Print pageThe Italian city of Florence will host the first huge gathering of the European Social Forum (ESF) from 7 to 9 November 2002.
Preparations for this very important event started with a two-day meeting in Brussels on 9-10.3.2002 and continued in Vienna on 10-12 May 2002. Another preparatory meeting will be convened in Thessalonica-Greece on 13-14 July 2002.
Italian organisations who are hosting the ESF, have suggested the following points framework for the events in Florence:
The idea for the ESF was born in Porto Alegre during the 2nd World Social Forum (WSF), which took place in this Brazilian city from 31 January to 5 February 2002. That was in accordance with the decision of the International Committee of the WSF that regional fora could be organised in each continent towards next year’s Porto Alegre III.
The European Social Forum will be based on the Call of the Social Movements that was issued at Porto Alegre. The first Europe-wide planning meeting issued an invitation to all trades unionists, campaigning groups, peace activists and concerned individuals who agree with that call to get involved in organising the ESF.
The European Social Forum will be a huge convention bringing together thousands of people who oppose the commitment of European governments to free market policies and growing militarism. It is planned for late October or November this year in Florence, Italy.
The ESF is not a conference and it is not a movement congress.
The ESF, which is part of the World Social Forum process, has to be a common public space of dialogue, discussion and contamination.
Different cultures, languages and experiences have to meet together and express themselves, in a common framework provided by the Porto Alegre principles, aimed to include other experiences, which until now don't have had a dialogue with the Porto Alegre process, even if they are part of the movement against neoliberism.
Like in Porto Alegre, the European Forum has to provide a real citizenship for different subjects (women, youth, workers, students, migrants...), with particular attention to the involvement of the subjects of social exclusion (sans-papiers, homeless, unemployed...), and for different languages (not only political debates but also cultural events, for example).
One of our priorities has to be the inclusion of the Eastern countries, as well as the dialogue with the other side of Mediterranean Sea, with particular attention to the Palestinian people. This is the only way to have a real European Forum.
About 60000 people from all continents and many countries participated in the 2nd World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre from 31 January to 4 February 2002. Among them there were many Greek participants, including the SYN MEP M. Papagiannakis, SYN Political Secretariat members, N. Theothorakopoulou and Chr. Papadopoulos (who were part of the delegation of the movement “International Actions”), Prof. C. Vergopoulos and H. Golemis from the N. Poulantzas Society, G. Sakellarides from the Youth of SYN, M. Frangaki and G. Georgatos from ATTAC- Hellas, leading unionists (M. Balaouras, M. Basiouka, Z. Pepes) and others.
The 2nd WSF ended with a statement entitled a “Call of Social Movement”, which included the following positions:
We are diverse - women and men, adults and youth, indigenous peoples, rural and urban, workers and unemployed, homeless, the elderly, students, migrants, professionals, peoples of every creed, colour and sexual orientation. The expression of this diversity is our strength and the basis of our unity. We are a global solidarity movement, united in our determination to fight against the concentration of wealth, the proliferation of poverty and inequalities, and the destruction of our earth. We are living and constructing alternative systems, and using creative ways to promote them. We are building a large alliance from our struggles and resistance against a system based on sexism, racism and violence, which privileges the interests of capital and patriarchy over the needs and aspirations of people.
We will strengthen our movement through common actions and mobilizations for social justice, for the respect of rights and liberties, for quality of life, equality, dignity and peace. We are fighting:
For democracy: people have the right to know about and criticize the decisions of their own governments, especially with respect to dealings with international institutions. Governments are ultimately accountable to their people. While we support the establishment of electoral and participative democracy across the world, we emphasise the need for the democratisation of states and societies and the struggles against dictatorship.
For abolition of external debt and reparation.
Against speculative activities: we demand the creation of specific taxes such as the Tobin Tax and the abolition of tax heavens.
For the right to information.
For women’s rights, freedom from violence, poverty and exploitation
Against war and militarism, against foreign military bases and interventions and the systematic escalation of violence. We choose to privilege negotiation and non-violent conflict resolution
For a democratic, social Europe based on the needs of European workers and people, on the need of solidarity and cooperation of the eastern and southern people.
For the rights of youth, their access to free public education and social autonomy and the abolition of compulsory military service.