OC working group reports 12-22-09

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Working group representatives: prior to the 12/4/09 conference call, please submit your written report below. This information will be used to help draft the agenda and will allow other working groups to be prepared with feedback.

Each report should include the following:

• Summary of working group projects, activities, and/or organizing work.
• If applicable, summary of working group (sub)committee projects, activities and/or organizing efforts.
• Upcoming deadlines or milestones.
• List of feedback, direction, and support needed from the OC and/or specific working groups.
• Name of representative(s) who submitted the report.

To edit this page, click the "edit this page" tab at the top of the page, scan down to the header for your group and type or cut/paste your info. Use wiki coding to enhance your text, save at bottom of page. Brief wiki coding (or use icons in edit box):

* = bullet

: = colon will indent or force new line

'' = 2 apostrophes around text for italic

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Gender Justice

• GJWG members continue to participate in other USSF working groups. Our goal is to have at least one GJWG group member on every working

group. GJWG members have been actively involved in program and culture, logistics, resource mobilization, documentation.

• Recent GJWG discussions have focused on planning for regional meetings. A facilitator guide is developed in draft form for regional

gatherings of the GJWG. Another document, spelling out the expectations for sponsoring a regional GJWG gathering, will be developed.

• Relatedly, a connection is being made with PMA regarding the gender PMA. Rose will be speaking with Suzanne and Mai on Wed. to move the

GJWG collaboration with PMA for organizing the gender PMA.

• Ariel queried the NPC on possible connnections GJWG might make to other related activities.

• Immediate GJWG tasks include creating a timeline for GJWG regional gatherings; updating the GJWG listserv; developing a coordinating

committee and general list, selecting a replacement for Ariel on the NPC.

• The next GJWJ call will be in January. Rose Brewer

ICT

We continue our every two week meetings and will now be going weekly in January.

Our registration "team" finished the registration form and it is now public and being tested.

The website design was cut in by that team and is public and ready for updating.

We have now begun work on the registration form after having decided the coding and logic issues involved in making it work. Deadline for that is Jan. 15 and we will try to get it up before then for testing, etc.

We are also working on incorporation of various other registration forms (such as for artists, etc.) that are being developed jointly with other work groups.

ICT has begun deepening coordination with the two Tech coordinators (Tdka and Mallory) and we are setting up a special, weekly meeting between Alfredo and them (separate for the WG's meeting)

Outreach

Consulta

Based on the assessment on the gaps, we focused on outreach to Labor/Workers Centers, Youth Organizations, Organizations in the Northeast, Rocky Mountain/Plains, Detroit and the Midwest.

Right now, the consulta information only has individual names listed. We do not have the organizations connected to the individuals.

Cindy's Analysis of Types of Organizations: 400 results as of12/9/09 Intermediaries/Networks/Coalitions/Policy Organizations 110 Grassroots Community Organizations 45 Individuals/Non-Affiliated 41 Activist Formations/Solidarity Organizations 34 Universities/Campus Organizations 34 Media/Culture 23 Collectives/Cooperatives 22 Parties 13 Youth Organizations 12 Unions/Worker Organizing 11 Foundations 8 International Allies 2

Materials: We need a second run on material and also other languages.

Subcommittee to do this work: Akudo, Rich, Cindy, Reg. Coordinate with communications, language access, and tech and get point people to create additional language.

USSF Field Staff Update

Congratulations and welcome to the US Social Forum process, B Loewe & Akudo Ejelonu.

Job Responsibilities include:

• Develop and oversee national organizing infrastructure, including overall plan, development of materials, contact spreadsheets, benchmarks, etc.
• Develop familiarity and connection with participating organizations so as to assist mobilization and coordination of participation from existing bases
• Attend events, convergences, and meetings to mobilize communities to the Forum
• Work with the Outreach Working Group on targeted outreach plan, progress and planning leading up to the forum, including via the website planning tools
• Support and coordinate participation in the People’s Movement Assembly, based on schedule and targeted outreach plan developed by Working Group
• Identify, coordinate, and support, the organizing needs of marginalized groups, particularly with resource mobilization networks, transportation/caravans to Detroit, connection to housing options in Detroit
• Support and coordinate with regional gatherings and forums to mobilize
• Hold regular outreach and orientation conference calls to introduce the Forum

Received 49 applications. Tammy, Will and Stephanie interviewed 6 people for this position. B has donated his labor. He is going to donate his staff time back to the social forum. We have two field staff positions that started on December 1.

