Originally published on the Pursue blog.
The second ever United States Social Forum (USSF) was convened from June 22 through June 26 in Detroit, Michigan, bringing together over 15,000 activists from across the US and from around the world. More than just a conference, the USSF was a historic convergence and a movement-building process, aimed at strengthening collaborative efforts towards social and economic justice, both within the US and abroad.
New York Pursue Program Officer Audrey Sasson, with community members Kerry Birnbach and Rishauna Zumberg (who blogged about Race and Food here) high-tailed it to the home of Motown to participate in the Food Justice track. They joined more than 60 other New York-area food justice activists in a caravan to Detroit, some of whom stayed in a vacant house owned by a local urban farmer.
Why are we writing about the US Social Forum NOW? The food justice networks that converged in Detroit are launching the newly named, US Food Sovereignty Alliance this week. This working group emerges from the USSF as an approach to ending poverty by rebuilding local food economies. They are celebrating the launch with 4 days of action, leading up to Sunday October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty:
October 12: Day of Indigenous Resistance to Conquest
October 15: World Rural Women’s Day
October 16: World Food Day
October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
