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Out There: EPA activist meets global peers at Brazilian conference

Out There: EPA activist meets global peers at Brazilian conference

Tell Us Your Story@EPA.net Posted 4/29/05               Anna Turner with a Brazilian student activist at the 2005 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "Out There" EPA activist meets global peers at Brazilian conference By Anna Turner Resident Anna Turner describes her trip to the World Social Forum, an annual global conference for social change activists, with workshops and events on a vast array of issues, including human rights, social and economic justice, globalization, culture, feminism, and many others. I remember waking up on January 21st not knowing what to expect; on this day my crew and I would be embarking on a journey of a lifetime. Even though illness came upon me the night before, I arrived at the  airport wearing a beanie cap and wrapped in a blanket because I knew that missing out on the trip would be something that I would regret. I knew that this trip would be one that would change the way that I continue to live my life. And that is about the only thing I was completely sure about, for I could never anticipate the events that were to come. We experienced a few bumps and potholes in the road to the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The largest hole of the trip was uncovered when we arrived in New York to catch our connecting flight to Brazil. And being stuck in 17 degree weather with no 17 degree clothing was definitely not on our agenda of things to do. But nevertheless, this turn of events challenged the group's cohesiveness, and of course, we passed with excellence. The cold weather brought us together, and not just because we were keeping each other warm. All of us come out of New York as experts in playing UNO and also ready for our true destination: Brazil. The slogan of the World Social Forum is "Another World is Possible." I was ready for the heat, and that is exactly what I got when I stepped out of the airport in Porto Alegre. In the back of my mind I heard a track and field referee fire the starting gun because the airport is where it all began for me. I was already choppin' it up with my peoples from Florida in the cab on the way to the hotel. We discussed the issues we are working on in our communities, and from that point I had to take a breath and remind myself that I am really taking part of making history by attending the Forum and taking in everything that would effect my future. If I had to pick one word to describe the forum, it would have to be massive because that is exactly what it was to me. Massive not only in size, but also as far as the information sharing and gathering that I took part in. Every night I was almost on the brink of brain-overload, but it was not the same as the one you feel after a hard day's work. The overload that I experienced was one that helped me to fall asleep at night and wake up early, ready for the next day's events. I did not care if I had to walk two miles to my next workshop in the hot sun because I knew that everything I gained would weigh much more on the scale of my life. Opening march for the World Social Forum It's hard to sum up my experience in 400 words or less, but I can gladly say that I brought back home patience, a new outlook on the world, and a greater sense of how I want to continuously participate in the never ending fight for social justice. Anna Turner, 23, is an environmental justice organizer with Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) in East Palo Alto. She went to Porto Alegre as a core member of JustAct: Youth Action for Global Justice. This article was republished from Global Links, the newspaper of JustAct.

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you go girl

Hi Ana!

Congratulations!

Congratulations

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