Minutes of European Programme Working Group, Paris 29/30 May

European Social Forum 2004
European Programme Working Group meeting, Paris 29/30 May

Saturday 29 May

1. The meeting opened at 11.15am.
It was suggested that Sophie Zafari and Alex Gordon would facilitate the
morning session and there was consensus on this. Minutes were taken by Anne
Kane.

2. Introductions
Those present introduced themselves and an attendance list was circulated.

3. Agenda
It was agreed that the agenda for the meeting would be:
Axes/themes of the ESF; Initial discussion on plenary topics; Organisational
issues related to the programme.

It was agreed that all substantial matters agreed at this meeting had the
status of proposals to the European Preparatory Assembly.

4. Axes/themes of ESF 2004
A proposal from the UK ESF Programme Group and Organising Committee was
circulated proposing amendments to the wording of the themes as agreed in
Istanbul and a division of the theme on neo-liberalism into two themes. A
letter from NGOs supporting the latter proposal was also circulated.
Jonathon Neale moved the amendments.

A discussion on the axes content and wordings commenced. Consensus was
reached that titles of axes should be kept as short as possible.

The meeting broke for lunch at 1.15pm.

5. Afternoon session
It was suggested that Anne Kane and Helena Tagesson would facilitate the
afternoon session and there was consensus on this. Minutes were taken by
Milena Buyum.

6. Axes/themes of ESF 2004 - discussion continued

After a lengthy discussion consensus was reached on the following proposals
for axes/themes, to go forward to the Berlin meeting:

6.1 That the theme on neo-liberalism should be divided into two parts as
proposed by both trade unions and NGOs through the UK proposal.
6.2 That proposals on the following wording of axes/themes would be
taken to the Berlin Preparatory Assembly meeting:
6.2.1 War and Peace
6.2.2 Democracy and Fundamental Rights
6.2.3 Social justice and solidarity: against privatisation [deregulation],
for workers’, social and women’s rights’
6.2.4 Corporate globalisation and global justice
6.2.5 Against racism, discrimination and the far right: for equality and
diversity
6.2.6 Environmental crisis and sustainable society

Given the lateness of the time, it was agreed to alter the agenda to take
the item on organisational issues and to begin the discussion on plenary
topics first thing on Sunday morning instead.

7. Organisational issues related to ESF programme

7.1 It was agreed to try to reach agreement on proposals for numbers of
plenaries, duration of plenaries and seminars, numbers of speakers in
plenaries, numbers of facilitators of plenaries and processes for choosing
speakers.

7.2 Organisational issues agreed at the European Preparatory Assembly in
Istanbul were noted. These included: to aim for a substantial reduction in
the number of plenaries compared to the 55 held in Paris, to have 50% women
speakers on plenaries, to have strong representation of black and minority
ethnic speakers and speakers from Eastern Europe, to have transversal themes
of women and central and eastern Europe.

7.3 Proposals from the UK Organising Committee were moved, and included:

that plenaries are two hours long; that there are 4 speakers on platforms of
plenaries; that there are two facilitators, at least one woman.

7.4 After a lengthy discussion, consensus was reached on the following:

7.4.1 To agree to hold between 18 and 24 plenaries.
7.4.2 To aim for 4 speakers on plenaries.
7.4.3 To aim for two facilitators for each plenary, to speak only briefly,
at beginning and end.
7.4.4 To have at least 50% women speakers.
7.4.5 To aim to ensure strong representation of black and ethnic minority
speakers
7.4.6 To work to ensure explicit ’transversality’ of women and Eastern
Europe in the themes, titles and speakers of plenaries.
7.4.7 That further discussion was needed on the exact methods of choosing
speakers, but that final decisions would be made by the EPWG.

Sunday 30 May

1. The meeting opened at 9.30am.

2. It was suggested that Andrew Burgin and Alessandra Mecozzi would
facilitate and there was consensus on this. Minutes were taken by Anne Kane.

3. Plenaries

3.1 Proposals from the UK programme group for possible plenary sessions
were introduced.
It was noted that in some thematic areas consultation was more advanced than
in others and that further time to develop discussion and proposals had been
requested by organisations, such as NGOs on the environment and global
justice, which were interested in helping to develop proposals for
plenaries.

