Progressive Christians Uniting (formerly Mobilization for the Human Family) will hold a two-day conference on globalization and the faith community at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California in early June.

The focus of the conference will be on economic globalization alternatives and the role of the faith community in developing them. We will take special note of the recent World Social Forum III in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and the report of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World is Possible - from which our conference title is taken.

We are planning for 500 to 600 people. Our speakers on Friday morning will look closely at the economic issues and the globalization alternatives which are being proposed. Each presenter has played a key role in drafting the IFG alternatives report and in the World Social Forum: Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians in Toronto, and Walden Bello of Focus on the Global South in Bangkok.

The Bush doctrine of empire, recently announced in The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (September 2002), must have a central place on our agenda, since this unilateralist Pax Americana is a major obstacle to any alternative modes of globalization. On Friday evening, George Regas, rector emeritus of All Saints Church and director of the Regas Institute, will reflect on the national security strategy and then lead a final open discussion. On Friday afternoon, there will be ten seminar/discussion groups on various points of this analysis, each offered twice.

Saturday will focus on theological dimensions of our topic, as well as on specific resources for organizing at the local church level. The day will begin with a prophetic service of thanksgiving and praise, developing the theological context that enables the faith community to confront the systemic issues of global economic justice. The celebration will include an African-American liturgical dance group and a Tongan choir. Process theologian John Cobb will reflect on "The Commonwealth of God and the Common Good". Three "witnesses" from the churches will respond with brief testimonies on what drives them to work for the common good. All Saints Church and Progressive Christians Uniting will then present their social justice programmes as a stimulus to further discussion.

The afternoon will be devoted to ten practical working groups to help bring all of this into the life of the wider church. We shall end with a short commissioning service, to send us all forth with inspiration to get on with the work of realizing the better world which is indeed possible.

Mobilization for the Human Family was organized eight years ago as a consultation at the Claremont School of Theology, in part as a counterweight to the political influence of the Christian right. It has grown in size and scope since then, and recently changed its name to Progressive Christians Uniting. We are Christians who hope to reclaim a progressive stance for the church on economic and social issues, and more than 3,000 ecumenical clergy and lay leaders have participated in our programmes.

Thomas E Ambrogi, conference chair