We are the ones we have been waiting for.

At the end of June, something amazing is happening. It’s going to be the largest gathering of U.S. based grassroots social movements and organizations in recent history. It’s called the US Social Forum (www.ussf2007.org). USSF organizing is being led by people of color, women, queer, and poor folks. Over 10,000 participants will come to Atlanta GA from June 17th through July 2nd.

This will be a historic moment – a pivotal reference point in how our movements for change conceive of themselves, and how they will move in the next 5 to 10 years.

In an effort to both support USSF and Rainforest Action Network’s growing network of activists and chapters, RAN will be hosting an ACTION CAMP in Atlanta for youth (aged 13-30) during the 4 days prior to USSF. It will be a space for RAN activists to learn organizing skills, develop our grassroots strategy, and build our network. It will also be a place to connect with other RAN activists, to have a base of folks to experience USSF with.

We realize that money is tight for a lot of folks. So we would like to invite you to apply for a scholarship to the Action Camps.

:::The deadline is May 7th – !!THAT IS REALLY SOON!!

If you have ever thought about getting involved with or starting a RAN chapter – this is a great way to jump in!

Here’s the application. Enjoy.
http://ran.org/new/ryse/join_us/ran_youth_action_camp/

I spent the last weekend in Dripping Springs Texas at the 9th Radical Encuentro Camp (REC). This year Rainforest Action Network cosponsored it with some amazing anti-authoritarian Texans and community groups. It was a meeting of about 200 activists around the state to share skills and ideas. The theme this year was “climate justice.” We saw panels of amazing women fighting coal companies from native reservations in the Four Corners, to mountain families in Kentucky. Workshops were led by community groups resisting environmental racism, by spiritual leaders about staying spiritually grounded in the struggle, about skills such as media and legal defense, presentations by Rising Tide (radical roadshow on tour educating about climate change), and lots of other fun stuff.

The location was a ranchy type place near Jacob’s Well, one of the deepest underwater caves known - no one has found the end!

The trainings, workshops, and panels were accompanied by a three act Emma Goldman play, and the Afro-Cuban hip hop group Krudas.

see some videos of Krudas here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snk9KYKEwqQ
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31P6ie047b4
or
http://www.myspace.com/3krudas

I met lots of amazing and inspiring folks, and learned a whole lot about the logistical considerations in putting together an Action Camp. As SDS gears up to do our Action Camps this summer, we sure will need a whole lot of people workin. Events like this seem to be the focal point of the development of vision, strategy, and skillsharing on regional or statewide levels. Once SDS develops a template for Action Campin’ we really should have them as regularly as we have capacity for.

After a weekend of learning about climate change and coal, folks did an action against the coal plants and TXU.

It reaffirms my thinking that the organized, radical Left really really really needs to seriously take on the implications of Climate Change as a major issue. The rest of the country is getting organized around it, and most of us are dragging our feet. In a few days I’ll post up a proposal for more cooperation between the antiwar and climate change movements, the uniting piece of the puzzle being oil…