Midwest Social Forum (for syndication in community newsletters etc.)
MIDWEST SOCIAL FORUM 2006
JULY 7-9, 2006, Milwaukee, WI
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union
www.mwsocialforum.org
This July, Milwaukee will be host to Midwest Social Forum 2006, an annual regional gathering of grassroots organizations, community activists, artists, workers, educators, students, and others committed to social justice movement building. Formerly also known as RadFest, the MWSF provides an open space for exchanging experiences and information, strengthening alliances and networks, and developing effective strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change. The Forum will take place over the weekend of July 6-9 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union.
Each year, the Forum has increased in scope, scale, and diversity, and with the move to Milwaukee, is now poised to make its most significant leap forward. Indeed, the planning for MWSF 2006 is by far the most ambitious to date, with respect to both outreach and programming. The Forum begins on the morning of Friday, July 7th, continuing through the afternoon of Sunday, May 9th. The two-and-a-half day program will include a wide array of activities, including nearly 100 workshops, panels, and training sessions, a film series, music, poetry, art displays, plenary panels, strategy sessions, tabling and exhibits, and children’s activities.
Reflecting its emphasis on current real life social issues, the Forum opens on the morning of July 7th with a plenary panel on the immigrant rights movement, the first of many activities focused on immigrant rights that will include several films and more than half a dozen workshops, panels, and strategy sessions. The Forum also culminates on the afternoon of Sunday, July 9th with a march and rally against police brutality titled “Social Justice in the Streets and in the Courts.” This event is being co-sponsored by Justice for Jude, Campaign against Violence, the NAACP, Wisconsin Citizen Action, Urban Underground, and Peace Action Wisconsin, among others.
The Forum also offers ample opportunities for networking and strategizing. The day preceding the formal start of the Forum (Thursday, July 6th) has been set aside for retreats and caucuses for groups seeking to build or strengthen regional networks, engage in planning for long-term campaigns and projects, and participate in the Forum itself in a more organized way. For example, a large youth retreat is being organized by more than a dozen Midwest-based youth organizations. And on the final day of the Forum, there will be a series of Strategy Sessions designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among participating organizations and individuals, with the goal of developing greater strategic coordination of their efforts beyond the Forum.
The key to the success of Midwest Social Forum 2006 will be the enthusiastic participation of individuals and organizations dedicated to the construction of a more just world. The cost for the conference (including registration, lodging and meals) is very modest and determined by ability to pay. For registration, logistical, and other information, visit the MWSF website (www.mwsocialforum.org) or contact info [@] mwsocialforum.org or (608) 262-1420 or (608) 262-0854.
