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.

Atlanta, GA - Friday, 6/29/07 -- The U.S. Social Forum is in progress with workshops, presentations and plenaries that cover almost all areas of struggle in this attempt to build "another world." The small Boston May Day Coalition has been present in as many migrant workers workshops as humanly possible. The concept of "migrant worker" is not popular in the forum. Most of the events are labeled "immigrant rights"... Read more>> | Photo from Houston IMC | More USSF Coverage

The Cuban and international organizations based in Cuba, joined together on the Cuban Committee of the World Social Forum, would like to express our appreciation of and solidarity with the United States Social Forum...

The first ever United States Social Forum opened on Wednesday, June 27 with a march of thousands through downtown Atlanta protesting a proposal to privatize Atlanta's only public hospital. ( Photos: 1 | 2 ) Trade unionists, peace activists, community organizers, students, IMCistas, and others are converging on Atlanta this week to march, rally and develop strategies in their fight against the ultra-right. An Indymedia Caucus is scheduled for Saturday at 5pm, near the Pine Street stage in the park, or inside at the Indymedia table in case of rain.

(APN) ATLANTA – From 12pm-1pm, 100 public housing residents and advocates from Atlanta and Chicago gathered at City Hall to plead for the preservation of poor people’s homes in Atlanta and across the United States.

Indymedia will be hosting a caucus/meet-up at the Pine Street Stage at 5pm
A half dozen volunteers with Houston Indymedia as well as indymedia volunteers from across the US and thousands of other activists from around the world have gathered in Atlanta Georgia fo the first US Social Forum.

The Forum kicked off with the arrival of the People's Freedom Caravan and a march through downtown Atlanta addressing sites of signifigance to social justice movements there. Houston Represented with baners from Houston Indymedia and Houston Sin Fronteras, and joined more than two thousand marchers in marching though hot sunny downtown Atlanta.
Audio: US Social Forum Kicks Off Photos: March to Kick off The Social Forum | After two days at the US Social Forum

Houston Indymedia is in charge of staffing a table representing the Indymedia Network with newpapers, stickers, posters, videos and other goodies from Atlanta, Indybay, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Ashville, and indymedia.us as well as Houston. [Photos and info on how to find it]

There are currently 2 Indymedia tables in operation at the US Social Forum.

Left Turn Magazine is graciously letting The Indepedent squat their table which is located inside the Civic Center, from the front entrance it is on the left side of the entrance to the auditorium.

The Indymedia table that Houston IMC aquired is located downstairs (from the front entrance, take the staircase down on the left and then take a right into the door labeled Front Orchestra and where there in the hall)

We have Three Thousand Copies of a special edition Indymedia.us paper for distribution and need help from any Indymedia volunteers or supporters to help get papers out! Come visit.

A delegation of over 10 people from Worcester joins thousands in Atlanta, GA for the US Social Forum, including 5 members of Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement (EPOCA).

Participants from Worcester, who also include members of Stone Soup Collective and students from Clark University, have participated in several music events, plenaries, networking sessions, and dozens of workshops on a range of social justice issues from immigrant rights to radical education to youth organizing for change. The Forum is well organized and has successfully highlighted the protagonism of communities of color in the fight for justice in the us and in the world.

The United States Social forum opened on Wed, June 27 with a march of thousands through downtown Atlanta -- protesting issues very familiar to DC activists such as a proposal to PRIVATIZE Atlanta's only public hospital.

I heard it said that Atlanta is following DC own the path of structural adjustment -- about 7 years behind.

A wide variety of people were represented at the kickoff march -- and the first two speakers before the march left were two members, one an 85 year old elder of the Cherokee Nation, on whose land Atlanta sits.

This coming week the United States Social Forum will be taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and KSKQ will provide LIVE streaming radio reports

LIVE REPORTS PLANNED FOR THE BRAIN LABOR REPORT
Here is the tentative schedule. Remember ALL shows are LIVE 7:00AM - 7:30AM Pacific West Coast Time, and then archived as mp3 files on the Brain Labor Report webpage

Listen LIVE to KSKQ:  http://www.kskq.org
Archive @ Brain Labor Report:  http://www.kskq.org/blr

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Nancy Price, Co-Director of Alliance for Democracy

Thursday, June 28, 2007
Linda Richards, WILPF & Rogue Valley peace activist

Friday, June 29, 2007
Sarita Gupta, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice

The Peoples Freedom Caravan made it's second stop after kicking of in Albuquerque New Mexico on Friday the 22nd and spending Saturday in San Antonio. The caravan came to Hartman Park in the Manchester neighborhood of East Houston. looming in the background, right accross the street is a Vallero refinery with it's smokestack puffing away as neighborhood kids bike and play in the park and people getting off their busses eat barbeque and chat.

A number of local folks brought banners, flyers and petitions from their movements, including, immigrant rights, death penalty abolition, environmental justice and others. after folks ate and hang out, a rally was held, many people speaking on issues of environmental injustice and environmental racism in San Antonio, Port Arthur, and East Houston. One speaker, who impressed some and and induced heckling and anger from others was Mayor Bill White.
[read full story with photos] [More Photos from Environmental Justice Rally] [Freedom Caravan rolls through Houston]

While the WSF has come under heavy criticism over recent years, due in part to the increasingly dominant role that the political parties and large multinational NGOs play in the shaping and framing of the event, the USSF got off to an encouraging start when it was announced last year that it would take place in the southern state of Georgia, and that Project South would be one of the groups initially bottom-lining the organizing.

In remembrance of the courage of the first Freedom Ride that met racist violence in Jackson on May 25, 2006, community leaders again will unite on the People's Freedom Caravan to 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. From Boston to California, Chicago to Florida, people are getting on buses, vans and cars to share their story as they make their way to the 1st United States Social Forum in Atlanta, Ga. Every one person is a story and the masses of voices are bringing solutions to issues of violence, racism, pollution and poverty. As the freedom riders of the 1960s brought a new vision for the South based on desegregation, the People's Caravan will demonstrate that another US is possible, one that is based on equality, living wages, sustainability and human rights.

"The stories of Houston will be on the bus, promoting our right and everyone's right to breathe clean air and live in healthy communities. With 250 people joining us here, the local people can share their vision with this social forum on wheels and get their voices to Atlanta," explained Bryan Parras of the Southern Human Rights Organizing Network in Houston.

The Caravan will stop in Houston on June 24th. [read the full story]

This past Monday April 16th, Organizers with the Southwest Workers Union in San Antonio passed through Houston on their way home from attending a conference in New Orleans. A small meeting took place with a number of local organizers at the TEJAS office in Houston's East End. The primary topic of conversation was the US Social Forum which will be taking place this summer in Atlanta Georgia, and the tentatively titled "South-by-Southwest Freedom Riders Caravan"

This odyssey of a caravan will kick off in Albuquerque New Mexico, with participants coming from even further west, and will proceed through San Antonio, Houston, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Jackson, Selma and end in Atlanta. At each stop local committee's are planing a dinner with traditional food for the region as well as some type of protest related to local concerns in that community.

The US Social Forum will be taking place in Atlanta Georgia from June 27 - July 1, 2007 | Email List for local Mobilizing effort

The USSF offers no guarantees. It will be what we make of it. So arrive in Atlanta not only with the intention of being convinced and inspired, but with the desire to convince and inspire others. Certainly, the program promises to be dynamic, yet the forum as a whole will require the self-initiative of a restive and hungry social-movement left -- those ardently seeking to return their hearts "back home" -- to make it truly extraordinary.