European Social Forum 2003 Meeting of December 7 and 8, 2002

Work exchange/ Trade Union Centre SAINT-DENIS

Countries Number of participants Countries Number of participants Germany 7 Poland 2 Austria 2 Portugal 3 Belgium 4 Russia 2 Scotland 1 Italy 23 Spain 8 Sweden 1 Catalonia 4 Switzerland 1 Basque Country 2 Turkey 4 France 180 Algeria 1 Great Britain 12 Argentina 1 Greece 7 Bosnia 1 Hungary 1 Korea 1 Holland 1 Morocco 3 Total 272

December 7 Saturday Morning session

Conclusions of the FSE 2002 held in Florence.

The President of the session (Bernard Pinaud – CRID, French Initiative Committee) welcomes the participants of the first FSE 2003 preparation meeting which will take place in Paris – SAINT DENIS. He warmly thanks the Italian Committee for the quality and the smooth organization of the FSE in Florence. He speaks in the name of the French Initiative Committee of which he reads the register.

Alexandra presents the conclusions of the Italian Organization Committee of the FSE 2002, underlining among other points :

1. The massive success, with a strong participation of young people, the positive climate, the mix of cultures, opinions, nationalities. 2. The shared refusal of neo-liberal politics and of war, as well as the demand for new rights, in an approach that affirms its independence from any political current. 3. The unity, the radical view (in the sense of taking problems at their roots), the autonomy, in an open space and large audience. 4. The efficiency of the inclusive method.

Of the various countries and networks or European coordination, 31 interventions will follow each other. All the actors have welcomed the success of the Forum in Florence and its organization. Some wishes, critics or appreciation, sometimes diverging, have been raised, with the goal of giving more strength and consistence to the next forum. One can note for example the following items :

• The successful widening of scope , but not yet completed (themes, regions and countries, social forces) • The lack of cross liaison • The positive results of the forum as far as political opinions are concerned ; this moreover constitutes a strong lever of mobilization for the organizations involved • The new open possibilities to elaborate alternative orientations and solutions • The recurrent problem of the situation of politics and political parties and their relation to the social movement, which depends on the history and culture of the different countries, which should be tackled rather in the form of a dialogue. • The inadequate conditions of trade unions debate • The role of women, their under representation among the speakers in conferences and seminars • The strong presence of youth, while their implication and their representation have remained weak • The quality and generosity of the interpreter pool, which is still to be improved.

The Babel association (interpreters association of the FSE) organized for the needs of the cause in 2 months time before the Forum of Florence, has showed its commitment and has confirmed its involvement in the 2003 Forum, by producing a chart that will be diffused among organizations ( pre-requisites and professional codes of ethics) and asking to be associated to work meetings long time in advance in order to acquire more efficiency.

Alexandra proposes to merge the essence of these interventions in order to turn the Italian Committee conclusions into European Conclusions that will be disseminated all over the network.

Saturday afternoon session , December 7.

What kind of organization for the 2003 FSE preparation

Session President ; Jean-Michel Joubier – CGT France, French Initiative Committee

Sophie Zafari (FSU France, French Initiative Committee) presents the pilot studies of the European work framework, based on :

• The widening and the geographical plurality of movements and networks, that should be reflected in an orientation council, that would be an open structure, as representative as possible, and whose role will be to take the most important decisions related to the program, the themes and the speakers. • The set up of national initiative committees, in order to facilitate the decentralized geographical coordination. • The set up of a secretariat, placed under the responsibility of the orientation council, in charge of the preparation and material tasks organization of the 2003 FSE.

The main subject of the following debate is the work frame proposal.

The work frame

Generally speaking, most present persons agreed on concern for openness, diversity, democracy and transparence.

Simultaneously, critics or alternative or nuanced proposals were expressed, , sometimes because of misunderstandings, sometimes because of disagreements with what seemed to be a too structured, or even closed, framework. Some interventions speak of the fear of a structure of the “orientation council” type (perhaps because of the term which is used ?), or that is too strict; the wish expressed by the French committee to care for the permanence of its members is sometimes interpreted as a restriction, the number of hundred is considered by some members as not a suggestion but as an obligation. The modalities of the decision taking process have raised a few questions. Other interventions concerned the setting of work groups either now, or as soon as possible, on the themes or the organization; on the irrelevancy , for certain countries, to organize a national coordination committee and the usefulness of encouraging the setting up of local or regional coordinations. Information dissemination and exchange , using the internet, was the subject of a few demands and proposals. Others have expressed concerns about the proximity of the forums (FSE 2003 and the Euro-Mediterranean social forum). The linking with some conflicts were also suggested in 3 or 4 interventions (G8, social conflicts, solidarity with workers or people in conflict). The set up of a legal workshops is proposed.

Numerous questions are , in fact , not raising any problem, because they just follow Florence’s path. However, the initial proposal did not contain any indications on working groups , on information dissemination, on the frequency and location of meetings and preparation assemblies.

Consequently, a new proposal will be elaborated integrating these remarks and proposals, to be presented next Sunday morning.

Also, although the question was not on the agenda , number of attendees have wished to express themselves on the themes that could be held to the FSE 2003. This point will be put on the agenda of the next meeting ( Brussels 8 and 9 February , 2003).

Session of Sunday December 8.

Decisions

Session President : Pierre BARGE (Human Rights League, France, French Initiative Committee).

