[fse-esf] The USSF : a important step toward the resistance against the crisis.

[EricDR]

*The USSF : a important step toward the resistance against the crisis.*


/Daniel Munevar, Myriam Bourgy/


The second US Social Forum started today in the city of Detroit, 
Michigan. For the american social movements, this gathering holds a 
special importance as it is the first large scale meeting of the 
progressive social movements in the country since the beginning of the 
financial crisis in 2008. As such the forum picks up the flags of the 
World Social Forum and even takes them one step further. Thus, not only 
"Another world is possible" but furthermore "Another America is 
necessary". This slogan is the tacit recognition of the key role of the 
social struggles in the US for the rest of the social movements around 
the globe. Given the central role of the US in the international system 
it is clear that a stronger resistance in the country against the 
current offensive of capital can have significant repercussions abroad.

To highlight the importance of the social struggle against unfettered 
capitalism, the organizers have chosen a city that through the last 2 
decades has suffered the effects of neoliberalism: Detroit. Home of the 
big three american car companies (Chrysler, GM and Ford), the city has 
been closely intertwined with the fortunes of the automobile industry. 
As the companies started to outsource their production overseas in the 
late eighties, unemployment started to rise and eventually led to a 
massive emigration from the city. Today, Detroit holds half of the 
population it bolstered 20 years ago, 40% of the houses remain empty and 
due to the collapse of the american auto industry, the open unemployment 
rate hovers above 30%.

Against this dismal context, peculiar social movements have developed. 
The focus of the social struggles in Detorit is concerned on the one 
hand with the workers of the auto industry and on the other with the 
civil rights movement.

This set of specific characteristics was clearly present at the 
demonstration which kick started the US Social Forum. With more than 
5000 participants, the rally was a colorful representation of the 
variety of struggles in the US and in Detroit. The overarching demands 
of the demonstrators were related to unemployment, healthcare, social 
rights, Native Americans, global climate change, anti-discrimination and 
dismissal of the US involvement in the wars of Iraq, Afghanistan and its 
support to the Israeli government. There was also a widespread rejection 
of the economic policies implemented by the Obama administration and 
specifically it's handling of the economic crisis and the bailouts given 
to the financial sector. The workers participating in the demonstration 
made it clear that they wont pay for the crisis.

After the demonstration, all of the participants gathered at the COBO 
convention center in downtown Detroit. According to the organizers more 
than 12000 people have registered to participate in the week long 
activities of the US Social Forum. The air was filled with expectation 
and excitement about the possibilities that this gathering has for 
strengthening of the social movement in the US and the World. The CADTM 
team participating in this Forum will make its best to help to 
strengthen the movement.
-- 
*Eric De Ruest*
Comité pour l'Annulation
de la Dette du Tiers Monde
+32 (0)495/67.91.76
www.cadtm.org <http://www.cadtm.org>
-------------- section suivante --------------
Une pi?ce jointe HTML a ?t? nettoy?e...
URL: <http://lists.fse-esf.org/pipermail/fse-esf/attachments/20100623/2e07b2d0/attachment.htm>