ITUC and Friends Hoping to Save the (Capitalist?) World, WSF, Dakar, February 2011

Peter sez:

In so far as this proposed activity for the World Social Forum, Dakar, early 2011, goes beyond the 'Decent Work' agenda of the International Trade Union Confederation/Global Unions family, it might provide a possibility for voices to be heard from those who think its proposals leave capitalism (unmentioned) as something to be saved or rescued. Or, at least, for participants to ask the name of the civilisation in crisis.

I note, however, a considerable tension, not to say a profound contradiction, between this project (heavily centred on the ITUC/GU and affiliated/acceptable Eurocentred NGO's) and the basic critique of the ITUC by the South African Cosatu, recently posted on this blog.

If anyone reading this note and the two relevant documents is ALSO expecting to be present at this event in Dakar, I would very much appreciate hearing from them and also seeing an eventual report thereon.

Challenges to this view of the matter also welcome.

Now read on...

Africa-Europe-World : let’s build a global salvation economy

Sustainability, equality and solidarity

to save rights, work, environment and democracy.

More and more it is evident that the economy leading the whole planet is not sustainable: while it destroys environment and put in danger the next generations’ future, in the name of competition it destroys also workers’ and peasants’ rights, social and democratic rights, social cohesion.

Major exploitation of natural and human resources goes on and is worsening. Impoverished   regions are becoming poorer; strong destruction of social conquers is going on in the richest regions too; and the emerging countries are pushed to follow the leading model with terrible consequences for nature, climate, communities, native people and future perspectives.

Inequalities, poverty, migrations, new war for resources, horizontal conflict between the lower part of society grows and will grow.

Human history is at a turning point: the dream of a infinite growth, of an infinite market and infinite global competition is over. The limit of the ecosystem make it impossible. The limit of human dignity make it wrong.

This is the crisis we are living in: more than an economical crisis, it is the crisis of a model of civilization and all over the world, from different perspective, the need to search for a new model of living, working, producing and consuming is felt as a need.

In the same moment when all over the world we defend the rights of people, community, workers and environment inside the current crisis, we feel the need to think about a new plan for the future, to propose a new model of living together in the planet which only can assure a positive way out from the crisis.

Social justice, social and democratic rights, ecological sustainability, decent work, wellness for everybody all over the planet, in a new and fair balance between global north and global south: it’s time to put together and to translate our values in a transition plan to save humans’ and environment’s rights.

A lot of experiments, studies, thinking, good practices in the north and in the south, try to find ways for a democratic social and ecological transition and show it is possible. A strong process of redistribution of richness can provide the resources to implement it.

In Dakar, trade unions and civil society organizations, cultural and political foundations, social movements and research centers from Africa, Europe and other continents will meet together to discuss and make step forward in this research oriented to action.

Promoters: CGIL (Italy) , ARCI (Italy), ITUC Africa, ATTAC (France), CGT (France)

In cooperation with:

TO BE CONFIRMED

European Foundations:

Foundation for European Progressive Studies

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

Heinrich Boll Foundation,

Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Green European Foundation

ETUC

SOLIDAR

Labour and Globalization Network

CCOO (Spain),

CUT (Brasil)

IBASE (Brasil)

SEWA (India)

LEARN (Filippine)

Friends of the Earth

Legambiente (Italy)

Via Campesina

Euralat

The seminar will last two sessions (slots) to make possible a real debate.

Each session will be introduced by two key speakers from trade unions area and two from civil society organizations.

Aim of the seminar:

1. Deepening the debate and the interchange on the issue: how to come out from the crisis with concrete and credible proposals in the global context

2.      Starting a common process of interchange, information and networking between associations, trade unions, movements and network in the north and in the south.