Bernard Cassen (Attac France, French Initiative Committee) specifies that we are in the same situation as after Porto Alegre, whose chart serves as a reference. As in Europe, forums are organized on all continents and sub-continents. In Europe more particularly, there remains a lot to be done to widen the movement geographically, thematically and socially. Important efforts will have to be done to insure a wider participation of Central and Eastern European countries and less favored people, during the preparatory phase as well as during the forum itself. We will have to care especially for the presence of movements and organizations of the Mediterranean region and of other continents to discuss the relations between Europe and the rest of the world. The FSE and the Euro-Mediterranean forum will work together.

Sophie Zafari (FSU, French Initiative Committee) presents a new proposal formulated by the French Organization Secretariat. The amendments that do not contradict themselves were integrated. This new work scheme (see FSE text 2003 Paris – Saint-Denis : European Work frame) aims to erase any misunderstandings, to avoid any awkward action, to push away suspicions and to draw a large political agreement on the preparation process of the FSE 2003, a process to be elaborated with the experience gained in Florence. The text is adopted after taking into consideration these last amendments, which bring some precisions to the work frame.

In agreement wit the Belgian comrades, the next meeting will take place in Brussels on February 8 (all day) and February 9 (morning), 2003.

The other meetings (2 or 3), which dates will be agreed on together, will be held in other cities. Candidacy proposals arrived at the secretariat : Berlin and Istanbul, as well as Northern Europe, but not before the end of March 2003. It is wished that other meetings of the European preparation assembly should be held also in Eastern or central Europe.

The debate shows that a large agreement is emerging on the reformulation of the work frame, which is adopted.

The question of the place of the parties is still, however, raising interrogations and debates, and everyone agrees that they are not looking for a clear-cut solution but rather elaborating a negotiated compromise. The agreement is reached ,without difficulties, to let each country free to organize itself the way it wants, in order to respect each country’s history and national specificity.

The issues of solidarity and of the back up funds will have to be treated in the most transparent way and according to the modalities which will have to be clarified.

In order to prepare the Brussels meeting in the best conditions, it was decided to also work by Internet. The first elements of conclusions of the working groups of the FSE 2002 will be posted on the mailing list of all the movements and organizations which participated to Florence, new organizations registered for the FSE 2003 will be added. Besides the information on the activity of the secretariat of the organizations, will be disseminated proposals and point of views for the preparation of the Brussels meeting.

The end of the meeting is dedicated to the planned, or currently led, campaigns.

Conclusion of the meeting of December 7 and 8, 2002 in Saint-denis.

European Social Forum Paris- Saint Denis.

The European Framework

The ESF 2003 will be the second one to be held on the European continent. In order to guarantee its success, we suggest implementing the most unitarian framework possible to prepare it so that we gather all social movements, all kinds of networks, associations and organisations claiming to be part of the process, of the project and of the charter of the World Social Forum.

The social groups that we are aiming at are listed below:
 Trade unions
 Communities’ movements, movements promoting popular education, and local development
 International solidarity movements
 Movements that fight against exclusion, all those who are “without”....
 Human rights organisations
 Environmental associations
 Networks that promote a social economy based on solidarity
 Farmers’ movements
 Peace movements
 Gay, lesbian and trans networks
 Alternative medias
 Youth movements
 Feminists’ movements
 Migrants’ movements and movements promoting solidarity with migrant populations
 Cultural networks
 Philosophical and religious movements
 Travellers’ movements and associations
 Networks gathering researchers and academics
 European citizen’s mobilisation campaigns

In order to build a preparation framework that would be as broad and representative as possible, be it on the national levels, or on the European level, we need to link the continental networks of the different movements and social activists as well as the local mobilisation committees.

We suggest implementing a framework that would try to combine representativeness, openness and efficiency, but that would at the same time allow for a transparent and democratic decision making process.

The role of the European Preparatory Assembly is to make the major decisions regarding the programme, the themes of the debates, the speakers, etc. It should reflect the diversity of the players mentioned above: diversity of networks, of organisations, diversity of national representations, especially for Central and Eastern Europe countries and the Balkans. We also have to make sure that they will be women in the delegations. The European Preparatory Assembly is an open body that includes all the entities from the civil society that wish to be part of it. To ensure its efficiency, continuity of participation is desirable. The Assembly may set up European working groups. Participation expenses to the Assembly meetings (travel and accomodation) will normally be paid by the networks, associations or organisations sending representatives. We also suggest that a solidarity fund be set up to promote the participation of organisations with limited financial ressources, namely the social movements of Eastern Europe, movements against social exclusion... The European Preparatory Assembly will meet three to four times before the 2003 ESF.

The geographical expansion achieved during the preparatory process of the 2002 ESF must be carried on. Organising the next European meetings in other areas of Europe could do this.

In each country, the different movements organise themselves as they wish, but it is necessary that the diversity of the realities in each country be represented at the European Assembly. To reach that goal, it seems important to set up national or regional mobilisation committees whenever possible. These committees will be represented at the Assembly.

The French Mobilisation Committee is built on the basis of its unitarian appeal (a short statement done by all the French organisations that agree on the process), it remains open so that the organisations that did not participate in the process from the beginning can participate later on. We must make sure that all kinds of players be reached. The setting up of this committee should allow for the emergence of local processes and at the same time promote the setting up of local groups. These groups take part in the National Mobilisation Committee.

The French secretariat for the organisation will be in charge of all the preparatory and co-ordination work (especially with the municipalities) and of the practical management of the ESF 2003. It will work under the responsibility of the European Assembly and in close cooperation with the French Mobilisation Committee. The work and decisions taken by the secretariat will circulate on the European mailing list.

It was decided to set up a French association for the funding of the ESF 2003. Its only role will consist in raising funds and use theses ressources in accordance with the decisions made by the European Preparatory Assembly and with the French Mobilisation Committee.