B and Akudo are not new to the social forum process.

For the 2007 USSG, Akudo helped with the Freedom caravan. B organized people from Chicago to Atlanta

Review the job responsibility for this position. They will be working with PMA, Outreach WG, Detroit as well as connect with the other staff. Work will focus on helping folks in motion toward Detroit, identifying and organizing the sectoral and regional gaps, and working with communications and ICT to massify the forum.

Upcoming NPC meeting in ABQ

Main Goal is to reach out to indigenous and Native nations in the region. Reach out to immigrants rights groups that do work in the border. Think through youth organizations that can plug in throughout the region.

Planning to have a dinner/reception, town hall meeting around the budget cuts (invite for NPC). On Jan. 9 dinner reception and party. We are going to do an outreach pitch at the reception.

Working with Louis (SWOP representative) on what can be done to help outreach to orgs in the region. Having a People's Assembly meeting occur on Friday. We have come up with a list of what organizations we can get connected to the NPC and mobilized about the social forum process. SWOP has asked for our help to do outreach to invite people to the NPC meeting.

Outreach Retreat in Detroit Jan. 23-Jan. 26

Akudo, Tammy, B, and Cindy will be attending. Purpose is to connect National Outreach WG with Detroit Outreach Committee and to do some training for the new organizers. We have also invited Steph from PMA.

Our next scheduled call is Wednesday Jan. 13 (1pm pacific and 4pm eastern)

PMA

PMA Working Group continues to meet every other week. A Web Team is moving forward on online presence and communication tools for the group. They are also working with a documentation team around short videos to introduce the process and lead up to a how-to video.

NEXT STEPS: Member send updates directly to the list check out the much more filled out fronts & forces chart on the PMA google docs page and add to it http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASuMy3rIR4J7ZGQ1cmJ2bjlfMWM1OTlidHg4&hl=en <http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASuMy3rIR4J7ZGQ1cmJ2bjlfMWM1OTlidHg4&hl=en>

The Facilitation Team for the PMA at the NPC on a call next week TUESDAY, December 29 - 3pm EST/ 2pm CT / 1pm MT / 12pm PST On that call we will be gearing up for the National Planning Committee meeting in Albuquerque (see below)

UPDATE on the NPC Meeting: The Organizing Committee, the Agenda Team for the meeting, and folks at Southwest Organizing Project have been in discussion about the best way to introduce the Peoples Movement Assembly. Based on those conversations, the PMA will facilitate a walk-thru process on Friday, Jan 8 for around 3 hours. The goals and outcomes of the process:

• Identifying fronts of struggle in Detroit, regions, the broader US, and globally
• Identifying forces in motion on those fronts (as well as challenges, questions, limitations, alliances, etc.)
• Considering and committing to strategic directions for the USSF 2010 given that context
• Considering potential outcomes/advances for US-based movements through the USSF
• Understanding the PMA as an organizing process to prepare for the USSF and build political cohesion for the long run

The facilitation team will discuss and finalize the agenda on the Tuesday Dec 29 call -

A proposal about the flow of the PMA process DURING the 5 days of the Forum will be available at the next NPC meeting.

Program Working Group

Program & Culture WG report for OC call 12.22.09

The P&C WG has been meeting bi-weekly since August (or sooner) with the program subgroup and culture subgroup meeting in alternate weeks. The consulta/feedback team has also been doing huge work over these past several months.

Where we are:

1. The consulta/feedback forms went online in November and closed December 15, with feedback from 886 people & with Spanish language results from a total of 911 participants. Rishi sent detailed data to the NPC list and the team (Rishi, Raquel, Alicia) will be finalizing the tracts for the website and online forms. : 2. The program subgroup and ICT (coordinated by kiran, walda & Mark) have been working for several months on the “call” for self-organized submissions and the 2-hr and 4-hr online forms (sent to NPC most recently 12.16.09). : We are processing feedback (from 3 people on NPC) and are sharing with OC 12.22.09. : We will be developing procedures / protocol for review process to orient those who will be participating in the review process.: 3. The culture subgroup is also working with ICT (coordinated by Oya, Rishi & Mark) on the online submission form for artists / cultural expressions. They are also working on identifying artists who will be part of concerts/performances invited by NPC. The DLOC Culture Committee and P&C culture subgroup also communicate regularly.:

A separate Culture Report is being prepared for the OC call.

