UER at "Movement Beyond Borders," May 1-4, 2003
The U.S. NGO conference, "Movement Beyond Borders," a follow-up to the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, was held May 1 through 4, 2003. The organizers, and others, worked hard to make the conference a success, struggling against many difficulties created by the racism and other oppressions of U.S. society. Several hundred people attended.
The conference included a Youth Summit that involved about a hundred and eighty young people (some of whom were eight, nine, and ten years old) and young adults. Many of them were activists in their schools and youth organizations. The majority were people of African heritage. There were also Arabs, Chicanas/os, Asians, and white people.
There were many good workshops and support-group-like gatherings, several plenary sessions, some controversy and struggle, and an evening public gathering on racism and war. People also did significant work on being allies across racial lines, both informally and in organized activities.
Thirty Co-Counselors from United to End Racism (UER) attended the Beyond Borders conference and helped it to go well and have a hopeful tone. One UER delegate was on the organizing committee. Another helped plan the Youth Summit, and several UER delegates introduced mini-sessions and the theory of RC for the summit. UER delegates had leadership roles in conference workshops and other activities, and in many informal situations helped people build relationships across racial lines and within their own groups.