ANOTHER AFRICA IS POSSIBLE

African Social Forum

Second edition

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
15-19 December 2002

Introduction

The African Social Forum surfaced in January 2002, and started fulfilling
the objectives that it was entrusted with : laying the foundations of a
space of convergence, democratic debates and mutual guidance, on the one
hand, and promoting African participation in the world social movement, on
the other.

Following the Bamako Forum, a process of democratic consultations was
launched in order to better share future choices and decisions : setting up
an organisation committee representing the various sub-regions and the major
themes. National and sub-regional members of the forum autonomously
undertook various structuring processes as is the case of Morocco, Mali,
Benin, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, .. while some of these initiatives are
already afoot, others are scheduled for the weeks ahead.

Consultations within the Committee (see annexed list) made it possible to
draw the lessons of the first Bamako Forum and define a strategy aimed at
perpetuating this space, in compliance with the mandate received from
members (see report of the organisation committee meeting).

The July meeting in South Africa defined the approach to be adopted for the
organisation of the next Forum and its thematic content.

Why a second edition of the African Social Forum ?

1- The need to perpetuate the African Social Forum was strongly expressed
in Bamako. The main reason for this lies in the fact that such a space,
based on the diversity of opinions and approach, mutual recognition and
guidance, does not exist on the continent. Even though the organisations and
thematic networks fulfil their role appropriately and are progressively
being consolidated, they do not have an open space which enables them to
periodically put their thoughts, actions and know-how together.

2- This need is all the more significant since Africa launched its union
during the past year and there is need to set up global spaces of
convergence to influence the unification process and enable African
societies to express their viewpoints concerning the initiatives taken on
behalf of the continent.

As a space for mutual information and guidance, the forum should respond to
the need to promote the exchange of ideas and democracy, exchange thoughts
on the internal and external development of the continent, give an impetus
to African social movements and show heightened awareness in relation to
policies conceived for the continent.

The Social Forum laid the foundations for such a space, and there is need
for it to continue to promote values for which it was set up.

3- The forum constituted a factor of mobilisation for African movements to
take part in the world social forum. Within a year, the number of
participants increased from 30 to over 200. Apart from the increase in the
number of participants, it involves ensuring that the continent fully
participates in a forum representing all the planet's social forces fighting
against neo-liberal drifts, and laying together the premises of real
democratic changes for the planet. In as much as African governments need to
strengthen their capacities within international institutions in order to
defend their interests more efficiently, the African social movement also
needs to mark the alternative world movements with its contributions. In
both cases, it is to the advantage of the functioning of world democracy.

4- The progress observed in several sectors of interest to the entire
continent, considerably justifies the need for a fresh in-depth
consultation between thematic and sub-regional components and actors at
continental level. The important factors to be taken into account include
the adoption, in Doha, of the principle of a new cycle of trade talks, the
holding of the Summit on Development Financing and the adoption of the
Monterrey Consensus, the launching of the African Union in July 2002, the
action plan for Africa adopted by the G8 Summit in Canada, NEPAD's kick-off,
the launching of trade talks between the European Union and ACP countries to
define free trade zones, the evolution of the situation of certain conflicts
within the continent and the emergence of new conflicts, launching the UNDP
campaign for the implementation of the millennium objective, the holding of
the Environment and Development Summit.

The debates held during these events clearly show an up thrust and a
dangerous deep- rootedness of neo-liberal discourse and practices, at both
international and regional levels.

They illustrate the enhanced difficulties which the African peoples
encounter to defend their economic and social rights, tone down and face up
to an order that very often reduces them to subjects of international
charity.

The tragic events of September 11 made the continent's situation even more
problematic. Just as the events that followed the said tragedy : the
Afghanistan war, the unacceptable injustice against Palestinians, the state
of permanent war which the United States and Great Britain have imposed on
the entire planet and which is a permanent danger to world stability and
security, unilateralism and marginalisation of the multilateral system.

All these events have prolonged a situation of economic and political
crisis in the world, which is not likely to provide Africa with the
possibility to embark on an autonomous development focussed on the
priorities and aspirations of the populations of the continent.

