The Rouge Forum web page is updated with initial reports, including great video, from our “Their Wars Left Behind: Education for Action” conference last week in lovely downtown Detroit (where, on Tuesday, Comerica Bank, official name of what was once Tiger Stadium, announced the company was leaving the city).
View photos from the conference here.
Here is a link to some wonderful work from presenters and participants, including song and dance:
At least three things came from the conference.
1. People made lasting friendships, built close personal ties within a community that demonstrated its solidarity in unusual conference fashion—nearly everyone ate together, enjoyed some great films, and made it beyond a Detroit blizzard. Real friendship is radical activity in the USA today.
2. The presentation and keynoters were outstanding, offering new ways to understand and transform the world in schools and out, as you can see from the videos and papers now online.
3. We initiated a transformation of our organization so that new people will be able to come into the Rouge Forum, quickly see where they might best exhibit their talents, and help press forward the project toward equality, democracy, and justice. The minutes from the Sunday organizational meeting will be up this coming week, available for comment on the Rouge Forum discussion list linked here.
In brief, we underlined that justice does indeed demand organization. No other education based group in the US has done what the Rouge Forum has done, or could do with your help.
Thanks to all those who gave generously of time and money, especially Greg Queen and Katy Landless, Amber Goslee, Bill Boyer, Rich Gibson, Faith Wilson, George Schmidt (remember to subscribe to Substance News!), Patrick Shannon, Susan Ohanian, Susan Harman, David Strom, Connie and Doug Lane, M.L, Liebler, Fran Shor, Michael Peterson, Nancy Patterson, Scott Craig, Steve Fleury, Eugenio Basualdo, Joseph Cronin, Steve Strauss, Tim Cashman, Eric Ferris, Ed Sanders, Adam Renner, Gina Stiens, Carolyn Stirling, Peter Werbe, Dave Hill, Richard Kamler, Al Franklin, Mindy Nathan, Sean Ahern, Lloyd Conway, Don Perl, Kristi Roberston, Judy Depew, and Paul Gilmore.
Thanks too to the labor leaders like Al Cholger and Tommie Suber who traveled far to participate, and the Downer Five’s Elizabeth Jaeger, and California Resisters’ Susan Harman, and to the high-school students who did such a fine job taking leadership.
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