The WSF's Global Call to Action
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The WSF’s Global Call to Action A Directory PART TWO CACIM (Working draft, January 22 2008) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Call for Day(s) of Action and Mobilisation, January 26 2008 3. Is the World Social Forum Approaching a Point of Crisis ? - Jai Sen, CACIM 4. World Social Forum at the Crossroads - Walden Bello 5. Crossroads do not Always Close Roads - Chico Whitaker 6. Evaluating from the Inside, With Optimism - Chico Whitaker 7. A Directory of Actions on and around the GDA Africa Americas Asia Australia Europe 8. Global Mobilisation Calls from Around the World 9. Appendix a. First signatories of the Global Call for Action b. Proposed actions as per the WSF Newsletter 26 Nov 2007 c. Resources on Global Day of Action 2 Prepared by Aryakrishnan R and Sébastien Verville, at CACIM, New Delhi, India, January 5-23 2008, based on information available on www.wsf2008.net CACIM – India Institute for Critical Action : Centre in Movement A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India Ph : +91-11-4155 1521, +91-11-2433 2451 [email protected] www.cacim.net / www.openspaceforum.net 6 A Directory of Actions on and around the Global Day of Action as of January 22 2008 Africa Algeria Défi altermondialiste / The challenge of alterglobalisation http://dev.wsf2008.net/eng/node/1749 Expected turnout:80 Action Start Time:January 26 2008 - 9:00 am North African Meeting on the theme: "The alternative: Myths and Realities" Questioning globalization and its impact, knew the nature of the alternative and its prospects on the basis of the Bamako Appeal and the Porto Alegre Manifesto. Benin Manifestation "Attaque la dette" au Bénin / "Attack debt" demonstration in Benin http://www.wsf2008.net/eng/node/4092 Accessed on 220108 Action submitted by CADTM on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 17:11. Action Start Time: 2008, January 25 - 10:00am On Friday, January 25, 2008 a mobilization against the Beninese government debt to the Ministry of Finance and Economy. This mobilization called "Attack Debt" has the following objectives: -- Attracting the attention of the authorities in charge of finance in the country on the impact of debt on poverty; -- Advocate for the total and unconditional cancellation of the external debt of Benin; -- Advertise to the political authorities of the ministry, the need for a citizen audit of the public debt. Several civil society organizations will participate in Benin to this important mobilization namely women's grassroots organizations of CADD, grass-roots organizations of youth supported by the Working Family Association, the unions of public sector workers, the associations for the defence Human rights, consumer associations, associations of development, the Observatory for the fight against corruption, and other member organizations of networks Social Watch Benin and the platform of civil society actors. This mobilization will consist of a march which will finish inside the Ministry of Finance and Economy where several Civil society organizations will make statements on debt and poverty, which will be handed to the Minister of Finance. A public lecture on "Debt and Corruption" will be held in conjunction with this mobilization. Cameroon Fight against Swindlers on Internet http://dev.wsf2008.net/eng/node/1605 accessed on 090108 3 Action Start Time: 2008, January 15 - 10:00pm International association of Fight Against Swindlers on Internet (IAFASI) The Internet having become an essential and fast tool for the communication and exchanges in the world, it returns to us users at useful ends to cleanse the medium in order to allow a maximum of confidence between us. Nowadays, certain people without shame spend their time swindling the honest people by offers enticing and non-existent by using transfer of enormous sums of money, the seminars and conferences in the Western countries aiming at swindling the Net surfers and the people impassioned by the travel, the lotteries on the one hand, and on the other, contests in these same countries with an aim of swindling the pupils wishing to continue their studies abroad like their parents. We, founder members of AILCEI, had studied formulas to catch these dishonest persons and to inform impassioned Internet who generally fall into the blow and generally lose enormous amount of money in spite of their precariousness condition. Thus AILCEI will be represented in all African countries, in particular by honest voluntary associations and NGOs and other members, as well as the rest of the world in general. These voluntary associations and NGOs will work in close cooperation with the police of their respective countries on the instruction of the international and national offices authorised to receive information. Information of the new styles of swindles will be disseminated in the cyber- and public places by associations and members, and ambushes will be organised to catch these swindlers with the assistance of the police force in the countries concerned for the national money transfer with the national and