Critical next tasks for Program & Culture Working Group & Timeline: Dec 2009-June 2010

Jan 1 – March 15: Self-organized submission, cultural expression, and PMA online forms (& paper) on website January 1/15. Deadline for self-organized submissions March 15. Dec/Jan 1 – June: Set up now/make functional Logistics / venue team (P&C WG, Logistics, DLOC, staff, other) to specify all available rooms for workshops. Need this information ASAP and no later than January 15 so we are very clear about number of self-organized workshops we can accommodate. Also need to know “open space” availability, tents, etc. Dec/Jan 1 – June: Printed / online program team set up by NPC in January across WGs. Material other than self-organized pieces assembled starting now. Workshop & cultural expression information to team by May 15. Dec/Jan 1 – June: Program design & integration team set up by NPC in January across WGs (opening march team, plenary team, invited concert team, P&C WG – including cultural programming other than workshops, PMA WG, logistics) Jan 1 – March 15: Establish review process / protocol. Informal review process begins as submissions come in & relevant submission information made public on website to help with collaboration, etc. March 15 – May 31: Formal review process with notification by May 15 (or sooner) & room allocation for all accepted submissions May 15 – June 1: Materials for printed/online program finalized & to printer/tech team

2010 Call for Proposals for Self-Organized Proposals, Draft 5

Welcome to the self-organized process of the US Social Forum! You are building the movement. Your voice, experience, and struggle make us stronger. Read on for information on what types of proposals we're accepting, how to submit a proposal and the criteria we're using for acceptance.

Important Information

The US Social Forum is a space and a process for movement convergence, movement collaboration, and relationship building. Therefore, the following guidelines are needed to ensure the sharing of space and the participation of as many organizations as possible in developing and presenting self-organized proposals.

In order to submit a proposal, your organization must be registered and paid. There are four different types of self-organized workshop/activity proposals which your organization can submit:

• 2-hour workshop proposals: These must be sponsored by at least one organization.
• 4-hour workshop proposals: These must be sponsored by at least two co-sponsoring organizations.
• Artist and Cultural Performance proposals: These may be sponsored by individuals and organizations.
• 4-hour people’s movement assembly proposals: These must be sponsored by at least 4 collaborating organizations.

Each organization may sponsor no more than one workshop proposal. We're still working on the proposal for this decision: This is a topic for our joint PMA/Program Culture call. In the spirit of the social forum as a shared movement process that encourages collaboration, we strongly encourage collaborating with other organizations in order to foster alliance and relations building. Volunteers from the Program and Culture Working Group will also be making an effort to facilitate collaboration throughout the submission process by putting groups with similar proposals in touch with each other. Proposals may be submitted beginning January 2010. The submission process closes March 15th, 2010. We encourage you to submit your proposals early.

Guidelines for Workshop Proposals

We encourage...

• the presentation of material in a manner accessible to all educational levels.
• the use of interactive and popular education formats. However, the final presentation format is up to the presenters.
• multigenerational presenters, to foster intergenerational continuity.
• the inclusion of action steps, skill building, visions and solutions in your workshops. We strive for a good mix of both * issues-based and skill-share workshops.
• the inclusion of an artist or cultural worker in your event to foster alternative forms of facilitation and methods that address the multiple ways in which individuals learn and retain information.

Submission procedure

• Register and pay for your organization using the registration form.
• Fill out the appropriate Proposal Form, in Spanish, English, or Arabic.
• Submit your proposal to the Program and Culture Working Group beginning January 2010 and before March 15th, 2010. You are encouraged to submit early. Once again, your organization must be registered and paid in order to submit a proposal. We prefer proposals to be submitted electronically. However, you may also submit proposals on paper at the following address:

Program and Culture Proposal Submission 23 E. Adams St, 4th Floor Detroit, MI 48226

• The Program and Culture Working Group or the People’s Movement Assembly Working Group will evaluate all the proposals and correspond directly with the contact person sponsoring organization. Notification of acceptance to present at the 2010 US Social Forum will be communicated to the contact person of the sponsoring organization no later than May 30th, 2010.

Review process

We seek diversity in approach, topic, perspective, and focus, as well as experience level and demographics of presenters.

