For the 3rd year in a row, I’m off to Western Mass for the 27th Annual Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP) Conference: “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building the Movement for Reproductive Freedom.” Huzzah!

With over 75 workshops and trainings, it’s a 3-day conference held at Hampshire College sponsored by CLPP and Population and Development programs. Activists, writers, students, professors and community leaders will network and discuss strategies to ensure reproductive justice. The conference is designed to “inspire, inform, and revitalize your work.”

From CLPP’s conference website:

“CLPP’s annual conference connects activists from across the U.S. and internationally to build a stronger movement for reproductive justice and social change. We support intergenerational dialogue, encourage youth leadership, and foster cross-movement collaborations. Through plenaries, workshops, panels, and trainings, speakers will highlight successful examples of activism and illuminate how struggles for reproductive and sexual rights are intricately linked to movements for economic, social, gender, and environmental justice.”

Abortion bans, mandatory transvaginal ultrasound laws, slut-shaming, rape culture in the media — it’s important to arm ourselves with information and connect with other feminists so we can return to our communities, ready to take a stand and fight for justice. Each year, I’m awed to be surrounded by such motivated and inspiring activists in a nurturing, supportive environment. Each year, the conference catalyzes an invigorating surge rejuvenating my commitment to social justice. It’s wonderful to meet new people, forge friendships and reconnect with old friends.

Can’t make it to the conference??

No worries…follow along as I’ll be live-tweeting and live-blogging from the conference all weekend starting Friday (4/12) evening. You can read my posts here. Follow my live-tweets at @OpinionessWorld. You can also follow all the tweets from the CLPP Conference at the hashtag #CLPP2013.

So whether you’re attending the conference (if you are, say hello!) or following along virtually, get ready for a weekend of feminist badassery!