international institutions of money transfers. To conclude this project, AILCEI will use forums on Internet for information, and will have need for the international organizations for material, financial and morals aids for controls of information. The specific fields of intervention of AILCEI are: - To fight effectively against the swindle on Internet by our solidarity. - To establish and develop between its members the bonds of solidarity and mutual aid. - To help the Net surfers world by regular information on the methods use by these swindlers by the fast circulation of information of their new methods. - To create an international network of information, control and ambush to catch the swindlers on Internet. - To inform the colleges, colleges and universities by posters and correspondences on the doubtful sites as soon as there is information about them - To be if possible a driving belt between the best sites and the target people. Communique de Presse - CORDAP Cameroun-FSM 2008 / Press Release - CORDAP Cameroon WSF 2008 http://www.wsf2008.net/es/node/4181 Accessed on 220108 Action submitted by viacampesina 01/18/2008 - 04:59. Action Start Time: 2008, January 23 - 9:00am Understanding Globalization, oppose the neo-liberal policies, build food sovereignty to Cameroon. Globalization is likely to widen the gap between rich and poor countries and to further marginalize the economies of the poorest. States can not cope with this situation. Globalization therefore calls for an exchange which is regulated on a global scale. To achieve this we would need more clearly defined rules, fair and multilateral institutions more transparent and dynamic. So, "most rotten eggs are covered by the warmth of euros and dollars…". Africans farmers still face many barriers when they want to export, such as subsidies enjoyed by cotton in the United States and Europe, which are depressing world prices. These barriers should be eliminated. However, the main obstacles faced African exports are not on the world markets, but in Africa. Africa have no roads on which you can drive, energy, usable ports which can be counted, and a healthy and competent workforce to enable it to compete for most of industrial products. This is a situation which can be remedied if the aid promised by donor countries is quite large (more and better) for Africa to build an infrastructure, train a workforce, creating health systems and sustainable food production. To date, the various social movements and organizations are concerned about the impact of globalization on the environment, animal welfare, health, agriculture, fisheries, social norms, trade and biodiversity. We must all mobilize, globalise our struggle around the CORDAP Cameroon, on 23 and 26 January 2008, during the World Social Forum 2008, so that our alternatives objectively respond to these concerns in the 21st century, and take protectionist measures, if necessary for our food sovereignty. Given the heavy responsibility and the role that is ours, we urge them to opt for zero tolerance for the signing of the EPAs, the EU / ACP without sustainable development and food sovereignty, which are subject to manipulation of neoliberal policies and free - exchange. Africa is going through an important time of transition in its history in the 21st century, only a revolution can bring Africa out of the clutches of the multinationals, predators, and pests of world trade protected by the WTO, IMF and WB. 4 Since several years, VIA CAMPESINA and its member organizations and friends have been working together with other social movements to organize large mobilizations and major actions against the neoliberal policies… CORDAP- Cameroon under the care of Pascal NKWE MAKONGO, its National Chairman, invites you massively : Producers and consumers - Bayam--salams - Traders and importers - Media students - Elected officials and policymakers - Etc. A visit to the markets: * From Mfoundi (Yaounde), January 23, 2008 from 9:00 am, in front of the former embassy of Nigeria. * Mokolo (Yaounde) on January 26, 2008 at 9.00 am, in front of the super market Niki. To participate, follow and support his campaign, demonstration and denunciation of trade policies Cameroon, on the theme: "TRADE POLICIES AND LOCAL MARKET IN CAMEROON" Any questions about the globalization of food trade will find their answers with evidence and examples to support on the spot. Shortening the link between producers and consumers, and leave agriculture in the fields of competence of the WTO, is one of the objectives of our struggle and we hope that the World Social Forum from January 26, 2008, will provide a forum in Cameroon ( Producers and consumers policies), which will promote the laying of the first stone of a fair trade to the construction of food sovereignty. GLOBALISE THE FIGHT, GLOBALISE THE HOPE! THE FARMERS OF CAMEROON-CORDAP Congo (DRC) Caravane Populaire de Solidarité avec les victimes du néolibéralisme / Popular Caravan of Solidarity with the victims of neoliberalism http://www.wsf2008.net/eng/node/3070 Accessed on 150108 Action submitted by Dannysingoma on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 20:55.