This week, I break from regularly scheduled blogging to bring you some first-hand coverage from Massachusetts.

This weekend I left the bustle of Chicago to retreat into the lovely lair of western Mass. for the From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building a Movement for Reproductive Freedom, a conference hosted by the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program. I've just retuned from the conference having been challenged, energized, inspired and exhausted in the best ways possible.

Over 1000 activists came together to forge a path towards reproductive freedom by learning, strategizing and networking for reproductive rights and social justice. There were more than 60 speakers from organizations and communities all over the U.S. and around the world. The speakers addressed a broad range of social justice issues by relating them to reproductive rights and health. They spoke about issues of economic justice, immigrants rights, health care, racial justice, anti-war activism, youth liberation, LGBTQ rights, civil liberties and freedom from violence.

I had the chance to spend a few minutes, in the CLPP office lounge—the only quiet place for miles, with a dynamic international speaker, Monica Roa of Women's Link Worldwide. Her organization is a perfect example of how to connect reproductive rights to other social justice issues in various international contexts. Here's Monica:

Interview with Monica Roa-CLPP Conference on Vimeo

Tomorrow, you’ll hear from one of the fantastic student organizers of the conference about how we can get young people engaged with the movement for reproductive justice. Stay tuned!