Notes from informal JPC follow-up meeting in Genoa

Notes from the informal meeting to follow up Jakarta Peace Consensus, Saturday 19 July, 2003, Genoa.

Present

Abdul Amir Rekaby, Coudi, Iraq/France

Adnane Ben Youssef, CCIPPP, France

Asad Rehman, Stop the War, UK

Christine Budhholz, Linksruck, Germany

Christophe Aguiton, France

Damien Planson, Agir contre la guerre, France

Dina Garane, Genoa 2001 Coalition Greece

F. Levent Sensever, Istanbul Social Forum, Turkey

Giannis Sifakakis, Stop the War Coalition, Greece

Leo Gabriel, Austria

Nala Chahal., CCIPPP, France

Omeyya Seddick, Resistances Citoyennes, France

Paola Manduca, Italian anti-war coalition, Italy

Petros Constantinou, Genoa 2001 Coalition, Greece

Raffaella Bolini, Italy FSE, Italy

Regina Sternal, ATTAC (AG Globalisierungund Krieg), Germany

Roberto Guidici, FIOM-CGIL, Italy

Sotiris Kontogiannis, Stop the War Coalition, Greece

Vanine Giudcelli, Etincelle, France

Purpose of meeting

This meeting was proposed by several participants to follow up the progress of the "Jakarta Peace Consensus" (the JPC can be downloaded in many languages at http:focusweb.org) and to have a general overview of developments in the anti- war movement in Europe and other parts of the world.

People’s Tribunal

Movements from several different countries, including Turkey, Brasil and Japan, have proposed a people’s tribunal against the US administration for war crimes. This proposal was strongly endorsed at the Jakarta Peace Conference and it was agreed that the Turkish proposers could initiate a process of coordination. During the World Social Forum International Council meeting in Miami in late June, there was a meeting at which the proposal to have a first session of the Tribunal in Mexico in November during the visit of George W. Bush was proposed.

In this discussion, everyone agreed that the purpose of the Tribunal needs to be clarified and the process needs to be well-prepared. In addition, it was seen as important that the Tribunal is linked to mobilisations and is a part of the building of the anti-war and anti-occupations campaigns. Several people felt that it is too soon to hold a first session of the Tribunal in Mexico in November although everyone agreed on the importance of a strong symbolic action during Bush’s visit. It was also suggested that the Tribunal could be launched at the WSF in India in January and that the Occupation Watch Centre (see below) could be used to gather information for the prosecution.

After discussion, it was proposed that the event in Mexico could be used to announce the process and to make the accusations.

It is urgent that the proposers of this initiative meet very soon to systematise their various approaches and to develop a way of working together. It is not necessary that every "tribunal" is the same but it will be useful to link the various events and to accumulate the experiences to culminate in a final verdict.

It was proposed that there could be a meeting in Cancun in September during the WTO ministerial or in Cairo in late October during the anti-war event.

It was agreed that Nicola Bullard (n.bullard@focusweb.org) and Leo Gabriel (gabriel.lai@magnet.at) would help to get this process moving.

27 September

Mobilisations are planned for 27 September, the third anniversary of the second intifada, in the US, UK, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Denmark, Macedonia, Portugal, Austria, France, Poland, Cyprus, Spain, Palestine, Ireland. Efforts are being made to link the occupation in Palestine with the occupation in Iraq. The two slogans in Greece are "End the Occupation" and "Free Palestine"

Occupation Watch Centre

This initiative comes from the US organisation Global Exchange and was supported at the Jakarta peace conference. It was subsequently ensorsed by the US United for Peace and Justice coalition, along with many other organisations. A team to investigate the feasibilty of establishing the Centre was sent to Baghdad in late June. Members of the mission to Iraq included United for Peace and Justice (US), Global Exchange (US), International Civil Campaign for the Protection of the Palestinian People (France), Resistances Citoyennes (France), Un Ponte Per (Italy), Fellowship of Reconciliation (US), Code Pink (US), Voices in the Wilderness (US).

Adnane Ben Youssef from CCIPPP was part of the team. He reported that they met with many journalists, lawyers, women’s and worker’s organisation which were very supportive of the idea. They also held a press conference announcing the Centre. A building has been found in the centre of Baghdad, which was formerly an art gallery but was damaged during the invasion. Work needs to be done to restore the building and in the meantime the Centre will be housed in the office of Voices in the Wilderness. Two people from Voices will help establish the Centre together with an Iraqi journalist.

In the general discussion that followed several people noted that there is an incredible growth of Iraqi organisations and a strong desire for an independent and democratic Iraq, therefore the Centre can play a very useful role in monitoring the actions of the ocupying forces and maintaining pressure to end the occupation. In addition, there are many people who want to tell their stories and testify to their experiences during the invasion and many journalists are willing to for an Arabic website.

It was also noted that it is very important to both enlarge and consolidate the Centre as soon as possible however this requires a good discussion and process for establishing the political management of the Centre.

Focus on the Global South will contribute US$10,000 to the Centre and one of the Focus staff, Herbert Docena, will most likely be in Baghdad for September to help set up the Centre and start collecting information about the reconstruction efforts. However, Nicola stressed that for Focus it is essential that the political management and overall co-ordination of the Centre be sorted out quickly.

