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.