[ssf] [Fwd: [eulsf] Statement from Athens]

[Dan]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[eulsf] Statement from Athens
Date: 	Wed, 2 Mar 2005 18:01:02 -0000
From: 	maciacia <itspossible at ntlworld.com>
To: 	SF EU LSF <eulsf at lists.riseup.net>, SF M'er 
<manchestersocialforum at lists.riseup.net>, SF sheffield 
<sheffieldsocialforum at yahoogroups.com>, SF Strategy 
<Strategy at esf2004.info>, SF UK <uksocialforum at lists.riseup.net>



*1^st Preparatory Assembly*

Athens, 25-27 February 2005

* *

*FINAL STATEMENT ON METHODOLOGY*

* *

The fourth European Social Forum will be held in Athens in April 2006.

After the experiences held in Florence, Paris and London we feel the 
need to renew the preparatory methodology, the format and the territory 
of the Forum, with the following aim:

- involve as much as possible movements, networks, organizations, 
individuals which, all over Europe,at the international, regional, 
national, local level- can join the global movement for a different world.

- improve the strength of the European social movements of working and 
fighting together for another Europe, refusing war, neoliberism, racism, 
sexism and patriarchy, a Europe based on peace and rights.

- highlight and witness the variety of experiences of social struggles

- improve the capability of deepen the dialogue and the debate between 
different approaches and identities on order to make step forwards in 
the definition of alternative policies and practises.

- facilitate and improving communication between movements and 
organization, the process of networking, the building up of common 
agendas, campaigns, actions, mobilizations.

The ESF will be prepared according to the following methodology and 
calendar:

*First step: CONSULTATION ON THEMES AND PRIORITIES*

- on the 10^th of March, a process of open consultation will be opened, 
using the website, the ESF mailing list, networks, consultative 
thematical meetings, and all the useful tools to involve as many 
subjects as possible.

- the consultation will be done on the bases of two questions:

o which kind of themes do you want to be discussed in the next ESF?

o which are, according to you, the priorities for the other Europe we want?

- the consultation will be introduced by a small text, explaining the 
methodology and remembering the axis of the ESF in London.

- the consultation will go on until the 10^th of May

- all the answers will be collected and presented in an analytic way in 
the next EPA in May by a working group.

- the result of consultation will be evaluated in the next EPA, which 
will be devoted to a political discussion to identify the axis and to a 
debate on priorities.

- the already existing networks in the framework of EPA has to be 
consider as important actors of the consultation, and of the enlargement 
process.

- EPA will promote the active participation in its meetings of all the 
organizations involved in the consultation.

*Second step: PROPOSALS OF ACTIVITIES IN THE ESF*

- As soon as the axis will be identify in June- the collection of 
proposals of activities to be held in the Athens ESF will start, using 
the web site.

- Information about the possibility to propose activities will be spread 
everywhere in Europe, using all the useful tools.

- Organizations will be asked to put their own activities inside the 
axis, if possible.

- The deadline for the proposals, seminars, workshops, conferences, 
cultural events, table of controversies- will be the end of November.

*Third step: HELPING MERGING AND EPA PROMOTED ACTIVITIES*

- The general responsibility of the ESF programme belongs to EPA, which 
will organize itself with the aim to guarantee efficiency, inclusivity 
and transparency of the process.

- In the September EPA, for each axis a group of people will be 
identified as facilitators. They will be in charge of the proposals 
arrived, being in touch with the proponents and facilitating the merging.

- This work will profit from the direct involvement of the already 
existing thematical networks.

- The work of merging will end in February.

- Nobody can be obliged to merge its on activities.

- In the EPA in September, the debate about which kind of activities 
have to be promoted directly by EPA –such as plenaries, and “testimonies 
events” - has to arrive to a conclusion.

- EPA can promote thematical, strategic, merging assemblies aimed to 
facilitate the process of networking, to define common agendas for 
social movements, to create interlinks between different themes and to 
develop trasversalities.

- The proposals coming from the Forum will be collected and presented. 
EPA will discuss and decide how to present them.

- Of course, nobody will be obliged to participate in this process aimed 
to produce the agenda of the social movements, but EPA will do its best 
to give everybody the possibility to take part in it.

*Building up the ESF social territory *

* *

- The social territory of ESF will embody the contents and the aim of 
the ESF.

- The social territory will be built around collectively defined 
alternative “best practices”: free software and free knowledge, 
solidarity economy, environmental friendly behaviours and so on.

- It will be one of the physical expression of the political decisions, 
of the ESF programme (not necessarily using thematic area) but also of 
the links to cultural practices, networks,informal meetings and so on.

- It will be one of the expression of inclusiveness by sharing resources 
and a same global space.

- The issue of languages and interpretation is the heart of the social 
territory and EPA call the Babel network to build together useful 
solutions for all the practises which are going to take place in the ESF.

- The social territory is a political expression of the Forum and as 
such will be defined through a document discussed and accepted by the EPA.

*Notes:*

* *

- this paper is aimed to produce a framework about ESF process 
methodology. During the process, EPA could decide some changes.

- the deadlines has to be considered as flexible, according to the 
development of the process and the need to guarantee as much as possible 
involvement and participation.

- the complete text for consultation will be prepared in few days and 
circulated in the mailing list.

- the consultation is open to all forms of collective bodies 
(organizations, networks, social forum, informal groups…)

- all the organizations commit themselves to spread as much as possible 
the text for consultation

- the evaluation of consultation will be a political one, as well as the 
discussion on axis and priorities.

- all the working groups established in the process will be open, 
transparent and democratic.



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