[2][3] Over 5,000 people from over 300 community organizations and labor unions participated in more than 550 workshops, plenary sessions, and convocations at the event--which was timed to take place just before the 2004 Democratic National Convention, also being held in Boston.
The majority of attendees came from the Northeast of the United States, but a large minority came from around North America, and there were delegations from over a dozen other countries (with simultaneous translation available in as many languages).
In the leadup to the forum, singer Michelle Shocked, comedians Jimmy Tingle and Barry Crimmins, and many other artists and performers lent their talents to the effort--as did noted historian Howard Zinn and linguist Noam Chomsky.
We wanted to do our part to help progressives seize the high ground of ideas in this society, and then, having captured people's imaginations, move forward to become a more significant political force.Like their counterparts at sibling social forums, the Boston Social Forum organizers subscribed to the idea that the corporate-driven neoliberal ideology of runaway capitalism in the economic realm coupled with growing restrictions on democracy in the political realm were quite literally destroying the planet (at least for human life.
They also believed that the left-wing has important ideas in politics, economics, science and technology, culture and faith that could help save the planet, and build a human-centered, democratic and ecological society that will be capable of taking our species to the next phase of our evolution.