« Ringing it in the Baptist Way.. | Main | notice »
The anticipation is growing
January 29, 2007
The World Social Forum ended last week, and I wish I could have been there. It sounds like such a place of celebration, activism, and solidarity. I know of one Micah Challenge Facilitator who attended, and I am dissapointed that more MC folks were not there.
The world social forum is a collossal event and statement in itself—it typically meets during the world economic forum and contrary to that stuffy neo-liberal meeting it is held in the global south. It is a time for activists, groups, leaders, individuals, and whoever wants to come together and ” pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action”.
Sometimes, the Forum gets a bad rep as being a magnet to leftist, Marxists, anti-establishment activists…but I would re-classify some of these people as innovators who are not afraid to say that the economic process of the last 50 years isn’t working and never really was, specifically for the poorset in our world. Here they come together to figure out new ways of bringing the voiceless to the decision making table…and of course I would leave the classification of leftist Marxist for some of the participants who have claimed such titles for themselves.
I wish Micah Challenge (by the way check out the new website) had been more present as I am sure in a setting like the Christian voice is not very strong…and Christianity might be wedded to moral degenerate neo-liberal imperialistic policies that they are there to oppose, for some of the activists at least. It would be refreshing for them, and opportune for christendom to represent at the next WSF. I may be wrong about the underrepresentation of Christians, and will have to do research to know for sure, but this is my instinct.
Finally to what I actually did last week. I went to Wheaton College and had a fantastic time. I was able to have lunch with some inspiring students and faculty, and then attend a task force meeting on HIV/AIDS to discuss the colleges response to this global pandemic.
I wish every school, especially small Christian colleges, had such a task force, and not just on HIV/AIDS, but on the MDG’s, Global Health, Hunger, Homelessness, etc. all of our pressing needs in our country and abroad.
For those of you who may live in IL, check out the AIDS benefit they are having at Wheaton College coming up in February…it looks like a good program and if you want more information email me.
Thats all for now, I think I may have promised pictures at some point, they will come.
-jason
Posted by filetaj on January 29, 2007 11:55 AM
Comments