Goals and Background

Goals of the People's Movement Assembly in Portland (PMA):

Locally:

• Experiment with a participatory political deliberation process for organizations and small groups in and near Portland
• Create resolutions on shared areas of concern (issues, vision, movement priorities, and more!)
• Agree to take action in support of at least 1 concrete campaign or struggle

Towards the US Social Forum in Detroit:

• Spread the word about the US Social Forum (USSF) in Detroit
• Prepare organizations and people in Portland to participate in the National Assembly in Detroit held in conjunction with the USSF
• Pass on relevant resolutions to the National Assembly in Detroit for national consideration at the USSF

Background:

From the inception of the World Social Forum, participating social movements have debated the purpose and function of the Forum as a distinctly open space and/or as a convergence of movements in strategic positions to articulate clear political positions. Assemblies have taken multiple forms on the WSF level, the Hemispheric Social Forums, and at the USSF in 2007.

Purpose of the PMA process:

Grassroots Political Deliberation & Synthesis

Provides space to articulate and synthesize broad-based and specific political positions

Provides deliberative space for movement struggles to inform one another

[EXAMPLE: Border Movement Assembly process – 1) Connects the work being done on the border; 2) strengthens the political positions and visions of the organizing work; 3) creates alliances across communities, sectors, and regions; 4) prepares for organized participation in next Social Forum.]