend with a Winter Soldier event organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War and their supporters, followed today by an immigration rally organized by the Boston May Day Coalition, and a People’s Music Winter Gathering tonight that seeks “to promote progressive ideas and transform ourselves and our communities through music to bring about a better world.” Other activities include an event to challenge the Free Trade Agreement in Colombia, a demonstration in support of Palestinians, and a talk about human rights in Haiti.

Power U leads Miami’s GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION by reclaiming the controversial land (referred to as Crosswinds) in Overtown. Saturday, January 26th, 1pm on the lot at NW 8th Street and NW 2nd Avenue.

During the US Social Forum, New York-based Domestic Workers United (DWU) and over ten other domestic worker organizations from California to Maryland founded a historic national network of domestic workers to link their struggles and more effectively agitate for change. As Celeste Escobar of DWU commented, "We need it more now than ever..."

Stemming from the history of slavery, domestic workers are excluded from most basic labor protections US workers enjoy. And that legacy continues as nearly the whole workforce is foreign-born women of color, who are forced to migrate to the United States in search of viable employment opportunities. Read More>>

From the POOR News Network: Poverty, Race, Disability, Youth and Indigenous Scholars from POOR Magazine travel to the US Social Forum to realize a new world of media production..By Any Means Necessary

"[N]otwithstanding the radical goals and objectives of the Forums... the media production is led by the same folks who always make media, who always have the channels of access and privilege."

Photo by Gary Spotted Wolf/PNN

As we approached the bus stop over on the north side of Union Square, we knew all of our hard work over the past few months had been well worth it. Looking out over the 100 person, two-bus delegation, you couldn't help but be struck by the amazing cross section of people and organizations we were rolling with on our way down to the first ever US Social Forum (USSF) in Atlanta.

The People's Freedom Caravan was an initiative of grassroots leadership in communities in Southwest in South to attend the US Social Forum and promote a new vision of democracy. This is a vision based on human rights, a vision that bridges racial, geographic and cultural divides and moves beyond the status quo 'pay to play' politics. Inspired by the Freedom Riders who confronted racist violence in the South in the early 1960's, organizers, activists and allies boarded buses from Albuquerque to Selma on the way to Atlanta.

Volunteers with Houston Indymedia joined the caravan in Houston and rode through New Orleans [1, 2], Slidel, Biloxi, Selma and finaly Atlanta providing story coverage and photos along the way. [Read the compilation of their coverage and the caravan]

HIMC Coverage | El Mono Xoro (Nuevo Laredo - Spanish) | Southwest Workers Union Blog | Southwest Organizing Project Blog | Video Coverage from FreeJonathan.com

Photo from SWOPBlogger: People's Freedom Caravan in Slidel, LA

An interview at the US Social Forum with Faith Gemmill, member of REDOIL (Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands) Network, about the environment, climate change, and a warning to all about failing to take care of the earth.

"What's happening to us in the north is that we're being affected by climate change. We see our land being destroyed by the fossil, mining, military industry... We are actually literally dying and everyone is responsible for that. Because the energy that is being taken from our homelands, feeds the need here and so we are calling on all people, all human beings of conscience... Change how you live." Read More & Audio | RedOIL Webpage

While thousands gathered at this week's U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta some thought it necessary to discuss colonialism as the central problem affecting various groups in varying ways. Those leading the discussion were Anita Rios of the Green Institute and Green Party, Jared Ball of FreeMix Radio, Elaine Brown former chairperson of the Black Panther Party, Audrey Thayer of the White Earth Nation and Green Institute, Jared Wilkens of Democracy Unlimited and Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

For years, ONE DC, formerly known as Manna CDC, has been pushing the city to consider the concerns of long-time and low-income residents in the development of property within the Shaw neighborhood. One result of these efforts has been a Memorandum of Understanding from the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) with regard to the development of the Radio One site at 7th Street & S Street NW and a small parcel of land at 7th Street & Rhode Island Ave., otherwise known as Parcel 42. According to the MOU, 96 units of the property going up at Parcel 42 would be set aside for residents earning less than $40,000 a year. Read More>> | Video

On June 30th, Bakers without Borders and Co-optation Watch pied Medea Benjamin at the US Social Forum. Bakers without Borders and Co-optation Watch state that they took action "to demand accountability from a self-appointed "spokesperson" whose actions further the commodification of resistance and sabotage our movement's sustainability and credibility. This person's actions benefit the NGO Industrial Complex at the expense of real democracy and solidarity."

In particular, Bakers without Borders and Co-optation Watch hold Medea Benjamin accountable for, "Publicly siding with the police and municipal authorities against direct actions performed at the World Trade Organization protests of 1999. Administrative authority in an organization that hordes funds raised for community organizations in Guatemala. Exploiting and dominating movement space, resources, and publicity in the global justice and associated movements." Read more with photos and video | Communique on USSF Pieing

Medea has responded to the incident, writing: On the eve of the closing of the first ever US Social Forum in Atlanta, CODEPINK hosted a reception in the Peace and Justice Tent. We raised our glasses in a toast to the historic gathering and the wonderful activists from around the country. ... Suddenly, while basking in the warmth of the camaraderie, I felt someone’s hand smashing into my face. It was so quick I didn’t have time to even close my eyes. With goo dripping down by face and my eyes burning, I realized I had been “pied.” ...In the wake of the assault with a high-caloric weapon, I could have followed the footsteps of Willie Brown or Ann Coulter by pressing charges. But I wouldn’t do that. Why? I actually feel sorry for people who harbor so much resentment and come from a place of such anger. Read More...

Thursday, June 28 began with a disappointment-only ONE person from USSF(myself) turned up at a rally to Save Grady Hospital(Atlanta's only public Hospital) organized by local community members. It ended in another, as UFPJ announced they would do their fall mobe the week after the IMF protests.

The third day of the USSF was as interesting as ever. MGJ finally did the first workshop on the upcoming fall protests, with organizers from all over the US present. Tomorrow is the strategy session where stakeholders decide what kind of tactics to use, followed by a "live exercise" in street tactics.

Three-plus buses of New Orleanians and supporters arrived in Atlanta for the first-ever US Social Forum, June 27 through July 1. Many hope the forum will be an important step in dispelling myths about reconstruction in the Gulf Coast and building reliable networks of support with organization throughout the country.