Farewell lessons

I wanted to share one of the most memorable workshops that I attended. The Young Women’s Empowerment Project impressed upon me the amazing work that our underserved youth have the potential to create. This group of dedicated young women affected by the sex trade and street economy, have persisted in their dedication to not only educate themselves about the intersectionality of their experience, but also to find innovative, effective, and desperately needed methods for keeping other young women safe as well. I learned so much. I learned so much, the young women were really able to articulate and break down how the state creates the situations that young women everywhere are trying to escape.

At the forum, there were posters being sold that said:

Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful committed citizens
can change the world

Indeed it's the only thing
that ever has

I thought this quote was amazingly relevant to the USSF. Here, were people from all over the world that are seeking much needed change. I was impressed, motivated, inspired at the sight of the waves of people there to learn how to make change more effectively. We may be that small group of citizens, but our “we” must also include the mothers, young people, elderly, low income, immigrant, and other faces that were lacking at the forum: “we” must also include the communities from which we come.

The conversation, I hope, will not stop here. I hope that the tools we gained here, the work we have done, the connections that we have made, will be shared with those who were not able to be here. We ARE the people that we are trying to help. I know for me, this experience, was not just for me, but for everyone in my community. I see it as my personal mission to share what I have learned; each one teach one.

And that was just one workshop! Farewell my United States Social Forum. Its been real, its been fun, its been real fun.