The second African Social Forum, as well as the third Porto Alegre Social
Forum will be held in an uncertain world situation, fraught with risks that
impose on the peoples, an absence of readability of the future and a retreat
into oneself which is harmful to human relations.

Objectives of the second edition of the African Social Forum

During this new phase in Addis Ababa, participants will appreciate the
impact of certain major trends of the neo-liberal order on the African
populations, formulate the alternatives together, while strengthening the
African social movement and consolidating, through our contributions, the
world social movement.

The African Social Forum is an emanation of the World Social Forum and
arises from a dual approach of strengthening organisations of the social
movement in Africa and consolidating the world social movement. As such, the
Addis Ababa Forum will pursue the following objectives :

- Provide a space to exchange ideas, information, experiences and for mutual
guidance among the various components of the African social movement

- Examine the main developments in the African and world contexts and
appreciate their consequences on the African populations and social movement

- Strengthen the capacities of organisations of the African social movement
to analyse, propose and mobilise so as to fully play their role in Africa
and within the world social movement

- Develop common positions and strategies among the main components of the
African social movement, on the most distinctive internal and external
elements of this development

- Present, evaluate and strengthen various efforts to structure the social
movement on the continent

- Consolidate the relationship between the African social movement and the
world social movement, particularly the World Social Forum. Information on
the WSF.

Methodology

To achieve the fixed objectives, the Forum deliberations will be organised
according to the thematic plan. Each theme will be discussed in plenary and
in workshops.

? Denouncing the inequitable international trade rules (WTO/ Cotonou /
AGOA..) and the policies of international financial institutions, the
insignificant progress made on the debt front, and reviewing structural
adjustment policies and poverty alleviation strategies.

? Study and evaluation of the African integration process and initiatives
taken on behalf of the continent (NEPAD)

? Impacts of the privatisation of social services on the African
populations in the context of globalisation

? Farmer issue and food sovereignty in the globalisation context,

? Exploring the Millennium Declaration, evaluating and influencing the
campaign focussed on the implementation of the millennium objectives

? The changing African social movement : towards what convergences ?

1. Strengths and weaknesses in the face of liberal up thrust in the world,
within the context of the last declarations, action plans and international
consensus
2. The African social movement's strategies for mobilisation and action
3. Africa's participation in the World Social Forum:

? Re-examining the role and functioning of the African Social Forum.
Adopting the African Social Forum Charter

Other topics could be discussed but under the responsibility of participants
who propose them.

At the same time, a session will be devoted to information on certain
international networks in which Africa plays an important role. It is the
case of the network Social Watch.

If there is enough time, another session will be devoted to the theme « New
information technologies, socio-economic progress and democracy in Africa :
miracle solutions or new constraints ?»

A working session will be devoted to relations of partnership between
African civil society organisations and organisations of the North present
in Addis.

The deliberations will be organised in such a way as to devote most of the
time to workshops on the themes retained. Each of them will be the object of
short presentations. The plenary that will follow will serve as platforms
for the pooling, the formulation of global alternatives and the
identification of common strategies and positions.

Venue and duration of the African Social Forum

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

Local organisation : Inter Africa Group

Four days : From 15 to 19 December 2002

Participation and criteria for participation in the Addis Ababa Forum:

Participation

- The ASF organising committee expects the participation of 200
representatives of all the components of the African social movement.
However, this number will be adjusted in mid-November, based on the
resources mobilised. In any case, 150 participants will be necessary to
achieve the critical mass required for a sufficient representation of the
African social movement.

- The same number of African participants should take part in the World
Social Forum. However, last year's experience made us believe that the
objective of 100 representatives is realistic.

- In addition to African civil society organisations, the African and
international media will also be invited.

- Members of the international committee of the World Social Forum as well
as organisations of the north and south active in the social movement will
be invited to Addis Ababa.

Criteria for participation :

Participants will be part of a wide range of organisations, fields of work,
and will come from the various African sub-regions:

- Farmer organisations
- Labour organisations
- Women's organisations
- Youth organisations
- Human rights organisations
- Environment and development organisations
- Community organisations
- Consumer organisations
- National NGO forums
- Sub-regional and regional thematic networks
- Researchers and research institutions
- Religious organisations
- The Media

Participants will be identified by members of the Organising Committee of
the African Social Forum, in close collaboration with organisations and
networks of the social movement in the sub-regions, and in accordance with
the requirement for the strong participation of movements other than
non-governmental associations and organisations. A strong representation of
labour organisations and peasant movements will be sought.

