WSF 2009: Global Economic Crisis; Local Solutions

The eighth edition of the World Social Forum 2009 held from January 27 to February 1 in Belem, Brazil had the global economic crisis and its effects, as well as environmental and climate issues high on the agenda. The forum that gathered more than 130,000 people from 4,000 social movements and civil society organisations from 150 countries was also attended by African Civil Society organisations including Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD).   Click on title to read more.

The five-day forum held under the theme of 'Another World is Possible!' was marked by street parades drawing over 80,000 people and about 2,000 workshops, seminars, conferences and meetings held in two different venues where protesters, activists, intellectuals, campaigners, artists from across the world expressed their concerns on global socio-economic issues.

The event was also highly publicised with well over 3,000 journalists present  to conduct interviews, and capture events through audio and visual media. Eager to express their desire for a new world free of exploitation, the participants, comprising activists, protesters and campaigners, came in large numbers with agendas ranging from land rights for indigenous groups to securing ecological futures as well as social and economic equality.

Contributions from ACORD and African Trade Network partners

With support from other international NGOs present during the forum, ACORD contributed to and led sessions on 'The Financial Crisis, Free Trade Agreements, the EPAs and Food Sovereignty in Africa'. In most forums the two issues of international financial crisis and climate change dominated the debates and discussions.

ACORD, represented by Jean-Baptiste Sene (pictured, left) contributed through round-table debates and presentations focusing on four thematic issues as outlined below:

1. Inequalities in trade and commerce;

2. Universal access to common assets and resources;

3. Dignity, diversity and guarantees for gender equality;

4. Economic, social and human rights as well as food security and sovereignty.

Through dialogue, question-answer, debate and group initiatives, ACORD and partners under the African Trade Network (ATN) umbrella provided key analysis on issues by facilitating participation from parliamentarians, CSO representatives, State actors and African farmers on the current financial crisis, its links to free trade neo-liberal paradigm, and its impact in the debates on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union. ACORD in Ethiopia also had its representative, Yabowerk Haile with invitation from Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development (CCFD). He participated in conferences and shared his views on economic partnership agreements.

ACORD, Environmental Development Action in the Third World (ENDA), the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiation Institute (SEATINI), the network of farmers and agricultural producers' organisations of West Africa (ROPPA), and Economic Justice had a multi-stakeholder round-table on the financial crisis, free trade agreements, the EPAs and food sovereignty in Africa.

ACORD, ENDA and SEATINI have been the most active members of ATN against EPAs and have committed themselves to create awareness in Europe and Africa about Africa's perspective and concerns with regards to the EPAs that are further threatening Africa's development and that will have wide-ranging consequences on the already alarming situation of food insecurity in the continent.

Several agencies including ACORD conducted interviews with PANOS, the agency that sources information for media on global development issues with a developing world perspective. PANOS produces the 'Nouvel Horizon' and 'Flamme d'Afrique' news and information services.

During the interview with PANOS, JB Sene from ACORD highlighted important issues surrounding food sovereignty and ways to empower African local communities to own their resources. To listen to the discussion (in French) log on to http://flamme.panos-ao.org/spip.php?articles565 .

Forging New Alliances and Partnerships

Parallel to the WSF, ACORD and other members of the African Social Forum participated in the Congress of Black Men and Women of Brazil (CONNEB). The congress deliberated on ways to define the principles of alliance and collaboration between the CONNEB, particularly the Unified Black Movement (MNU) and the African Social Forum. There were attempts to build closer working ties through joint action planning and streamlined advocacy work.As a sign of solidarity and protest against the marginalisation experienced by Afro-Brazilians, the congress was held away from venues set aside for the WSF. ACORD was also invited to participate in the forthcoming CONNEB congress  to be held in June 2009 and be part of the steering committee for charting a joint action plan between the African Social Forum and the Afro-Brazilian CSOs.

While in Belem, JB Sene of ACORD used the opportunity to brief Brazilian Government representatives on ongoing work during an invitation from the Brazilian Government to African Development Actors (ASF as well as representatives of African Local Government including the President of Afri-cities and Trade Unions such as COSATU). Discussions were held on projects such as the Pan African CSOs capacity building programme (including the knowledge management and web portal for CSOs), the Community Food Aid System with the view of identifying projects that could be motors of development and interesting funding for these projects.

To comment on World Social Forum 2009 or get more information on ACORD's participation in Belem, write to us on info@acordinternational.org