[van-announce] Northwest Social Forum Cancelled or Delayed

[Eric Doherty]

*Northwest Social Forum will not be held October 15-17, 2004.
The International Forum on Globalization pre-event, scheduled for 
October 14 will not be held.
*

Statement of the Planning Committee of the Northwest Social Forum
October 6, 2004

With deep sadness, the Northwest Social Forum Planning Committee has 
come to the painful decision not to hold the Northwest Social Forum as 
it had been planned from the 15th to the 17th of October. The Indigenous 
Programming Committee withdrawal of September 23, followed by The Youth 
Planning Committee’s withdrawal of September 28, has been of great 
concern to the NWSF Planning Committee and to the many communities that 
have been participating at different times and in different capacities.

While our goal has been to use the Forum as a space and a process to 
bring the networks and communities together, at this point we feel that 
the process is not serving that purpose. Our decision indicates our 
desire not to increase the division or confusion and to return to our 
focus of building relationships and social movements that foster 
understanding and cooperation within our diversity.

The NWSF Planning Committee deeply apologizes for all the inconvenience 
this decision will cause. Before making this decision, we would have 
preferred to consult far more extensively with all the communities that 
have worked so hard to put on the NWSF about their views about what is 
to be done. However, given that there are only nine days before the 
event was scheduled to begin, such extensive consultations did not seem 
feasible.

We the Planning Committee reaffirm our commitment to the principles set 
out by the participant organizations in the initial NWSF planning 
retreat back in April 04 and attach those principles. Once more we take 
responsibility for misunderstandings, misstatements, transgressions, and 
inadequate responsiveness to concerns raised by the Indigenous and Youth 
Committees.

As we move forward with this decision, we the Planning Committee, 
reaffirm our most sincere intent and commitment to dialogue and healing 
based on learning, respect and mutuality. We especially encourage all 
those communities that have been historically marginalized and exploited 
to participate in this process.

We believe the NWSF should be seen as an event in the path we walk to 
build strong networks and movements in the Northwest region and beyond. 
We remain hopeful for our working together in the spirit and principles 
of the Northwest Social Forum because “Another world is possible” and we 
all together can build it.

Sincerely

NWSF Planning Committee

Lynne Dodson, Washington State Jobs with Justice
Cindy Domingo, Center for Social Justice
Rosalinda Guillen, Food Justice Alliance
Fran Korten, Positive Futures Network
Lucilene Lira, Friends of the Landless Workers
Marco Mejia, American Friends Service Committee, Portland
Dan Merkle, Center for Social Justice
Michael Ramos