Washington DC feels very different to me. The last time I was here I spent a cold, gray week in the DC Detention Center following the actions of April 16 during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. And Washington DC contrasts sharply with Genoa, NY where I have been living on an organic vegetable farm for the past year. Both the changes are remarkable and it is exciting to reflect on how I am here in my third week on the staff of 50 Years Is Enough on this brilliant day in early September.

Infused with the victory in Seattle, I began working with similarly energized local activists to put Ithaca, New York on the map of the movement for global justice. We organized teach-ins, non-violence trainings, and a caravan of 100 student and community activists to participate in the April mobilization. I never dreamed that 5 months later the "Ithaca Sharks" (our nickname for the coalition that grew out of the A16 actions) would be one of more than 50 cities planning solidarity actions for September 26 day of action nor that I would be the newest staff member at the 50 Years Is Enough Network!

This past year has generated a lot of excitement and progress in the quest for global economic justice. An unprecedented number of people in the U.S. have publicly demonstrated to demand that the process of globalization benefit workers, communities, and the environment. The question of how to keep the public interested and keep the momentum going is one that thousands of activist organizations are asking. On August 9, at the Network's steering committee retreat, about 40 activists and steering committee member organizations continued a dialogue about how the Network can best contribute to this growing movement. Several important discussions came out of that meeting. One was about our concerns about the tendency for the corporate media to portray the movement as a rag-tag group of middle-class, white kids out to protest by smashing windows and turning over trash cans as part of some adolescent rebellion that has little substance. This portrayal tends to alienate important allies (people of color, some faith-based organizations, and working people). It was generally agreed that we need to continue to develop strategies for strengthening our partnerships and broadening our base of support. One way to do this is to demonstrate and clarify the connection between local struggles and the international movement against the systems of oppression that inform the policies of the international financial institutions. The Network has done this by working in coalition with several groups to coordinate local actions around the US in conjunction with IMF/WB meetings in Prague on September 26 (see articles on page 1 and 3). Another important commitment is to continue integrating voices from the Global South in our planning and strategy processes. In order to build a true international, grassroots movement we must ensure that many voices are heard, especially those that are often silent or silenced. The Network already has a South Council, an advisory body of activists from partner organizations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. By strengthening our South Council we hope to ensure that our campaigns reflect greater solidarity with our colleagues in the Global South.

Perhaps our most dynamic discussion was around what to do next. There was much discussion over how to best carry forward the momentum from Seattle and April's Mobilization in a way that will continue to build coalitions while keeping pressure on the IMF and World Bank. The next few months will be exciting as the 50 Years Is Enough Network participates in discussions about our collective future plans for building a movement with other organizations .

The next few months are going to be an exciting period of growth and transition for me as I define my role in the 50 Years Is Enough Network, building on my experiences with: promoting an economic human rights campaign at the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First); assisting the sustainable agriculture program at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides; coordinating solidarity and education projects with the Committee in Solidarity with Central American People in Eugene, OR; and helping to create and define the Ithaca Coalition for Global Justice. In all my past experience I have seen the need for building bridges as we tackle a global economic system that hinders our creativity and our freedom in building truly just, democratic, and sustainable societies. From my days as an undergraduate studying the effects of poorly conceived development projects in Kenya to writing my graduate thesis on the need for alternative development models, I have sought opportunities to be more involved with the movement for social and economic justice. After the steering committee retreat in San Francisco, I am more convinced than ever that the 50 Years Is Enough Network is the right place for me to begin building bridges within the movement for global justice.