Proposals will be reviewed by the Program and Culture Working Group or the People’s Movement Assembly Working Group, using the criteria listed below. Reviewers may also request additional information and/or ask sponsoring organizations to collaborate with another organization submitting a similar proposal. The criteria that will be used in the review process are:

• In line with the vison and goals of the US Social Forum: ussf2010.org/vision-and-goals
• Reflection of the USSF’s commitment to ensuring that people from poor, working class and oppressed communities are represented
• Depth of content and connection to USSF themes and tracks
• Interactive and engaging format
• Knowledge and working experience of the topic or struggle and movement building
• Visions and solutions, plans for action, and skill building
• Overall strength of submission

Notification of acceptance, acceptance with provisions (i.e. suggested changes or additions), or non-acceptance will be communicated to the contact person of the sponsoring organization no later than May 30th, 2010.

Sponsoring Organization and Presenter Responsibilities

• Register for and attend the US Social Forum.
• Cover own expenses for travel and lodging to and from the USSF.
• Provide up-to-date contact information leading up to the USSF.
• Make no substantive changes in content, format, names, or numbers of presenters after proposal has been accepted (without the prior approval of the Program and Culture Working Group).
• Agree that the focus of the workshop will not be selling products or services.
• Be inclusive and in line with the vision and goals of the US Social Forum.
• Contact the Program and Culture Working Group if the sponsoring organization is canceling the workshop for any reason.
• Submit any resources or materials presented during the workshop (handouts, links, etc.) to the Program and Culture Working Group immediately following the conference for posting on the USSF website.
• Ensure that any special needs are noted on your submission form. All needs may not be met but best efforts will be made to meet them.
• Bring your own supplies and equipment, such as butcher block paper, markers, projectors, cables, copies of handouts etc.

Definitions, to be linked to these words where they appear in the text above:

Sponsoring Organization A sponsoring organization is the organization that is takes the lead in submitting the proposal and is responsible for the follow through and presentation of the workshop at the Social Forum. They provide a contact person for USSF volunteers to contact, Each organization may sponsor no more than one workshop.

Co-Sponsoring Organization A co-sponsoring organization is only for the 4-hour workshop proposals. It is one of two organizations that takes the lead in submitting the proposal and the responsibility for the follow through and presentation of the workshop. They will need to provide a contact person for USSF volunteers to contact.

Collaborating Organization A collaborating organization is an organization that is helping to organize, providing support, or participating in some way in a workshop. The collaborating organization does not provide a contact person for the workshop and will not be contacted by USSF volunteers regarding the workshop; they maintain contact with the sponsoring organization. For the sake of simplicity, no more than 4 collaborating organization names may be submitted.

2 Hour Workshop Proposal Form, Draft 5

1.For the submission contact person, please provide the following information:

First name: __________________

Last name: __________________

Email: __________________

Telephone number: __________________

City, State: __________________, __________________

2.For the sponsoring organization, please provide the following information. Note—each organization may sponsor no more than one 2-hour proposal. To sponsor a proposal, your organization must be registered and paid.

Organization name:

Organization website: __________________

Short description/mission of the organization:

3.Please provide the names and websites of up to 4 additional collaborating organizations. Organizations may collaborate on as many proposals as they wish. Collaborating organizations must be registered and paid.

4.The US Social Forum seeks to ensure that all our events reflect our principles of diversity and broad leadership and representation of oppressed communities. To that effect, please provide us with the following demographic information. Please check all boxes that describe the facilitators/presenters of your workshop. Hover/help text for this item is at the bottom of the document.

[ ] identify as women

[ ] identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer)

[ ] identify as People of Color

[ ] identify as Indigenous

[ ] are low income/poor

[ ] are working class

[ ] are 25 years old or younger

[ ] are immigrants (not born in the US)

[ ] are disabled

[ ] are 65 years old or older

[ ] live a rural area

[ ] other: ___________

5.Proposed session title: _________________________

6.Workshop description Please provide us with a description of your workshop, limited to 250 words or less. Things you may want to consider when crafting your description include:

• What ideas do you want the participants to take away?
• How will participants be engaged?
• What alternatives do you propose?
• What strategies do you propose to achieve these alternatives?

Please provide us with a short description, 25 words or less, for the printed program.

7.Language: The languages of the US Social Forum are English, Spanish, Arabic, and American Sign Language. What language(s) will your activity be conducted in?

[ ] English

[ ] Spanish

[ ] Arabic

[ ] ASL

[ ] Other: ________________

Due to our limited resources and capacity, the USSF organizers will not be able to provide interpretation services for all workshops. Will you provide your own translation services? If so, for which languages?

8.What format(s) will you use?

[ ] panel

[ ] small group discussion

[ ] Digital Presentation

[ ] slide show

[ ] popular education (story circle, Theater of Oppressed, play)

9.Check any special needs you have. Note: The Social Forum is not able to provide butcher block paper, markers, projectors, cables etc. We ask you bring your own supplies and equipment.

