Help make the Houston Social Forum happen
As you may know, a group of volunteers from PAA and other
organizations have been working towards a large, unique gathering of
individuals and groups next year, which will be called the Houston
Social Forum. I'm interested in it because it will help us do some
of the main things that PAA's mission statement calls for --
promoting progressive ideas and issues through action, advocacy,
education, and networking. More background on the HSF is below.
The organizing committee (anyone who wants to participate) for the
Houston Social Forum has been meeting regularly, almost every week,
for the last several months to prepare for the HSF. We've been
making good progress, and have almost reached a major milestone --
evaluating, selecting, and confirming the venue for the event.
After evaluating and comparing the merits of several possible
locations, we've decided to have the first HSF next year at Texas
Southern University.
Now, we need some help to continue working towards the April 29-30
date when we plan to hold the HSF.
We will need volunteers for a variety of tasks over the next few
months, and more immediately we need some donations to pay for the
deposit on the venue and to cover other expenses that we must cover
now. To get a discount on this venue, though, we need to pay a $1500
deposit by the end of this week. In addition, we will need to get a
separate insurance policy very soon, which will cost several hundred
dollars more.
The HSF organizing committee (OC) has had a few small fund raisers,
and we've collected donations from individuals in the OC (ranging
from $50 to $200). The PAA as an organization has also contributed
$200 (approved during one of our monthly meetings). Altogether,
we've raised over $1300 so far for the HSF. We plan to have
additional fund raisers, but they take time and effort to set up,
publicize, etc. We submitted a grant proposal to help pay for
out-of-town speakers, etc. but we won't know for two months whether
we will get that. We also plan to go to other Houston-area
organizations during the next few weeks and ask them to contribute,
so we can cover the many other up-front expenses that need to be paid
before the event.
We do need some additional funds this week so we can confirm the
venue that we like (TSU) and get the discount on their rental
charges. We need about $200 more this week, and an estimated $500 in
the next few weeks for an insurance policy and other expenses that
must be paid very soon.
If you'd like to make a donation, an easy way is to use the PayPal
link near the bottom left corner of the PAA home page
http://progressiveactionalliance.org/ -- Click on the PayPal logo,
and you'll get to another page where you can enter any amount you
wish to donate. Be sure to put "HSF" or "Houston Social Forum" in
the "Payment For" blank. You can then use your credit card via the
secure web page do make the donation.
Alternatively, you can mail a check payable to "Houston Social Forum" to:
Heather Smith, 1839 Colquitt St. Houston, TX 77098
Ever participated in a PHANTOM BAKE SALE in which you give the few
dollars that it would cost you anyway if you baked goodies to
contribute to a bake sale or bought items at a bake sale? What if
you could envision this as a virtual bake sale? I know it's not as
sweet and tasty as a real bake sale and there is a lack of human
interaction. But at this holiday time of year, the concept has it's
advantages: more time to use for festivities other than organizing
and holding a fundraising event and LESS CALORIES.
If your finances won't allow you to donate funds now, but you'd like
to help in other ways, stay tuned for volunteer opportunities. We're
still organizing our various committees, and will soon need help with
a number of specific tasks (publicity, outreach to various groups,
flyer/brochure layout and design, contacting speakers and others for
the program, accounting, etc.) Think about what you'd like to help
with, and let me know. Or stay tuned for further developments.
Background on the Houston Social Forum (copied partly from the WSF web site):
Based on the guidelines and Charter of Principles of the World Social
Forum (held each year), the Houston Social Forum will be an open
meeting place where social movements, networks, NGO's and other civil
society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated
by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue
their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate
proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective
action.
The HSF, like the World Social Forum, is also characterized by
plurality and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental and
non-party. It proposes to facilitate decentralized coordination and
networking among organizations engaged in concrete action towards
building another world, at any level from the local to the
international, but it does not intend to be a body representing world
civil society.
For more information on the World Social Forum, see:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Social_Forum
Thanks, everyone.
Peace,
Bill