patrick writes:

"Radfest 2003 Midwest Social Forum

20th Anniversary"



Aurora University George Williams - Lake Geneva Campus

Williams Bay, WI May 30-June 1, 2003

radfest



Dear friend:



I would like to invite you to RadFest 2003, an annual

weekend conference for progressive activists and

academics organized by the A. E. Havens Center for the

Study of Social Structure and Social Change at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison. The central goal of

the conference is to provide an opportunity for

progressive activists, organizers, and intellectuals to

come together to discuss issues of mutual interest and

concern, strengthen networks, and devise strategies for

progressive social, economic, and political change.

RadFest has grown significantly in recent years,

becoming an important annual gathering for

progressives. Last year, for example, approximately 300

people from throughout the upper Midwest and beyond

attended. This year, which will be the 20th anniversary

of the conference, we expect a considerably larger

turnout.
The conference will take place on the weekend of May

30-June 1, 2003 at the George Williams - Lake Geneva

Campus of Aurora University 240 acres of rolling,

wooded hillside located on the shores of Lake Geneva,

about 50 miles southwest of Milwaukee, 70 miles

southeast of Madison, and 80 miles northwest of

Chicago.



The opening event of the program will be a plenary

panel on Friday evening, titled "The Iraq War and the

Anti-War Movement." The panel will be composed of Max

Elbaum (author of Revolution in the Air), Betita

Martínez (Institute for Multiracial Justice), Rania

Masri (Iraq Action Coalition), and Jeremy Scahill

(Democracy Now).



On Saturday evening, there will be a second plenary

panel, titled "The State of Black Politics." The

panelists will be Linda Burnham (Women of Color

Resource Center), Teresa El-Amin (Southern Anti-Racism

Network, Solidarity), Bill Fletcher (TransAfrica

Forum), and Salim Muwakkil (Chicago Tribune, In These

Times).



The remainder of the program will be primarily devoted

to over thirty workshops and panels addressing a wide

array of social, political, and economic topics on

Saturday and Sunday, including: "Where is the U.S.

Media Reform Movement Going?" (with Bob McChesney and

John Nichols); "Activism in Times of War and Uprising:

Israel/Palestine, the US, and the Iraq War" (with Ali

Hadjarian, Jennifer Loewenstein, Mahmud Abu Rahma,

Haitham Salawdeh, and Margaret Zaknoen); "Race and

Education" (with Barbara Golden, Robert Howard, Lauren

Mikol, Betty Volquardsen, and Donna Vukelich); "Civil

Liberties under Assault in the Ashcroft Era" (with Ed

Garvey and Matt Rothschild); "USA Patriot Art 2003"

(with Mike Konopacki and Chani Becker); "New Movements

in Communities of Color" (with Bill Fletcher, Betita

Martínez, and Matt Nelson); "Wisconsin?s Future with

Healthcare Security for All" (with Gene Farley, Linda

Farley, Darcy Haber, Jim McGhee, Mark Miller, and

Joanne Ricca); "Moving toward Tax Fairness in

Wisconsin" (with Laura Dresser, John Peck, and Mark

Pocan); "In Search of People-driven Participatory

Democracy" (with Luciano Brunet, Antonio Carmona Báez,

Daniel Chávez, Diane Davis, Benjamin Goldfrank, Alvaro

Portillo, Joel Rocamora, Beatriz Stolowicz, and Hilary

Wainwright); "Race and Incarceration" (with David Hart,

Pam Oliver, and Tim Wise); "How to Modernize Local and

State Electoral Systems to Represent Everyone" (with

Dan Johnson-Weinberger); "Weapons of Mass Deception:

Government and Corporate Propaganda" (with Laura

Miller, Sheldon Rampton, and Inger Stole); "Community

Supported Labor Rights" (with Monica Guzman, Christine

Neumann-Ortiz, and Sarah Shatz); "Coalition Building in

Communities of Color" ( with Robert Miranda); and more

than a dozen others.



Finally, because the building of a progressive

community also requires time for relaxation and

strengthening social ties, we have devoted a portion of

the program to recreation and entertainment. On

Saturday afternoon, there will be a break in the

schedule for recreational activities, including

swimming, canoeing, rowing, hiking, tennis, archery,

golf, volleyball, and many others. And on Saturday

evening, there will be a musical performance by singer-

guitarist Amelia Royko.



The key to the success of RadFest 2003 will be the

enthusiastic participation of progressive individuals

and organizations dedicated to the construction of a

more just world. If you would like to be a part of this

gathering, please visit the Havens Center website

(www.ssc.wisc.edu/havenscenter) to obtain a

registration form, a full conference program, and

logistical information. The cost for the conference

(including lodging and meals) is very modest and

determined by ability to pay. Please note that the

early registration deadline is April 30 for overnight

participants and May 16 for commuters. We also

encourage you to spread the word and let us know of

other people or organizations you think would be

interested in participating. If you have any questions,

don?t hesitate to contact us at this email address or

call 608-262-0854.



We hope you will contribute to making RadFest 2003 an

exciting event and help us in our efforts to build a

progressive community.



Sincerely,



Patrick Barrett Administrative Director A. E. Havens

Center