[ ] room with wheelchair accessibility

[ ] room with a projector screen or white wall for projecting

[ ] electric outlets

[ ] wireless internet access

[ ] Other: _______________

10.Check which day your event fits most appropriately:

[ ] Wed, June 23rd Connecting Detroit, the Midwest, and the U.S.

[ ] Thur, June 24th U.S. And International Social Movements Responses to Global Crisis

[ ] Fri, June 25th Solutions, Alternatives, and Visions

11.Check the track(s) that best describe your workshop. Please limit yourself to the top 3 tracks. Tracks from Consulta will go here, once finished.

12.Do you want to limit the size of your workshop? We cannot enforce size limits, however, we can arrange to place you in an appropriately sized room for your desired size.

[ ] No

[ ] less than 25

[ ] 25-50

[ ] 50-100

[ ] 100-200

[ ] over 200

13.Do you plan in participate in Detroit Expanded (Dex)? Detroit Expanded (Dex) is the expanded process of video/audio conferencing/streaming or collaboration through simultaneous activities in an effort to expand the events of the US Social Forum beyond Detroit. Commitment to an expanded event requires your organization to connect to, do outreach in and planning with the communities and organizations which will partner with you during your workshop.

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Definitions for Hover Text

Detroit Expanded

Detroit Expanded intends to be a territory in Cobo Hall, in which all rooms will have internet access with projectors, computers, webcams, and microphones.

Visit www.ussf2010.org/dex for more information

Two examples of a Detroit Expanded event: Workshop held in organization's home city simultaneous, allowing for video conferencing discussion and collaboration. Requires mobilization of participants in home city. Related organizations in foreign countries are invited to participate in a multi-city discussion about a global topic via online chat during which time a collaborative document can be produced. This requires massive outreach invitations to interested organizations.

To help with organizing your event, please visit organize.ussf2010.org to register and create a group. You may invite other collaborators to your group where you can create information pages about your event, collaborate on outreach materials, and finalize your plans for connection.

Sponsoring Organization

A sponsoring organization is the organization that is takes the lead in submitting the proposal and is responsible for the follow through and presentation of the workshop at the Social Forum. They provide a contact person for USSF volunteers to contact, Each organization may sponsor no more than one workshop.

Collaborating Organization

A collaborating organization is an organization that is helping to organize, providing support, or participating in some way in a workshop. The collaborating organization does not provide a contact person for the workshop and will not be contacted by USSF volunteers regarding the workshop; they maintain contact with the sponsoring organization.

Hover text for item 4 (on demographics)

The Program and Culture Working Group is collecting information on facilitator demographics so that we are able to identify if/when groups are not being adequately represented in the Social Forum programming. Demographics information will not be used in the review process; it will affect our outreach strategies, so that we may ensure that there is adequate outreach to, and representation of, oppressed groups in the Social Forum programming.

Culture Working Group

Culture Submission Form Work in Progress December 14, 2009

Needs to be reviewed by IC and then sent out to the NPC.

The United States Social Forum 2010 has created performance and visual art showcase opportunities for those interested in volunteering to present their work. We are seeking artists who are interested in helping to build a movement and heal our communities through social justice and the arts. We appreciate, in advance, your submissions and proposals for artistic presentation. It is our intention to select as many submissions as possible however there may be some submissions not selected due to a variety of limitations.

The USSF 2010 will showcase art, culture and entertainment in ways that convey momentum and hope. The USSF 2010 shares a vision that challenges poverty, exploitation, oppression, militarism/war and environmental destruction-- locally, nationally and globally. Cultural expressions representing diverse communities include: performance art, visual art, and film at the Hart Plaza and Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.

1. Drop-down menu of type of performance art:

• Music

• Dance

• Theater

• Poetry

2. Drop-down menu of type of visual art:

• Installation (Large-scale artwork to be installed by artists)

• Exhibition (artwork must be able to fit in one square foot or one cubic foot)

• Visual art production (on site creation of mural and/or graffiti)

3. Artist Information:

• Name

• Address

• E-mail

• Phone

• Artist Website

• Artist Bio (you may include level of experience)(max 200 words)

4. Artist Statement: "How does your art/body of work connect to the goals of the USSF." (max 200 words)

5. Info about work/project/performance:

To facilitate as many cultural expressions as we can, the maximum duration of any performance is one hour.

