CALL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday November 25, 2002 14:52 by Luciano Muhlbauer - ESF

Dear all above you'll find the Call of the european social movements and the agenda which we decided in the Assembly of the 10th of November in Florence. You'll find the texts also on the web: http://www.fse-esf.org In the next days you'll find also the version of the agenda in the other languages. ciao Luciano Muhlbauer

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CALL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

We have come together from the social and citizens movements from all
the
regions of Europe, East and West, North and South. We have come
together
through a long process: the demonstrations of Amsterdam, Seattle,
Prague,
Nice, Gothenburg, Genoa, Brussels, Barcelona, the big mobilisations
against
neoliberalism as well as the general strikes for the defence of social
rights and all the mobilisations against war, show the will to build an
other Europe. At the global level we recognise the Charter of
Principles of
the WSF and the call of the social movements of Porto Alegre.

We have gathered in Florence to express our opposition to a European
order
based on corporate power and neoliberalism. This market model leads to
constant attacks on the conditions and rights of workers, social
inequalities, and oppression of ethnic minorities, and social exclusion
of
the unemployed and migrants. It leads to environmental degradation,
privatisation and job insecurity. It drives powerful countries to try
and
dominate the economies of weaker countries, often to deny them real
self
determination. Once more it is leading to war.

We have come together to strengthen and enlarge our alliances because
the
construction of another Europe and another world is now urgent. We seek
to
create a world of equality, social rights and respect for diversity, a
world
in which education, fair jobs, healthcare and housing are rights for
all,
with the right to consume safe food products produced by farmers and
peasants, a world without poverty, without sexism and oppression of
women,
without racism, and without homophobia. A world that puts people before
profits. A world without war.

We have come together to discuss alternatives but we must continue to
enlarge our networks and to plan the campaigns and struggles that
together
can make this different future possible. Great movements and struggles
have
begun across Europe: the European social movements are representing a
new
and concrete possibility to build up another Europe for another world.
We
commit ourselves to enlarge our networks for the next year in the
following
mobilisations and campaigns:

Against neoliberalism

- the campaign for the abolition of the third world debt. For the full
abolition of the exterior public debt of the third world, against the
policies of 'structural adjustment' and the conditions imposed by the
World
bank and the IMF. With the people from the south we ask: 'Who owes what
to
whom?' We claim reparations for the pillage of the third world.
Deadlines:
WB and IMF-meetings in April 2003 in Washington; the G8 in Evian in
June
2003 (CADTM-international, RCADE, Jubilee South, Friends of the Earth,
CNCD);

- the international mobilisation against the World Economic Forum in
Davos:
demonstration in Davos on 25/1/2003; conference "Public eye on Davos"
(23-27/1/2003); conference "Autre Davos" à Zurich (23.1.2003) (La
coalition
d'Olten)

- a campaign against the Olympic games in Athens 2004 (network of the
social
rights, campaign against 2004). [email protected]
[email protected]

-to support the mobilisation of the "International Coalition for just
and
effective drug policies" at the UN 16-17 April Vienna meeting on drugs.
www.fuoriluogo.it

- for the political and practical promotion of the international
eco-language of Esperanto, more particularly by using it in the
internet and
in publications, as a means of building a European and worldwide
citizenship. Write to [email protected]

Against the war

- the call on the movements and citizens of Europe to:
- organising massive opposition to an attack on Iraq starting now;
- if war starts to protest and organise actions immediately and call
for
national demonstrations the next saturday;
- to start organising enourmous anti war demonstrations in every
capitals on
February 15th
- to build a European network to coordinate anti war campaigns to meet
in
Copenhagen on Dec 15:
(European Social Movements)

- the campaign, in the perspective of the disarmament of Europe,
against the
military basis in Europe and against military expenses, to invest in
social
needs ( Bastaguerra, Italia) ;

- the campaign for the full recognition of the right to conscientious
objection to military service, and the release of all imprisoned
conscientious objectors in the Balkans (Initiative for the Greek Social
Forum, Initiative for economic democracy - Yugoslavia);

- the campaign against militarism and NATO, against its enlargement and
reinforcement in the name of "combating terrorism", and for its
dissolution.
Nato out of Balkan. European days of action during NATO-summits:
20/11/2002
(Prague), 6-7/2/2003 (Munich) (Balkan Anti-NATO center, Anti War
Coalition -
Germany, Pacifists of Sibiv, Youth Action for Peace, Greek Peace
Movement, .);

- Process for a European-Palestinian-Israeli network "Stop the
occupation -
Two peoples two states - Actions for Peace", civil missions for
population's
protection, against international rights' violation, participation in
the
Social Forum in Palestine (december 2002). (Action for Peace and many
other
European networks involved in the civil mission in Palestine)

