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A Debut: AID in United States Social Forum |
AID makes its debut at the United States Social Forum in Atlanta. A detailed report follows.
The first ever United States Social Forum (USSF) was held in Atlanta from June 27 to May 1, 2007. Volunteers from Atlanta, Bay Area and Maryland represented AID at the event and organized a special workshop on India's Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The US joining this movement seemed to me to be a testament to the work of millions of activists in the developing world, and suggested the beginning of a change in mindset in developed countries. We recognized the Forum to be an ideal platform for AID to link with like-minded organizations. The forum began with an opening march featuring hundreds of participants who walked through downtown Atlanta. Workshop sessions ranged from big theme issues such as the war against Iraq, economic globalization, indigenous issues, to more topical ones such as hip-hop and activism, slow foods, and India's special economic zones.
AID maintained a table on all 4 days, displaying Besan soaps, National Alliance for Peoples’ Movements (NAPMs) booklets on Gandhigiri, and hosting the SEZ workshop. Moreover, this Forum also served as a medium for AID’s alliance with Bharatanatyam dancer and activist, Malavika Mohanan, who is currently meeting AID chapters on her US tour of "Restless Natives”. Accompanied by Denali DeGraf, “Restless Natives” is a performance on peace, wars and creating a sustainable world.
The session was well attended and generated healthy debates about the balance between corporate, state and public interests. On being quizzed about the Coke struggle in India by a participant, I told him what I knew about the struggle. He thanked me and later revealed himself to be a Coke employee. He had never heard about Coke-related issues in India, and was keen on taking it up with his boss the next time he travels to India. To me, it was a moment when positive social change agents paused for a moment and re-energized themselves. The Social Forum was an opportunity to share ideas with a group of committed activists working to leave the world a little better than the way we found it.
-- Girija Sankaranarayanan, Atlanta |
