Events
The Brecht Forum- Building the Solidarity Economy in the Northeast US
Event flyer
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World Social Forum (WSF) "Alternative Boston", Brazilian Benefit Auction/Party
Event flyer
The Global Economic Alternatives Network (GEAN) and Massachusetts Global Action (MGA) are cordialy inviting you to a World Social Forum (WSF) "Alternative Boston", Brazilian Benefit Auction/Party.
Date: Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Place: Encuentro5, 33 Harrison Avenue, 5th floor, Chinatown, Boston
Program:
6:00 -- WSF Presentation: Introduction, history, significance.
GEAN, MGA and other activities planned for the WSF.
7:30 -- MLK invocation on Freedom, Peace, Self-determination and
Self-management -- Poetry reading.
8:00 -- Brazilian live rhythms (spontaneous jamming of volunteer
musicians) and dancing.
9:00 -- Live Auction.
10:00 -- More live and taped Brazilian/Latin music/dancing.
Donations/Sign-in table at the door.
Please bring munchies/food and drink to share.
In keeping with the spirit of the Social/Solidarity Economy activities that the GEAN is networking, organizing and promoting, the success of this fund raising initiative depends on your active support and participation. We need your help. Please make every effort to attend and to publicize the event among your friends and networks.
Here is how you can help:
* By saving the 1/17/09 date into your calendar now and by attending the event.
* By inviting, publicizing, passing the good word around about the event among your friends, colleagues, relatives and networks.
* By donating cash to the GEAN project through a secure, tax deductible, Paypal contribution at this address:
http://www.massglobalaction.org/home/esf-pc.htm.
* By sharing your preferred Brazilian tunes.
* By playing an instrument/jamming on Brazilian tunes/songs at the event.
* By teaching Brazilian dancing at the event
* By bringing refreshments and munchies on the 17th.
* By helping set up and clean up on the 17th.
* By thinking up and volunteering to donate/do something not included on this list.
* By staying involved and help build and promote the GEAN in the future.
Live Auction:
You can donate samples of your own or someone else's signed work: Books, paintings, sculptures, pictures, posters, prints, music CD's, artifacts as well as any superfluous Christmas gifts, items of some value just crowding your shelves and basement, your own professional time, theme dialog dates, dance classes, massages, home cooked dinners, brilliant/practical everyday life ideas/tips, trips, gift certificates to movies, restaurants, museums, concerts, etc.
Donated items will be auctioned off on the 17th or subsequently online
depending on time availability.
* You can let us know of your donation in advance by e-mailing pcolombaro@gmail.com directly or online from our new website: http://www.altecon.org/home/. Of course the more you have in your heart to give/do, the better for the GEAN and our collective efforts toward the WSF and our shared future.
Please let us know ASAP if you plan to make it on the 17th and/or how
you want to help bring about a unique, superb and unforgettable Brazilian party/fund raising event, "Alternative Boston" style.
Background:
As you may know the work of pulling together the GEAN has been ongoing for the past 9 months. You may remember the educational forums we held at Encuentro 5 on alternatives relative to the Italian Labor/Political situation, the US Labor situation, the gathering movement for alternatives to globalization (http://encuentro5.org/home/) the seminar on Building the Alternative Solidarity Economy at the ESF in Malmoe, Sweden, the 2 network building trips through several European countries in April and October. The upshots of this work can be viewed at
(http://openesf.net/projects/alternative-economies/home).
At the same time the GEAN was instrumental in pulling together the
Boston Economic Alternatives Network (BEAN), an initiative for mutual
help and support for individuals/organizations engaged in studying and
creating alternative economic activities in the Greater Boston area.
Now the GEAN is working on organizing three comparative seminars at
the World Social Forum which will take place in Belem, Brazil from
1/27 - 2/1/09. One on best alternative economic practices, one on
their relationship with still standing economic institutions (Unions,
government, corporations, finance) and a Plenary with reports from all
WSF activities on these issues at a time of multiple and convergent
global crises. You can join our OpenFSM team by going to
(http://openfsm.net/projects/altecon/summary) and you can become a
contact or member of the GEAN by going to (http://www.altecon.org/home/).
As you realize none of this happens by itself. This type of
organizing/networking requires time, effort and money. We are in fact
writing to request your active support to participate and pull
together the main WSF-GEAN fundraising event this year, to help defray GEAN operating expenses and the cost of participation/travel to our WSF events, for economic alternatives' experts/practitioners who can ill afford the trip to Belem.