- to organise a European network in solidarity with the Palestinian
people.
Support to the Intifada, to stop Israelian occupation, for a just
peace, the
return of the refugees, the dismantling of all colonies, the creation
of a
Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital. To send international
delegations, to boycott Iraelian products and for braking up economic
and
trade relations between the UE and Israel, to support progressive and
secular Palestinian forces, freedom for prisoners like Marwan Barghouti
and
Ahmed Saadat (organisations participating in the seminar Palestine at
the
FSE)

- V Assembly of the United Nations of People, 6/12 of October 2003
(Tavola
della Pace)

- March Perugia-Assisi for peace, 12th of October 2003 (Tavola della
Pace)

- the campaign in solidarity with the Kurdish people. For a right to
asylum
and to a secure return for Kurdish refugees (campaign Malli Gulù). No
Turkish membership of the EU without a general amnesty, the end of the
state
of emergency and the emergence of real pluralism, the ending of the
project
of building dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the free return of
all
refugees and the rebuilding of the thousands of devastated villages.
Support
to the European-Mediterranean encounter in Dyarbakir on Newroz
21.3.2003,
and to the candidature of Dyarbakir for hosting the FSE (ICS, Azad,
Uiki,
Attac CT, Ciss-Cepir PA, CISCASE, Comitati Kurdistan di Firenze,
Alessandria
e Sardegna, Assopace, Naga Mi, Rete No Global Napoli, Dip. To
Immigrazione
PRC, Giuristi Democratici, S.in.Cobas).

- Massive delegation to Diyarbakir on 21th of March, Newroz, and
euromediteranean meeting for peace at Diyarbakir on September 2003
(Azad,
ICS, Assopace and others);

- the campaign to support the social movements in Colombia against the
systematic violations of human rights by the State and the
multinational
corporations : International tribunal of opinion "Sur de Bolivar"
(march
2003); international boycott of Coca-Cola (starting on 22 July 2003);

Against racism

- the common campaigns we discussed at the final common meeting on
racism at
the FSE:
- for the right to migrate and for the free circulation of people;
- for the permanent regularisation of migrants who are established on a
stable basis in Europe;
- full guaranty of the right to asylum and harmonisation of the
European
policies to the most favourable existing level;
- European citizenship of residence, not linked to nationality, with
voting
rights in local and European elections;
A European meeting will be organised to go on with the coordination in
February 2003.
(Present at the meeting: Tavolo Migranti du Forum Social Italien;
Globalise
resistance (GB); Collectif de Saint Denis (F); Droits Devants (F); No
Border
(G); Attac (G); ENAR; Comitato Immigranti (I); SOS Racisme Portugal;
Com. To
Defend Asylum seekers (GB); Fasti (F); Gisti (F); The Voice; Sans
Papiers
(F); and many, many others).

- The campaigns of the French social movements, discussed in a specific
seminar at the ESF:
- for the regularisation of all undocumented people in Europe ;
- for a European citizenship of residence ;
- against the actual draft of the project of a European regulation on
family
regroupment;
- to suppress visa for a short stay ;
(Ligue des droits de l'homme, Fidh-Ae, Espace Marx, Forum Social de
Marseille)

Against sexism and homophobia

- Organisation of the first Women Social Forum, as a day of debate and
struggle, the weekend before the secondo ESF (World March of Women)

- gender/feminist international conference: focus on women and
globalisation. 18-21 settembre 2003 in Austria (Feminist-Attac Austria
in
cooperation with others Attac);

- Campaign against traffic of women and slavery of women by organised
crime
(World March of Women);

For rights and for another Europe

Social and citizenship rights

- the initiative for a European network of precarious workers and an
european day of action against job insecurity (ATTAC Italy, Ac,
Collettivi
Stud., S.in.Cobas, Giovani Comunisti, Euromarches and others);

- The campaign, during the constitutional process of the European
Union, to
fight for our social rights:
- to claim that the constitutional texts the European Union is
preparing to
adopt at the European Summits of Thessalonica (June 2003) and Rome
(December
2003), guaranty our social rights, lacking in the European Charter of
fundamental rights adopted at the Nice-EU-summit;
- to claim that inside the European Union, one of the richest parts of
the
world, every man and women should have a living income, according to
the
wealth of the country, equal to at least 50% of the national product
per
inhabitant;
- to engage in a broad discussion to define a common Charter of social
rights and citizenship;
The main initiatives:
- March 2003, Brussels : first European assembly for a European Charter
of
social rights and citizenship : define the principles of the Charter,
define
the process of further elaboration, popularise it and to mobilise to
realise
it;
- March - December 2003: a campaign of « books of demands », between
march
2003, end of the European Convention, and December 2003, the IGC in
Rome, to
give those from below the possibility to express their suffering, their
aspirations and their claims;
- 2003: a European day of action, against unemployment, insecure labour
and
exclusion;
- 2003 - 2004 towards the European elections: a European march of the
have-nots (unemployed, undocumented people, homeless people, migrants,
poor,
people without land.).
(Euromarches, Carta Catalan, AC, Apeis, MNCP, Altri, Habitat,
Collettivi
Sud, S.in.Cobas, GC, CCDF and many others )