• Name/title

• Size of

• Technical Requirements

• Narrative description of piece (max 200 words)

Most of the time slots are 15 minute, 30 minute, and 1 hour. Please select the length of the time needed for your performance. Scheduling will be determined after submission. Please submit with flexibility in mind.:

check boxes

[ ] 15 minutes

[ ] 30 minutes

[ ] 1 hour

6. Sample of the piece (if there is no sample of the piece, then representative sample of the artist's work). Accepted formats include:

• link to website
• CD or DVD
• youtube video
• mp3, jpg, pdf, or gif (what is the maximum size for these files?)

Another World is Possible Progressive Film Festival Submission Guidelines

The United States Social Forum 2010 Progressive Film Festival showcases diverse inter~generational independent films and videos to shape and influence the public conversation in ways that convey momentum and hope. The films and videos represent a vision that inspires, empowers, and challenges poverty, exploitation, oppression, militarism/war and environmental destruction-- nationally and worldwide.

The USSF 2010 Progressive Film Festival will be held Wednesday, June 23, 2010 to Thursday, June 24, 2010 at the world renowned Cobo Hall in the heart of downtown Detroit.

Guidelines

We require 2 DVD screeners (copies) of your film/video for film selection and jury viewing purposes. Please include synopsis of the film/video, a picture from the film in a jpg format, brief filmmaker bio, as well as history of the film (festivals, awards, viewings). Submissions are considered only in a DVD format. No entry fee required Disclaimer Although every possible care will be taken with submissions, the United States Social Forum 2010 Progressive Film Festival cannot be responsible for loss or damage.

Please do not send originals. Please send film and information to:

USSF

23 East Adams, 4th floor

Central United Methodist Church

Film Festival c/o Culture Committee

Detroit, MI 48226

Logistics

Coordinating with the logistics committee and DLOC to accept submissions from registration, program, and culture

People’s Movement Assembly

Carlton and Ebony Golden are working on a proposal incorporating culture into the Plenaries and the PMAs.

Murals

• Soh Suzuki is the visual arts subgroup chair for the Program and Culture Committee. He is coordinating with the AMC, BeeHive Collective, and Just Seeds artists’ collective to create murals in Detroit.

• Soh will also meet with local artists to facilitate mural projects with the community playing a key role in the design, painting, and installation of the murals throughout the community.

• Soh is currently drafting a form for community organizations and gardens to apply to receive a mural. Spaces are limited.

Scholarships

A member from the Culture WG will write the language for the Scholarship to include artists.

International Cultural Inclusion

Met with IC and lawyers on how to get international artists involved

International Solidarity Committee

From: Jen Cox, PPEHRC/ ISC

The ISC is working on a few different areas of work: 1) ensuring strategic involvement and participation of the international community in the USSF, 2) logistics for international participants, 3) working with NPC, program and culture WG, anchors in Detroit and others in USSF process and global WSF process in defining 2nd day of USSF, and 4) developing relationships between USSF process and global movements and WSF process before, during and beyond the USSF.

We are currently defining the invitation process for international participants in the USSF. One level will probably be general visa letters for those who ask. We are working with Bill Martinez, a lawyer and ally in SF, on the visa issues, which are obviously very difficult given who we want to bring (poor people from around the world, social movement leaders, people from Cuba, Venezuela, Palestine, Iraq, etc). Bill has a lot of experience with visas in these types of circumstances.

The other level of invitations will be defining key networks, movements, struggles that we want to work to ensure they are able to come - through helping with the visa process, helping to figure out travel (though not necessarily providing), helping with hosting in Detroit, and seeing these folks as participants in the Day of National/Global responses to the crisis.

These “target” movements, etc are predominantly within the International Council of the World Social Forum, Hemispheric Council of the Social Forum of the Americas, and the Assembly of the Social Movements. These are the three primary international networks in the WSF process, with which many of us have long term historic relationships. Members of these three bodies (and the IC as a whole) have been spearheading the idea of linking the 2010 Social forums worldwide around a global united response from the peoples to the crises.

We will be meeting again before the NPC meeting to develop thoughts from the ISC on the 2nd day of program of the USSF, the day designated as focusing on US and Global Responses to the Crises (Economic, Climate, etc) – toward developing a global unified response to the crises from the peoples of the world.

The ISC is pursuing the possibility of the ambassador/consulate of Venezuela observing the NPC meeting next month, and we are looking at the possibility of having more international guests at the next OC or NPC meeting.