Adjustments will be made to ensure balance between the various sub-regions,
the different themes and various types of actors.

Special weight will be given to the participation of women and we will try
to ensure equal distribution between men and women.

Financing :

During the meeting of the organising committee in South Africa, a
comprehensive presentation was made by the social Forum Secretariat on the
state of the search for funds.

It was decided that members of the Committee will be made more accountable
in the mobilisation of the resources necessary for the participation of
sectors of which they are responsible, but that the secretariat will
continue to meet its responsibilities in this regard.

From Addis Ababa to Porto Alegre

The World Social Forum will serve as an opportunity to prepare Africa's
active and efficient participation in the World Social Forum of Porto
Alegre. But the preparations (hotel reservations, discussions with our
Afro-Brazilian partners to organise the logistics, preliminary discussions
on the organisation of upcoming African cultural events in Brazil.) have
already started.

Several workshops will be organised in Porto Alegre by the African networks
on :

- international trade
- gender
- debt and reparations
- NEPAD
- the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement,
- the farmer issue and food sovereignty
- the impact of privatisations

Arrangements will continue up to January to ensure that a maximum of African
activities are organised in Porto Alegre.

Partnership with the Afro-Brazilian Diaspora

The Porto Alegre Social Forum will serve as an opportunity to strengthen
relations between the continent and Afro-Brazilian and Afro-American
Communities. Joint activities will be organised, in addition to the mutual
support that the two groups will provide each other.

PROGRAM OF THE AFRICAN SOCIAL FORUM
15-19 December 2002, Addis Ababa

(Preliminary)

December 15, 2002

8h30-9h : Registration
9h-10h30 : Opening ceremony and welcoming addresses

10h30-10h45 : Break

10h45-11h : Presentation of the Forum's objectives and of the methodology

11-13h : Presentation of the Forum's themes :

International trade, privatization and African development

Debt and poverty : current situation and alternatives

African Union: a hope not to be dashed

Peace and conflicts :

13h-15h Lunch

15h-16h30 Presentation of themes continues :

Agriculture and globalization : the challenge of food sovereignty

The Millennium objectives : opportunity for Africa or continuity of
structural adjustment?

16h30-16h45 Break

16h45-17h45 Presentation of themes continues :

The New Information Technologies : miracle solutions or new constraints ?

African cultures : a buffer against neo-liberalism and a tool for
reinventing the future

Contribution of the African social movement to the struggle against
neo-liberal globalization

17h45-18h Overview of the workshops

December 16, 2002

9h-11h Workshops

11h-11h15 Break

11h15-13h Workshops

13h-15h Lunch

15h16h30 Workshops

16h-16h15 Break

16 h15-18h Workshops

December 17, 2002

9h-10h Plenary

10h-10h15 Break

10h15h-13h Workshops

13h-15h Lunch

15h16h30 Workshops

16h-16h15 Break

16h15-18h Workshops

December 18, 2002

9h-10h Plenary

10h-10h15 Break

10h15-13h African Union: a project for the African people ?

13h-15h Lunch

15h-16h30 Discussions and adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration

16h30-16h45 Break

16h45-19h Discussions and adoption the African Social Forum's Charter

Relationship between the ASF and the World Social Forum

Closing ceremony

December 19, 2002

9h-11h : Briefing session on the Social Watch network

11h-11h15 : Break

11h15-13h30 Session on the cooperation between African and Northern social
movements

PROGRAM OF THE WORKSHOPS

16-12-2002 17-12-2002

International trade, privatization
and African development
Debt and poverty: current situation and alternatives
African Union : a hope not to be dashed
The Millennium objectives : opportunity for Africa
or continuity of structural adjustment ?
Agriculture and globalization : the challenge
of food sovereignty
The New information technologies : miracle solution or new constraints ?

Solidarity economy : revenge of the social over
the all economic ?
Peace and conflicts
African cultures : a buffer against neo-liberalism
and a tool to reinvent the future

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