First Impressions in Atlanta

Live from the U.S. Social Forum: it's hot here in Atlanta, but not as sticky as it was yesterday morning in New York City, when I left home at 6am. Mostly, the heat here seems to be emerging from the fire and passion of the amazing activists, organizers, artists, youth, and regular people who have come together to seek to build another world -- a peaceful, humane, nonviolent, and just world.

Last night, an outdoor stage was set up at the far end of the park where this downtown event is being centered. I saw legendary civil rights leader Rev. C. T. Vivian speaking to hundreds of people -- many under the age of 25. A few short miles from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King helped lead the civil rights movement, Dr. Vivian challenged the crowd to strengthen and renew the moral and spiritual movement that they had worked to coalesce a half-century ago.

The challenge here is to figure out how best to spend one's time. There are literally more than a hundred workshops during each workshop session! You could spend weeks going to all the sessions that you want to attend -- this morning, the opportunities include "Trading water, trading democracy"; "Connecting environmental justice movements"; "Ending the prison industrial complex"; "Energy colonialism"; "From netroots to healthroots"; "Intergenerational organizing"; "Song circles"; and much, much more!!

It seems that every person who has come here has come to share their story, formally or otherwise. It's inspiring to learn what people are doing in their communities!

This afternoon from 1-3 pm, our FOR team will lead a workshop on "grassroots civilian diplomacy" at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in downtown Atlanta. If you're here, please join us! We look forward to engaging a few folks from this incredibly diverse "beloved community" in a discussion of how we can work together to demilitarize our country and the world.