Dear Friend,
It's that's time of the year again - time for the Sydney Social Forum!
The Sydney Social Forum is an open space promoting solidarity and
cooperation among the diversity of activist networks in Sydney,
Australia and Internationally.
This year's Sydney Social Forum will be held on October 25 and 26 at
the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).
If you, your trade union, collective or organisation would like to
get involved with the 2003 SSF, please get in touch, get registered
and get involved!
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BACKGROUND TO SSF 2003
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In September 2002 the first Sydney Social Forum was held, attracting
over 400 people and the support of 35 organisations.
Since that time, a number of events have made the need for collaboration
and discussion even more urgent. The war on Iraq has clearly signalled
an intensifying permanent war on the world's poor - adding more open
unilateral military aggression to existing neo-liberal offensives
conducted through organisations like the International Monetary Fund,
World Bank and World Trade Organisation.
In Australia, the Howard government's enthusiastic support for the war
has been accompanied by increasing attacks on public healthcare, higher
education, the continuation of a deplorable refugee policy, and a push
for a Free Trade Agreement with the US.
On the other side, the worldwide movement against the war in Iraq was
also a spectacular expression of opposition to corporate greed and lack
of democracy.
Within this context, the Sydney Social Forum seeks to provide an open
space promoting solidarity and cooperation among the diversity of
activist networks in Sydney, Australia and internationally.
The SSF aims to promote discussion of analyses of the state of the world,
visions of an alternative world and strategies to get from one to the
other. It also aims to provide discussion of the nature and significance of
the international Social Forum movement, from the World Social Forum in
Porto Alegre to the emerging regional and city-based Social Forums.
The Sydney Social Forum can only be a real success with the participation
of a broad range of groups and individuals.
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
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This year's SSF will feature a variety of speakers including:
David Barsamian - Award-winning director of Alternative Radio in the US.
David has co-authored a number of books with eminent scholars such as
Noam Chomsky, Edward Said and Arundhati Roy.
Nicola Bullard - Deputy-director of Focus on the Global South. Nicola
is co-author along with Walden Bello of "Global Finance: New Thinking
on Regulating Speculative Capital Markets".
Ariel Guides - Representative from BMP (Solidarity of Filipino Workers),
the largest trade union congress in the Philippines, and head of the
Freedom from Hunger Coalition in Negros, covering 22,000 sugarworkers
across 12 cities and towns.
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REGISTRATION
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If you or your organisation / collective would like to register for this
year's SSF, you can get the forms you need from the SSF website.
http://www.sydneysocialforum.org/rego.html
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WORKSHOPS
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If you'd like to hold a workshop at this year's forum, you can find more
information and register your topic and preferred session time at the SSF
website.
http://www.sydneysocialforum.org/workshops/index.html
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UPCOMING MEETINGS / EVENTS
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--> Next SSF Organising Group Meeting:
Thursday, 18 September
6:30pm @ Gaelic Club
Everyone welcome! Come and have your say, help make the SSF happen.
--> SSF 2003 "Activate"
Thursday, 2nd October
6:30pm @ Gaelic Club
64 Devonshire St, Surry Hills
Come along to the SSF 2003 Activate. Find out what's happening at
this year's SSF. See footage from the 2003 World Social Forum,
New York City Social Forum and more. Entry by donation ($10/$5).
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MORE INFORMATION
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All the latest news and info will be made available at the SSF website:
http://www.sydneysocialforum.org.
Yours in the belief that another world is possible,
SSF Organising Group
.
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