by Haby Dramé, MPT Intern
The US Social Forum 2010 took place in Detroit, Michigan from June 22th to June 26th and you know what, I was there!
Interning with Michigan Peace Team since the beginning of May, I’ve been invited to participate as a team member in the different peace teams they placed during the opening march and the protest in front of Chase bank.
I have to confess that before I came to the U.S, I didn’t know that a US Social Forum was taking place every
other year. I have heard about the World Social Forum of course but I’d never heard about a US Social Forum and I think a lot of people in Paris are just like me. It was a giant surprise to find myself here for this wonderful event and in some way to be a part of it. If you had asked me to describe my feelings about the events right after the opening march all I would have been able to say is "Wow!"
What impressed me the most during the Forum is the opening march. It was impressive, powerful and so beautiful! As peace team members, we had to walk on both sides of the road to Cobo Hall, where the opening ceremony was to take place. More than 20, 000 folks from all over the United States were in Detroit this day. All those people were united for the same goal, singing, dancing and chanting slogans (a week after the event I still find myself chanting some of them sometimes), young
folks, older folks, whites people, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asians, all ages and all races were there. Detroit people were on the sidewalk taking pictures of the march (I was happy to sit for some pictures too!) and making videos. A lot of people were looking out of their windows and greeting the march. We could see how glad they were that the forum takes place in their city.
Detroit was, from my point of view, such a good choice for the forum because it’s a beautiful city with a lot of diversity and culture; a place where people want to live in peace and justice...and this is the main goal of the Social forum! We took two hours to reach Cobo Hall and I think I smiled for two hours. I didn’t wear the right shoes for the march but when we finally arrived at Cobo Hall my head was full of beautiful pictures, I forgot all about my feet… J
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