Synthesis of the resolutions of the African Social
Forum
Las Palmas, Canaries Islands, 19-21 March 2005
At the invitation of the Canarian
Association for Globalisation Studies (ACEG), the
African Social Forum Council convened in Las Palmas
(Canary Islands) from 19 to 21 March 2005, to take
up the challenge relative to the consolidation and
expansion of the alter-globalisation social movement,
and the success of the World Social Forum, decentralised
to Morocco and the 2007 World Forum in Africa.
The Council took note of the significant
expansion of the African Social Forum dynamism on
the continent and the progress registered, since 2002,
in the organisation of national, sub-regional and
continental Social Forums.
It was further apprised of the progress
made in the preparations of the World Social Forum
that was decentralised to Morocco.
The Council launched an appeal to
the various African social movements, by further opening
up to all forces fighting against neo-liberal policies
: farmer movements, trade union organisations, youth
movements, women’s movements….
It urged them to strengthen their
local, national and sub-regional forums, all of which
serve as democratic spaces for the fight against neo-liberalism
and the search for alternatives.
The Council moreover called on them
to link up further with the alter-globalisation movement
and strive to significantly improve their participation
in the International World Social Forum Council.
A- 2007 WSF
host country selection process
After the discussion and thorough
consideration of the matter, the Council adopted the
criteria for the selection of the host country for
2007. (see criteria adopted in annex).
The Council took note of the Kenyan
and Malian candidatures for the organisation of the
next edition of the World Social Forum in Africa in
2007.
It expressed satisfaction for the
excellent quality of the applications presented by
the movements of the two countries. .
It, however, requested the two applying
movements to further deepen their respective visions,
by integrating, in particular, the idea that Africa,
the cradle of humanity, will be the tomb of wild capitalism
and a key component of the world’s future.
In the absence of a consensus on
the choice of the 2007 WSF host country, the Council
took note of the following proposals :
1- Undertake a thorough examination
of the two candidatures, on the basis of the adopted
criteria, and if necessary set up an assessment board
which shall submit a detailed report to guide the
decision on the issue before 15 May 2005.
2- Examine the possibility of organising
the 2007 World Social Forum in the form of a process
involving the two applying countries, possibly through
a CARVANE linking the two countries.
B-
Mobilisation
In order to mobilise the largest
number of social movements on the continent and ensure
the successful organisation of the 2007 World Social
Forum, the African Social Forum Council adopted the
following procedure :
1) organise, in Dakar before the
end of May, a planning and reflection seminar on the
contents and methodologies for 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The seminar shall be attended by a large number of
African social movements, as well as social movements
from the South and North,
2) organise the fourth edition of
the African Social Forum in Guinea Conakry before
the end of December 2005. The Guinean movements are
advised to set up an organising committee and initiate
a participatory preparation process.
The Council took note of the decision
of the social movements to organise, in phases, the
mobilisation for the second and third editions of
the West African Social Forum (in September 2005,
in Benin and in September 2006 in Nigeria), of the
second edition of the Southern African Social Forum
(in October 2005 in Zimbabwe), and the first edition
of the North African Social Forum (in July 2005, in
Morocco).
3) Consolidate the preparatory process
of the World Social Forum decentralised to Morocco
in 2006, through the further involvement of the ASF.
C-
Strengthening the Council’s working mechanisms
The Council decided to strengthen
its working mechanisms to ensure the greater efficiency,
participation and transparency, of the working committees
and the Secretariat, in particular.
The purpose of the decision to strengthen
the Secretariat is to enable the latter to fulfil
the functions assigned to it in anticipation of the
2005, 2006 and 2007 Forums. It will be conducted with
the backing of the expertise and resources of the
social movements of the various African sub-regions.
It shall be broadened to include five other Africans
and shall welcome the contributions of the Brazilian,
Indian and European committees.
D- Broadening
the African Social Forum Council :
Following their applications, and
in accordance with the ASF Charter, the Council decided
to welcome the following organisations :
- COSATU, from South Africa
- GRAPAD, from Benin,
- ANOPACI-FNDP, from Côte d’Ivoire
- ASAPSU, from Côte d’Ivoire
E- Acknowledgements
Members of the African Social Forum
Council express their sincere gratitude to ACEG for
its hospitality and helpfulness. They call for the
establishment of sustained relations between the Canarian
social movement and the African social movement to
enable them to pool their efforts in order to take
up the neo-liberalism challenge and contribute together
to build a new world.
ANNEX 1 : Selection
criteria for the choice of the city to host the World
Social Forum in Africa in 2007
During its Cairo and Porto Alegre
meetings, the African Social Forum Council discussed
the criteria to be met by cities presenting their
candidatures to host the World Social Forum to be
held in Africa in 2007. These criteria were enriched
and confirmed during the Las Palmas Council session..
A consensus was reached on the following
criteria :
1- Defend a vision of Africa
2- A convivial political context
3- The mobilisation of the social
movement
4- Have the appropriate infrastructure
5- Capacity to mobilise resources
6- Accessibility of the proposed
city
These criteria shall be understood
as follows :
1- Defend a vision of Africa : candidates
applying for the organisation of the World Social
Forum in Africa should defend a vision of the continent
based on the idea that Africa which is the cradle
of humanity, shall be the tomb of wild capitalism,
and shall represent a key component of the future
of humanity.
