Southern Africa: Social forums continue to build opposition to neo-liberalism
Africa's adoption of the social forum movement continues to deepen with the upcoming second edition of the Southern African Social Forum (SASF) to be held from 13-15 October in Harare, Zimbabwe. This year's theme 'People's Resistance to Neo-Liberalism' will bring together thousands from community-based groups, social movements and civil society organisations. The gathering acts as a preparation event for the African Social Forum to be held later this year and the World Social Forum (WSF) to be held early next year. For the first time, Africa is slated to host the WSF in 2007, Nairobi, Kenya. The Southern African Social Forum (SASF) is a continuation of the Africa Social Forum, (ASF) that takes place annually, since Bamako (2002), as a prelude to the WSF that was initiated in Port Alegre (Brazil) in 2001. The WSF annual event is deliberately organized to coincide with the World Economic Forum (Davos). The timing is meant to signify civil society opposition voices to the high-level one-sided pro globalization and neo liberalism deliberations between the world leaders and international financial institutions.
Social forums continue to build opposition to neo-liberalism
Harare to host Southern African Social Forum
Africa's adoption of the social forum movement continues to deepen with the upcoming second edition of the Southern African Social Forum (SASF) to be held from 13-15 October in Harare, Zimbabwe.
This year's theme 'People's Resistance to Neo-Liberalism' will bring together thousands from community-based groups, social movements and civil society organisations. The gathering acts as a preparation event for the African Social Forum to be held later this year and the World Social Forum (WSF) to be held early next year. For the first time, Africa is slated to host the WSF in 2007, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Southern African Social Forum (SASF) is a continuation of the Africa Social Forum, (ASF) that takes place annually, since Bamako (2002), as a prelude to the WSF that was initiated in Port Alegre (Brazil) in 2001. The WSF annual event is deliberately organized to coincide with the World Economic Forum (Davos). The timing is meant to signify civil society opposition voices to the high-level one-sided pro globalization and neo liberalism deliberations between the world leaders and international financial institutions.
The need to host the SASF arose from the second ASF held in Addis Ababa, 5-9 January 2003. Participants resolved to establish sub-regional forums as a way of getting diverse views on Africa's socio-economic and political issues from a wider constituency prior to the ASF and WSF.
A wide range of topics is due to be discussed at the SASF in the areas of poverty and governance; regional integration; the nature and role of the African state; gender, sexism, feminism and masculinity; youth; labour and the media.
Under the poverty theme, speakers from Zambia, Mauritius and Senegal will discuss the impact of internal displacement on poverty eradication and the MDGs. The governance theme will hold discussions on the human rights of internally displaced people. Corporate rights versus the rights of people; regionalism and development; and democratisation and elections, peace, conflict, war and global solidarity, will also be discussed. The focus on regional integration includes discussions on the impact of WTO rules on agricultural commodity trade and Southern African trade agreements and their regulations.
A concept paper circulated ahead of the event states that the forum will:
- Provide the sub-region a platform for social activists to strengthen popular democracy and mobilization;
- Critically challenge the status quo of abject poverty, gender inequality and discrimination, high level corruption, social insecurity, unconstitutional governance, HIV & AIDS pandemic, etc;
- Build a sub regional solidarity network around issues of social, political and economical justice;
- Create a loose coalition that will guarantee effective participation in the future SASF, ASF and WSF.
Since its inauguration the social forum movement has grown into a strong global movement marked by a massive participation by people from the grassroots. "In this respect the Social Forum manages to engage large groups of affected communities and educate them on the causes of poverty. Furthermore the spirit of uniting people and sharing experiences has pushed for new agendas and vibrant strategies to fight global injustice," an article on the website of the Danish Association for International Cooperation says.
Questions of democracy and popular participation are crucial at the social fourm and policy processes are not resigned to ‘technocrats’, writes Tinashe Chimedza in an article on the website of the Centre for Civil Society at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (http://www.ukzn.ac.za/ccs/default.asp?3,28,10,220).
Chimedza writes that the forums are organized in the context of the failure of structural adjustment policies, stalled redistribution demands and worsening living conditions, debt and unfair trade. “The organisation and nature of the social forum as an alternative social and political action project must be informed by these national questions that are imbricated into the global political economy which is both marginalising and exploiting,” he notes.
Two opportunities are provided by the forum. Firstly, it presents a chance to blur the divided politics of redistribution on one hand and human rights, democracy and the rule of law on the other. “Secondly, the social forum provides a process of networking and building solidarity in an age in which most of Africa’s social movements and progressive NGO’s are organisationally weak,” says Chimedza.
* Compiled by Patrick Burnett, Fahamu
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