Ahmina's Thoughts: Global Connnections

I wrote a journal entry while I was in the Social Movement Assembly that was on Thursday, February 10^th during the World Social Forum and have included it below…

So I’m sitting in the Social Movement Assembly and I have to write what I’m feeling.  There is so much energy and passion in this room of over 200 people.  The moderator went about reading the Declaration created during the World Social Forum and it is very powerful and on point.  The declaration made statements on climate justice, land grabs, food sovereignty, human trafficking, womens rights, and much more.  (I’ve included a link to the Declaration below) The energy of the room reminds me of when I saw Evo Morales speak this past December.  There’s a collective sense of hope and desire for change.

[World Social Forum: Declaration of the Social Movement Assembly]

After the declaration was read a Tunisian activist spoke about what was happening there, and the need for such revolution to happen around the world.  In the middle of his speech the announcement came that Mubareck was ousted.  The wave of elation that swept the room was amazing, the room was saturated with emotion!

Tunisian activist speaking at Social Movement Assembly

Although hearing from the Tunisian activist was a great moment, I found a simple statement made by a woman from Brasil the most insightful.  She said "Only local resistance will move us forward!" and that really resonated with me, on so many levels.  The entire week that I’ve been here I’ve been wondering how should we engage at this international level, and there was my answer.  Through continuing the work we’re doing in Detroit on the ground we are moving this global movement forward.  I kept wondering, where does EMEAC fit in, how should we act or be involved at the international level and by showing solidarity, continuing to fight and hold our government accountable for its policies that subjugate those in our country and worldwide, we ARE currently doing this.  So the work EMEAC does IS moving us forward! And we rely on our allies at the international level doing this work to be a part of those conversations within the U.N., WSF, and other spaces.  We are not able to do it all, and I have to acknowledge that meanwhile knowing our work IS furthering the movement.