3.2 After a lengthy discussion consensus was reached to aim for four
plenaries from the following proposals, to be decided in Berlin:

3.2.1 Axis: ’War and Peace’:

· ’What future for Palestine?’
· ’End the Occupation of Iraq’
· ’Strategies for peace and global disarmament, against [new] nuclear
weapons and military bases’
· ’Overcoming wars in Europe’
· ’Challenging US imperialism’

3.2.2 Axis: ’Democracy and fundamental rights’

Pierre Barge and Franco Russo introduced a series of proposals. After
discussion consensus was reached to take forward the following as proposals
to Berlin, with the aim of agreeing four plenaries:

· ’For a democratic and social Europe’
· ’For a common basis of fundamental rights
· ’For a Europe of people and citizenship’
· ’European enlargement’
· ’Europe and the stability and growth pact’

Franco, Pierre, Satiris, Katu offered to discuss points raised about how to
address the issue of stateless nations and self-determination, possibly
under the plenary on ’For a Europe of people and citizenship’. Several
people raised the need to discuss further how to address women under this
theme. Others raised the issue of migrant workers, disabled people and
electoral systems. Dave Timms raised inclusion of lesbian and gay rights. A
discussion on social movements, unions and political parties was suggested,
here or elsewhere, although there was not consensus at this stage.

3.2.3 Axis: Corporate globalisation and global justice

There was consensus to have leave proposals on this theme open until the
Berlin meeting to allow further time for consultation and development of
proposals.

3.2.4 Axis: ’Social justice and solidarity: against privatisation
[deregulation], for workers’, social and women’s rights’

Alex Gordon introduced proposals under this theme from the UK programme
working group, developing in consultation with the trade union movement.
These were as follows:
· ’Trade unions organising in the global economy’ - to cover issues
such as transnationals, flexible labour, free trade. Stress was made (via
Turkish social forum) that this should make specific reference to women
workers given they predominate in this sector.
· ’Defending public services - resistance to privatisation’ - to cover
issues such as privatisation, access to services, public goods.
· ’Labour rights - challenging de-regulation, casualisation and
exploitation’ - to cover the casualisation, super-exploitation, trade union
and employment rights, and conditions of migrant workers.
· ’The pensions crisis - workers, women and the institutionalisation
of poverty’. To include discussion on welfare state, erosion of state
pensions, attacks on secondary pensions.

After discussion there was consensus that there would be liaison between
Alex Gordon, Sophie Zafari and Gianfranco Benzi to develop these proposals
in time for the Berlin meeting, taking into account issues raised about
welfare state and rights, migrant workers, women.

3.2.5 Axis: ’Against racism, discrimination, the far right - for equality
and diversity’

Proposals from the UK programme group were circulated and outlined.

After discussion there was consensus to take to the Berlin meeting proposals
on the following:

· ’The alliances we need to unite against racism’
· ’Stop fascism and the far right in Europe’
· ’For asylum, refugee and migrant rights - against Fortress Europe’
· To consult on a 4th plenary with possible titles of ’Islamaphobia
and civil liberties/the Muslim presence in Europe - perspectives and
challenges’.

Delegates from Bulgaria and Hungary stressed the need to address the intense
discrimination against the Roma people under the axis on racism and in one
of the plenaries. There were differences on whether or not to have a plenary
solely on Islamophobia.

Several delegates raised the need for further discussion on the potential
for plenaries on other issues of discrimination, such as against women,
disabled people, homophobia, as these were currently under-represented.
There was not yet consensus on where exactly within the ESF themes to
include these proposals.

3.2.6 Axis: ’Environmental crisis and sustainable society’
There was consensus to leave open proposals under this axis to allow for
further consultation and that proposals would be taken at the Berlin
meetings.

3.3. It was noted that further attention had to be given in all themes to
the transversal issues and what this meant, e.g. whether by speakers, in
plenary titles, in themes.

4. Organisational issues related to programme

There was further discussion on organisational issues not reached on
Saturday.

After discussion, there was consensus on the following:

· Sophie Zafari would add new names from this programme meeting to the
email list for the EPWG.
· Minutes of the meeting would be produced within one week. EPWG
members who had any differences would raise them within 2 days of receipt.
· Translations of plenary wordings had been agreed to be produced
during the course of the meetings, but had not been fully supplied: there
was an appeal for translations as soon as possible to facilitate discussion.
· The next EPWG would be Thursday 17 June, 1pm.
· A wider programme discussion would take place on Friday 18 June in
Berlin, in the afternoon, as well as meetings on practicalities and
outreach/enlargement. Space would be created for meetings of women and other
sectors which may wish to meet.
· An agenda for Saturday and Sunday European Preparatory Assembly in
Berlin was still to be developed.
· A date of 4/5 September for a European Preparatory Assembly in Paris
was proposed. This to be consulted on. The possibility of holding this in
Eastern Europe was raised and those present from Hungary and Bulgaria will
look into the feasibility of this prior to Berlin. There was no consensus
decision proposed at this stage.
· It was noted that a London office for ESF 2004 had been established,
with space in the TGWU offices. This office was requesting information on
potential numbers attending, accommodation needs and other possible
requirements.
· The need for further steps to allow the website to facilitate
proposing and merging seminars was noted.
· Further discussion on how to choose plenary speakers would take
place in Berlin.
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