A View from the Center:
A Slice of Summer 2007 at the U.S. Social Forum
by Michelle Sedaca, Program Associate
South Africa Partners
 A staff member of a NonProfit Center tenant organization, Michelle writes this monthly column on life at the center, and the unique culture of a multi-tenant center created specifically for nonprofits. Photo:Michelle (left) meeting with Jackie Cefola, program coordinator at the NonProfit Center
Building Solutions
As some basked in the hot summer sun, others from across the nation and around the globe headed to Atlanta, Ga., to tackle the most pressing social issues of our time.
From June 27 to July 1, the first ever U.S. Social Forum (USSF) convened approximately 10,000 activists to educate each other about important topics ranging from food policy to the hip-hop movement to the War in Iraq. The forum gave activists the opportunity to identify alternative solutions to these challenges and to energize each other in our continued work towards positive change.
Nancy Kohn, field coordinator at The Access Project (TAP), excitedly shared her experiences at the USSF. Taking vacation time to attend, Kohn participated in a breadth of workshops, learned from diverse plenary dialogues and watched films on topics such as Hurricane Katrina and healthcare in Cuba. “There was an insightful analysis of the problems. We began to develop trust to build solutions in a democratic way,” she reflected.
The Origins
Initiated in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001, the World Social Forum was conceived as a way to organize activists from around the world to brainstorm alternatives to multinational corporate interests. The World Social Forum has subsequently been held in India, Kenya, Venezuela, Mali and Pakistan. Additionally, regional social forums across the world have been organized, including one in Boston in 2004.
A Multitude of Unifying Issues
Rather than being divisive or overwhelming, the multitude of issues unified participants. “The intermixing of issues enabled people to pick up on one another’s struggles and to support each other,” Kohn explained.
From workshops like “The Campaign to Free the Cuban Five,” “Poetry and Liberation,” “Exposing the Cradle-to-Prison Pipeline Industry” and “Immigrant Rights in California,” the forum’s vastness was astounding. The six plenary dialogues included Gulf Coast Reconstruction in the Post-Katrina Era; War, Militarism and the Prison Industrial Complex; Indigenous Voices: From the Heart of Mother Earth; Immigrant Rights; Liberating Gender and Sexuality: Integrating Gender and Sexual Justice Across Our Movements; and Workers’ Rights in the Global Economy.
 Making Connections
Kohn departed Atlanta with renewed energy for her work at TAP. While at the forum, she connected with a woman who has children with chronic illnesses. Frustrated by the failure of the healthcare system to meet their needs, she decided to establish her own nonprofit called Vote Healthcare.org to advocate for quality, affordable, accessible healthcare for all U.S. residents.
“Talking to people both with and without insurance reenergized me to do my work at TAP. The people who are most impacted by bad health policies need to be at the table to design new systems for more equitable healthcare,” Kohn emphasized.
Getting the Message Out
Another highlight of attending the Social Forum for Kohn involved distributing information about full scholarships to medical school in Cuba available to U.S. students who commit to working in underserved communities when they return to the United States.
Besides effervescent energy for her healthcare advocacy work, Kohn returned to Boston with hope. The forum’s overarching slogan “Another world is possible * Another U.S. is necessary” resonated for her loud and clear. “It is so reassuring that the next generation of activists is taking the reins,” Kohn exclaimed, referring to the large presence of young people at the forum. “No matter what you decide to focus on, there is a growing movement to address these basic social justice issues.”
For more information, visit the U.S. Social Forum website.
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