The 10th World Social Forum took place on 6-11 February 2011 in Senegal, Dakar at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop. The 2011 forum took place for the first time in West Africa under the motto “Another World is Possible”. The WSF was estimated to have had at least 70,000 participants representing 177 countries. More than 800 seminars and workshops were organized.
The WSF, which originated in Brazil, is a space where social movements, non-governmental and other civil society organizations working for social, economic and ecological justice can come together to pursue their thinking, debate ideas, formulate proposals, share experiences and network for effective action. It meets globally every two years.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance together with other ecumenical partners (WCC; CIDSE; ICCO; FECCIWA; Bread for the World; Bread for All; EED; Protestant Church of Senegal; Trocaire; CAFOD; Christian Aid and Caritas International) actively participated during the 2011 WSF and organized various events on Land Grabbing; Climate Justice; Millennium Development Goals; and EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements.
The Protestant Church of Senegal under the leadership of Rev Philippe Jean Mendy hosted the worship services for the ecumenical family present in Dakar. Rev. Beat Dietschy from Bread for All preached on 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 (DOCX FR).
Ecumenical solidarity was expressed by marching together, carrying banners with the message: “Churches advocating for a world free of poverty and other forms of oppression.”
FECCIWA in collaboration with the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Bread for the World; EED; ICCO; RAPDA; Bread for All; WCC organized a side event on land grabbing in Africa: Challenges to the Realization of the Right to Food on 7 February 2011.
FECCIWA in collaboration with EAA, WCC and Economic Justice Network organized another event on climate change and food security: How can the food insecure get enough food in the midst of global food and climate crisis on 8 February 2011.
On 9 February, EAA in collaboration with FECCIWA; WCC and other partners organized an event titled: “Economic Partnership Agreements imposed on the African continent contain grave threats to African economies: What’s the way forward?”
Caritas Internationalis held meetings on climate change, food security and forced migration.
http://www.caritas.org/activities/economic_justice/CaritasAtTheWorldSocialForum.html
CIDSE; Trocaire; CAFOD; Christian Aid and other partners organized an event to discuss: “Beyond MDGs 2015”: (http://www.cidse.org/floatingideas/index.aspx?id=2543) The question is what will happen next? We can’t wait until 2015 to start thinking of a new cross-thematic framework for development.
CIDSE and its member MISEREOR, together with Caritas Senegal, FIAN and NAD sponsored a three day event with partners from Africa, Asia and Latin America, to expose the realities behind land grabbing (http://www.cidse.org/floatingideas/index.aspx?id=2558) and the consequences for local communities.
Church Development Service (EED) organized a session on artisanal fisheries and food security in West Africa.
i) Review national land laws to ensure protection of community land rights.
ii) Lobby and advocate for national governments to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights using EAA model letters (signatories (DOC) and non-signatories (DOC)) and press release (DOC).
iii) Raise awareness on the findings of the IAASTD Report on agro-ecological approaches and multifunctional nature of agriculture.
iv) Lobby members of the Food Aid Convention [link to come] to support and promote local, national and regional food reserves initiatives.
v) Raise awareness on the impacts of EPAs in local languages and mobilize the public in a STOP EPA campaign
vi) Include economic justice issues in the curriculum for theology teachings
World Social Forum report (DOC)
WSF Presentation Paper on Climate Change and Food Security, EAA, February 2011 (DOC)
WSF Presentation Paper on Economic Partnership Agreements, EAA, February 2011 (DOC)
WSF Declaration on Land Grabbing:
www.petitiononline.com/dakar/petition.html (English)
www.petitiononline.com/accapar/petition.html (Français)
www.petitiononline.com/dakares/petition.html (Castellano)
WSF Appeal on Land Grabbing: http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/18159
Water and land Grabbing Fact Sheet, EAA/EWN, February 2011 (EN, FR, ES, DE)
Food Aid Convention, EAA. February 2011 (Link to come)
Summary of IAASTD Findings, EAA, 2010 (PDF)
Food and HIV fact sheet (PDF)