- the initiative for a trans-European network of homeless and migrants
(habitat);

- the campaign against sweatshops. World day of mobilisation on the 8th
of
march (international women's day);

Public services, common goods

- the building of a European network to exchange experiences and
analyses,
to discuss alternatives, and to prepare important mobilisations, in
function
of the negotiations inside the WTO or when the European Commission will
publish in spring its Green book on public services (Attac Italia,
Attac
France, Attac Suisse, Attac Austria, Espace Marx, Collectif Services
Publics
France, World Development Movement, Globalise Resistance, Funzione
Publica/CGIL, CUB);

- the GATS-campaign: a campaign to stop the liberalisation of services,
with
a next deadline in march 2003, when the European Commission will make
public
its proposals for the GATS-talks. Mobilisations in all countries on
13.3.2002, mobilisation in front of the 'committee 133' in Brussels.
Discussion on bigger demonstration still going on ('From Seattle to
Brussels
', and other networks);

- Resistance to privatisations: Rights in Movement network of local
groups
(ATTAC Italy and others);

- the building of a European network for another health, not alone to
resist
but to reinforce the struggle of the health workers and of the social
movements who are active on this issue. Meeting in Paris on 15.2.2003
(Ass.
Italiana Esposti Amianto, Attac Germany, Attac Italy, Cobas Sanita
Italie,
Collectif Travail Santé Mondialisation Genève, Coordination Santé
Grèce,
CUB/RdB Italy, FADSP Spain, Forum per la difesa della salute Lombardia,
IAC
Catalunya, Medicina Democratica - Movimento di lotta per la salute,
Lica
Cedius);

- campaign to defend a free, open and secular education, financed by
the
state. Education has a fundamental role of fostering social change:
against
the neoliberal attacks, privatisation and commodification. Education
for
all, democratisation of the education system, and no education in GATS
(the
different seminars on education at the SFE);

- day of action around the 13th of march 2003 against the
commodification of
education and for the rights of students. Join us! (seminary at the ESF
of
students)

Agriculture

- the campaigns for:
- reaffirming food sovreignty: the right to decide what to produce and
what
to eat. For another European agricultural policy, in the interests of
society, keeping the rural world alive, with many farmers;
- genetically manipulated organisms (GMO): for a moratorium on
cultures;
zero tolerance for the contamination of seeds; no GMO's in food; no
patents
on living creatures;
- no repression, freedom of union organisation; no jailing of José
Bové;
(Coordination Paysanne Européenne (CPE) / Via Campesina - Food
sovereignty:
a future world without hunger)

Ecology

- for the building of a European network with the goal of "zero waste".
For
an annual European day of action for clean production, for the
prolongation
of the life cycle of products, and against the solution of burning
waste.
For a permanent network to debate and to intervene on the theme of the
territory, as a point of convergence of different problematics :
transport,
harmful productive cycles, waste, the cycle of water. For the full
text,
write to [email protected]

Democracy

- the European Social Consulta (ESC): a process of direct democracy,
under
construction. To connect day to day-issues with global struggles. Local
debates and mass based participation will allow people to make
proposals
about witch Europe we want (www.consultaeuropea.org).

- campaign for another Europe : to organise a real public citizen
debate, to
create o participatory constitutional process. The results will be
transmitted to the Parliament 2004, that has to elaborate a European
constitution: coordination of initiatives, process of debates around
proposals, common centre of resources (alleanza per un mondo
responsabile,
plurale e solidale, FPH). [email protected]

- a campaign to affirm the universal rights for all (women, man,
migrants,.); to delegitimise the European Convention the governments
control
the decision making about the Constitution; for a democratic
constitutional
body; to reaffirm the neutrality of the State in matters of religion
(Giuristi democratici, CRED);

28-29-30/11/2003, Barcelona: Social Forum of the Mediterranean: to
promote
the building of bridges of dialogue between the peoples and the
cultures
living in this region, to favour a debate on alternatives for the
specific
problems that concern the citizenship at both sides of the
Mediterranean
(more than 80 organisations from the Spanish state, Foros of
Basilicata,
Palermo, Ambientalista de Italia, organisations from North Africa).

All together we will support the mobilisations against the G8 in Evian
(June
2003), against the commodification of the world during the WTO-summit
in
Cancun, and for another Europe during the European Summits in
Copenhagen
(December 2002), Thessalonica (June 2003) and Rome (December 2003).