Midwest Social Forum
Encyclopedia
The Midwest Social Forum (MWSF) is an annual gathering that creates a space for grassroots organizations, community activists, educators, students, and others committed to social justice to come together to exchange experiences and information, strengthen alliances and networks, and devise strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change.
The MWSF builds on both regional and global traditions and sources of inspiration. It has its origins in the Midwest Radical Scholars and Activists Conference, which was founded in 1983 by the Havens Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later renamed RadFest in the late 1990s. In 2003, the title Midwest Social Forum was added, inspired by the World Social Forum
and the similar principles on which it was established, most importantly its commitment to diversity, democracy, and politically non-sectarian dialogue and deliberation, and to making a better, more just world possible (see WSF Charter of Principles here). Reflecting its growing identification and connection with the broader Social Forum movement, in September 2005, the MWSF organizing committee decided to drop the name RadFest and go solely by the title Midwest Social Forum.
The Midwest Social Forum organizing committee is composed of individuals from a variety of Midwest-based social justice, grassroots, community, alternative media, and educational organizations and institutions who are committed to social justice movement building locally, nationally, and globally and who themselves reflect the diversity objectives of the Forum. The majority of the committee has also been actively involved in the MWSF previously and/or is knowledgeable of and experienced with the broader Social Forum movement (including the WSF and the USSF). http://www.mwsocialforum.org/about/organizing_committee.htm
The expansion of the MWSF is illustrative of the growth of the Social Forum movement more generally, which has spread to the regional, national, and even local level in many parts of the world. The World Social Forum itself has increased from 20,000 participants in 2001 to 155,000 in 2005. The first Social Forum of the Americas was held in Quito, Ecuador in July, 2004, the second in conjunction with one of the three realizations of the 2006 World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela in January 2006. In 2007, the first United States Social Forum was held in Atlanta, Georgia
. Midwest Social Forum 2006 was held July 6-9, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
The MWSF builds on both regional and global traditions and sources of inspiration. It has its origins in the Midwest Radical Scholars and Activists Conference, which was founded in 1983 by the Havens Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later renamed RadFest in the late 1990s. In 2003, the title Midwest Social Forum was added, inspired by the World Social Forum
World Social Forum
The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...
and the similar principles on which it was established, most importantly its commitment to diversity, democracy, and politically non-sectarian dialogue and deliberation, and to making a better, more just world possible (see WSF Charter of Principles here). Reflecting its growing identification and connection with the broader Social Forum movement, in September 2005, the MWSF organizing committee decided to drop the name RadFest and go solely by the title Midwest Social Forum.
The Midwest Social Forum organizing committee is composed of individuals from a variety of Midwest-based social justice, grassroots, community, alternative media, and educational organizations and institutions who are committed to social justice movement building locally, nationally, and globally and who themselves reflect the diversity objectives of the Forum. The majority of the committee has also been actively involved in the MWSF previously and/or is knowledgeable of and experienced with the broader Social Forum movement (including the WSF and the USSF). http://www.mwsocialforum.org/about/organizing_committee.htm
The expansion of the MWSF is illustrative of the growth of the Social Forum movement more generally, which has spread to the regional, national, and even local level in many parts of the world. The World Social Forum itself has increased from 20,000 participants in 2001 to 155,000 in 2005. The first Social Forum of the Americas was held in Quito, Ecuador in July, 2004, the second in conjunction with one of the three realizations of the 2006 World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela in January 2006. In 2007, the first United States Social Forum was held in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Midwest Social Forum 2006 was held July 6-9, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
See also
- World Social ForumWorld Social ForumThe World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...
- European Social ForumEuropean Social ForumThe European Social Forum is a recurring conference held by members of the alter-globalization movement . In the first few years after it started in 2002 the conference was held every year, but later it became biannual due to difficulties with finding host countries...
- Southern Africa Social ForumSouthern Africa Social ForumThe Southern African Social Forum is a Social Forum conference held in a different Southern Africa county each year.It is organised in the spirit of the World Social Forum but is not organized by the WSF Secretariat or the International Council...
- Boston Social ForumBoston Social ForumThe Boston Social Forum was the first North American social forum to use the methodology of the World Social Forum process and adhere closely to its Charter of Principles...