Another Midwest Social Forum is Possible!

>Another Midwest Social Forum is Possible!
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>- Please Forward Widely -
>
>An Open Letter to the Midwest/Radfest Social Forum
>from the Freedom Now! Milwaukee Collaborative,
>Education For The People!, the Latino Student Union
>and others.
>
>July 2, 2006
>
>We are People of Color of conscience, of independent
>political views who believe in the destruction of
>white supremacy within social movements and who demand
>equal respect.
>
>The Midwest/Radfest Social Forum will take place July
>2006 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but it
>is not about building a movement for a more just
>Milwaukee.. A Social Forum should make a commitment
>to the struggles of the local area where the event is
>held. Last year, the Midwest Social Forum was named
>RadFest and held in posh Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
>RadFest historically has been a retreat for white
>activists to examine and discuss social movements, and
>prospects for white student and white activist
>collaboration. The current incarnation of the "Forum"
>did not grow collectively out of the social forum
>movement, it was just renamed the Midwest Social
>Forum.
>
>This year, it was decided that RadFest’s name be
>changed and the location be moved to a "more
>accessible" place such as UW-Milwaukee, ironically,
>one of the most inaccessible institutions in the City
>for Black and Brown folk. Radfest Social Forum
>Colonizers believed that if the retreat was held in an
>"urban" setting, more people of color and poor people
>would attend.
>
>In addition to moderate attempts to recruit more
>people of color, the language of the retreat was
>changed to create the illusion that it would be truly
>multiracial and more closely aligned to a social
>forum. But rather than learn from work that is
>already being done in Milwaukee’s communities,
>organizers imposed their vision of what their
>urbanized retreat would look like, then invited people
>of color to join in. Sounds familiar, right?
>
>The Radfest Social Forum is again illustration of the
>kinds of struggles people of color deal with when
>confronting white supremacy. Rather than move toward
>discussion before claiming the Midwest Social Forum,
>Radfest proceeded to bypass a process of mutual
>respect and dialogue between our communities of social
>justice advocates.
>
>The Midwest/Radfest Social Forum used a tired dynamic
>that we as people of color know well: wealthy white
>people who have no investment in our communities came
>in, drew the blueprints, gathered the materials, and
>then invited us to do the work so it’s done right and
>benefits them.
>
>According to the World Social Forum website, "The
>World Social Forum is also characterized by plurality
>and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental
>and non-party. It proposes to facilitate decentralized
>coordination and networking among organizations
>engaged in concrete action towards building another
>world, at any level from the local to the
>international, but it does not intend to be a body
>representing world civil society. The World Social
>Forum is not a group nor an organization."
>
>We do not believe the Radfest Social Forum sees the
>efforts of people of color as irrelevant, but we do
>believe it sees people of color who are politically
>independent, consciously strong and politically
>capable as a threat. The threat we believe they see
>is the inability to control people of color who are
>working independently to create and promote the Social
>Forum Movement to reflect the World Social Forum and
>to be at the table as equals and not subordinates.
>
>Our activities should not be seen as a threat but as a
>strength in the cause of social justice. We will work
>with those who are truly committed to forging
>partnerships that are built with mutual respect and
>who believe in a sincere and honest effort to advance
>the conditions of people or color and will stand
>shoulder to shoulder with us. We will work within a
>framework of a grassroots democratic movement and
>partner with those who will work to that end. The
>Midwest Social Forum is not a slogan or something
>someone can claim as their own. It is not something
>to be conquered or in which a flag can be stuck.
>
>South African Freedom Fighter Steve Biko said that,
>"We can never wage any struggle without offering a
>strong counterpoint to the white races that permeate
>our society so effectively".
>
>We as people of color working to build a Milwaukee
>free of colonialist and neo-liberal mentalities need
>to continue building our own counterpoints to racist
>forces that experiment in our neighborhoods, schools,
>hospitals, and on our streets without being diverted
>by well-meaning white liberals that want to tell us
>they know best.
>
>We as people who fight everyday for people’s dignity,
>safety and opportunity in Milwaukee must make
>alliances that respect and focus on building
>connections within the Black and Brown, Native and
>Asian communities in Milwaukee, without waiting for
>liberals or neo-liberals to create a space for us to
>do it.
>
>We as people of color need to also recognize the
>totality of the neo-colonialist, neo-liberal,
>neo-conservative power structure: We are told that
>that the killings, beatings, and mass incarceration of
>our brothers and sisters are justified, we are told
>that we deserve to be deported or imprisoned, we are
>told we don’t deserve good schools, heath, or jobs,
>and then we are told how to best respond to the
>problem.
>
>Another Midwest Social Forum is Possible! And it will
>be ours. It will be created and attended by those
>that fight everyday for Milwaukee’s people our
>neighborhoods. It will move us forward together and
>develop a multiracial, multigenerational effort that
>transfers and redirects our city toward racial and
>economic justice, human rights, and freedom from
>oppression. Join us, engage us. We will meet on
>Saturday July 8 during the event to continue to
>unite. Contact: 414.322.0032 for meeting details and
>more information.
>
>!Juntos Adelante!