On Feb. 9 political activists who have been in the streets against police brutality, the mistreatment of indigenous people, the criminalization of youth, fighting for women's rights, and to free Mumia and all political prisoners will be asked to participate in a public forum which seeks to make the leap from protest to radical social change. Now that many of us have been inspired by mass protests all over the country, (as well as around the world), and have participated in demonstrations, such as the week-long protest against the Democratic National convention, we are starting to ask questions about what it's going to take to change the world.
Various sections of the activist community have expressed the need to raise the level of political and ideological dialogue. Some important questions that have beed raised are regarding socialism, can it work and is it possible? Is Revolution the only solution? And does ideology and political line make a difference? Many young activists have also expressed an interest in learning all there is to learn from veteran activists from the 60's.
Panelists include Fred Ho, the editor of "Legacy to Liberation: politics and culture of revolutionary Asian Pacific America," a revolutionary Chinese American activist for 25 years, a professional baritone saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Also, Lian Hurst Mann, co-editor of AhoraNow Publications (with Eric Mann), founding member of the Labor/Community Strategy Center, currently teaching course on "Problems of Imperialism" at the National School for Strategic Organizing. And Dolly Veale, founding member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and Bay Area Branch spokesperson, helped establish Asian Studies at UC Berkeley in early 70's. The moderator for this fourm will be Juan Gomez-Quinones, a Chicano Historian and Professor of History at UCLA-specializing in the fields of political, labor, intellectual and cultural history.
As we start to feel the atmosphere of political repression from the government against anything that even comes close to dissent, we also feel an urgency to start an atmosphere of resistance and the forum hopes to serve as a place where people can talk openly and without fear.

For more information on the forum see the Calendar section.