Ten years ago this month, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the World Social Forum erupted onto the global scene. Conceived in the heat of the surging anti-globalization movement, it summoned activists from around the world to gather in a spectacular festival of alternatives to neoliberal globalization. The World Social Forum quickly became a beacon and a magnet, attracting a stunning array of social forces who shared unequivocal opposition to neoliberalism, but who were otherwise exceedingly diverse -- in their demographic make-up, organizational forms, cultural expressions, geographic roots and reach, strategies, tactics and discourses.

As a writer born in the South, both black and a woman, I’ve had my share of fights with the legendary white male writer, William Faulkner, who, in the Sixties, was quoted as saying if it came to that, he’d join the white Southerners refusing integration in the South and “shoot down n-----s in the street.”  He was an astonishing writer, with a similarly intense imagination and fidelity to the psychic history of his terrain - Mississippi - as Gabriel Garcia Marquez has to his, in South America.

Like more than 6.2 million Canadian citizens and permanent residents, I am a first generation immigrant. In fact, aside from the 1.3 million citizens of Aboriginal ancestry, whose ancient national territories held since time immemorial we have occupied, the entire population of what we now call Canada is comprised of immigrants and descendants of immigrants who have come in successive waves since the early 17th century. Like many of those immigrants, I have lived in several countries -- six actually, on five continents -- and have been fortunate enough to travel to 42 others. Canada is the country I chose to live in, and luckily, it chose me; it is a country I love and am privileged to call home.

Last week I received an e-mail from Gil Levine, a legendary union leader, founding member of CUPE and a wonderful man. He was writing to say that he was fatally ill. He died a few days later on Nov. 16 at the age of 85, still vigorous and politically active. He said "This is probably the hardest email I've ever sent, as I need to let you know that I am gravely ill." Still he wrote that e-mail, so like Gil to think of his legions, friends and comrades even as he and his family were struggling with this terrible news.

Mara Kardas-Nelson is a U.S. citizen who spent four years in Vancouver, B.C. while studying at the University of British Columbia. She writes to her Washington state senators about health care reform.

Dear Senators,

I write today both relieved and horrified.

The week of September 21 was an important one. Well, it is true that it is a special week when Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr and were happy congratulating and visiting each other. But for two other Muslim families, one in Ottawa and another in Montreal, this week had a special meaning.

I am speaking about Sophie Lamarche and her husband Mohamed Harkat who live in Ottawa, and about Adil Charkaoui and his family who live in Montreal. For Harkat and Charkaoui this week meant an extraordinary change in their lives.

Every once in awhile all the slogging pays off.

That's what I felt like Wednesday night, September 30 when my Bill (C-304, an Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians) passed second reading in Parliament.

It sent me back to May 1997 when I campaigned in my first election for MP for the great riding of Vancouver East. You see, I ran because I was so furious that Canada's great housing programs had been axed by the then Liberal Government in the name of deficit cutting.

It was a calm day in Tehran. The day before had seen another bloody round of protests. Fortunately I had an appointment with my therapist, and I was waiting for my cab to go home.

I went to Iran 10 days before the election day to vote. I was pleasantly surprised when confronted with a different face of Iran: one of hope and optimism, and unity in diversity. On every street corner and inside busy stores, in the midst of traffic-smog and uptown party-rooms, was talk of politics.