Anyone who claims Detroit is done either hasn’t been here or is flat out lying. This city is coming back with the help of a large crew of dedicated activists, and it’s the perfect example of the hope and work that the 2nd U.S. Social Forum (USSF) wants to show and grow. The Forum is well underway, starting Tuesday with a huge parade and a flood of people.
Opening ceremonies also highlighted local organizing efforts and actions, including a show of solidarity by the Michigan Rights Welfare Organization and others against DTE Energy, whose shutoff policies endanger the lives of low-income elderly and children. A new Detroit is being realized, and that means putting human needs over profit, especially during an economic crisis.
The Social Forum would not be possible without the support and effort of local groups and organizers. They have worked closely with USSF organizers to meet needs and find ways to collaborate and build in the months leading up to, and after, this convergence. I am sleeping in a church for free this week. It is just one of the thousands of spaces that Detroit activists hustled to provide. People are sleeping on floors, couches and yards all around the city, but the generosity doesn’t stop there. Food Not Bombs and others are giving sustenance throughout the week too. It is a wonderful example of the beauty and community-building that social forums showcase and create.
The Forum wraps up on Saturday and, keeping with the spirit of supporting local efforts, will include a rally to shut down Detroit’s waste incinerator, where all the municipal waste ends up. The incinerator, built in 1986, is the largest in the world and directly contributes to the high rates of environmental exposure to toxins that Detroit citizens face each day. The rally on Saturday will push for shutting down the incinerator and creating additional green jobs in recycling and composting the city’s waste; refusing to believe that Detroiters must choose between jobs and environmental health.
Detroit is still rolling, and transforming. Local activists should be very proud of all their work here, and know that all the USSF participants are appreciative of the warm welcome Detroit locals are giving.
I was hoping to write more frequently, but internet access and my old laptop are not cooperating, though I will definitely have more things to add about this USSF in the days to come! There are too many issues being debated and discussed here for just one person to track, but you can check out the USSF news archive to see a good sample of the action.
Another U.S. Social Forum post by this author:
Connecting and Growing the Grassroots: U.S. Social Forum 2010
Other articles by this author:
Israel: When Nonviolence and Humanitarian Aid is a Security Threat
40 Days Later and Oil Still Floods into the Gulf of Mexico
What is Going on in Arizona: States Try to Reform Immigration Law Because the Feds Haven’t
Fifteen Years After Oklahoma City, Stop History from Repeating
A Weekend of Health Care, Peace and Immigration Reform
The Surge of Death in Afghanistan
Miranda is an organizer and free radical for peace and justice. Community-building and social movements are her favorite topics to discuss and engage in.