Focus is also proposing that a clear "board of direction" should be established and that a common fundraising proposal should be developed so that any organisation wishing to support the Centre has a clear idea of its purpose, management and financial situation. It is extremely important that a project like this is absolutely transparent and "impartial" insofar as the mandate is to monitor the actions of the occupying forces and foreign transnational corporations.

The website for the Centre is www.occupationwatch.org <http://www.occupationwatch.org/>

New Year Caravan to Baghdad
As part of the continuing efforts to oppose the occupation and to show solidarity with Iraqis. Following the experiences of solidarity delegations to Palestine, there are many initiatives to send international delegations to Iraq, as well as proposals to hold mass a anti-occupation and anti-war assembly in Iraq at some stage in the future.

Rafaella Bolini reported on the Italian proposal to send a ’caravan’ to Palestine and Iraq at the end of the year, during the European Christmas and New Year holidays (when many people will be able to join). The idea is still in it’s early stages however the Italian anti-war groups are very interested to make this a collective project.

Nala Chahal suggested that it is not feasible to send the same group to Palestine and Iraq, for many political and practical reasons, however she added that the experiences of the CCIPPP could be an important contribution to realising a caravan to Iraq. Amir also commented that it is important to focus on otrher large cities in Iraq and not only Baghdad.

· It was agreed that the Italians and the CCIPPP would work together in the next months to see how this project can be developed and that a final announcement can be made at the ESF in November.

Constituent Assembly
Abdul Amir Rekaby reported that preparations are underway for a constituent assembly in Iraq. This is an initiative coming from a 21-member coalition of Iraqi secular and religious organisations and was first proposed soon after the US invasion of Iraq. More than one million signatures have been collected in Iraq supporting the idea of an assembly. There are two problems: first, the occupying forces may not allow such as assembly to proceed and second, it will be expensive to organise. There will be a preparatory meeting in late July or early August and at that meeting a date will be set for the full assembly.

Amir stressed the importance of a strong international presence during the congress, both to provide some protection and also to strengthen the international links and understanding. He said that they are inviting many different "types" of personalities, to ensure a non-partisan event. Already they have invited many people, including all those who were at the Jakarta Peace Conference and former UK foreign minister Robin Cook (who resigned protesting the UK’s involvement in the war). Mr Cook has agreed in principle.

There were several questions of Amir:

What is your assessment of the 25-member council set up by the US and who will be the participants in the constituent assembly?

In Amir’s view, most of the one million people who signed the petition see the council as part of the occupation and reject it completely. Although the Communist Party General secretary is a member of the Council, this does not give the council any legitimacy and in fact the establishment of the council could accelerate the process of resistance. Now, the 25 members cannot walk the streets without heavy US protection and many have been threatened or given specific deadlines and ultimatums to leave the council.

There was some discussion about the composition of the council and the fact that the CP is inside the council may be confusing to some people. Several people insisted that it is essential that we totally reject the legitimacy of the council and not worry about the general secretary of the CP.

In response to the second question, Amir said that most of the signatures were collected from the tribal council and that the participants in the constitutent assembly would also be mainly from the tribes. Amir and Omeyya noted that in Iraq many civil society organisations and political parties have been destroyed or forced into exile and the main social formations are the tribal councils and the city and neighbourhood councils so, although the idea of a tribal council may seem ’archaic’, they are key civilian structures in Iraq. The US knows this and Bremer has been trying to form alliances with the councils, so far with no success.

· It was agreed that, in line with the JPC, we must maintain a strong opposition to the occupation and to support absolutely the right for the Iraqis to organise and decide for themselves.

· Amir will continue to inform all networks about the process of the constituent assembly and urges international support and international presence.

· There was no agreement on whether there should be a common statement denouncing the US-backed council.

Cairo Conference
In December 2001, the first "Cairo Conference" was convened by the Egyptian anti-war committee. This was an opportunity to have an encounter between many Arabic peace activists with some European and US organisations and personalities. The second Cairo Conference will be held on 26 October. The Mediterranean Social Forum preparatory assembly will be held in the days before so that people are able to stay for the Cairo Conference. Several people said that it would be good to have many people at the conference to open up the process and to deepen the links with the Arabic countries.

European Social Forum
It was agreed that there should be a common assembly of peace and anti-war movements during the ESF. It was suggested that one day could be a common, general assembly and on a second day an assembly on specific campaigns and events (such as Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, etc.).

World Social Forum
It was agreed at Jakarta that there should be a massive international peace assemlyin Mumbai in January at the World Social Forum.

Nicola reported that the Indian WSF programme committee and the Indian representatives at the Jakarta meeting (Kamal Chenoy, Anuradha Chenoy and Achin Vanaik) have already started to develop a programme for Mumbai. There is a draft programme which is open for comments and they are hoping that the international networks will support this as a key moment to build and further internationalise the peace and anti-globalisation movements. For more information contact Herbert Docena at Focus on the Global South (herbert@focusphilippines.org).

Notes by Nicola Bullard, any additions and corrections welcome.