From:    "CACIM" <cacim@cacim.net>
Date: November 23, 2007
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The preparation for the Global Day of Mobilisation and Action advances

*WSF Program*

16.10.2007
*The preparation for the Global Day of Mobilisation and Action advances*

@ http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=7&cd_language=2

More than 1.600 organisations and individuals in the world have already signed the call committing to organise activities during the mobilisation
week and the Global Day of Action – January 26th 2008 (see: www.wsf2008.net).This edition of the WSF bulletin brings brief news about the mobilisation in the world (in countries as well as regionally), from information sent by participants of the 2008 Mobilisation working group (WG). It brings as well some support material to disseminate the journey.

*Mobilisation in the world*

*AFRICA*

*Democratic Republic of the Congo*
Discussions about the global day of mobilisation and action began recently. The journey will coincide with several local social forums, one of them in Kinshasa. Three other provinces have also expressed that they will carry through some activities.

*EUROPE*
The mobilisation for January 26th 2008 was an important point on the agenda for the Preparatory Assembly of the European Social Forum, held between September 14th and 16th, in Stockholm, Sweden. A letter to reinforce it was prepared to be widely disseminated. It is available in English at http://groups.google.com/group/2008actionday, file EPA letter call for January 26th or in the WSF website:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/EPA%20letter%20call%20for%20January%2026th.pdf).

Some countries at the assembly already reported what they are preparing for the mobilisation journey (like Belgium, see below). Other countries
delegations – like the ones from Italy and Germany – informed they will hold national meetings still in October to define actions to be made. The next ESF Preparatory Assembly will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from *November 30th to December 2nd*.
Further information: www.fse-esf.org

*Belgium*
The Belgian Social Forum committee coordinates the actions that will take place in the country, where a common activities subject was chosen: human rights. *Between January 21st and 25th 2008*, local activities will be held in some cities, like debates, public events and workshops. On Saturday, *January 26th*, a common action day will be organised in Brussels. On this date, a big "alternative visit to Brussels" will begin at 12 p.m. (GMT +1), with stops at 15 typical places in the city. In each place several groups (NGOs, associations, trade unions) will organise events for public information around a specific topic (one topic by place). The target audience are Belgian families that go for shopping (it's rebate period on January) and foreign tourists. Several guides will accompany the visitors during the walking.

After this visit, around 4-5 p.m., there will be a gathering at the Place de Monnaie: "a public warming" activity (with hot drinks), not too long, and
some common actions taking place (still to be detailed). Among the proposals being discussed are, for instance, building something together, like
rewriting the letter of human rights on a giant patchwork or creating a work of art made by the 15 groups. Between 5 and 6 p.m. (GMT +1), the idea is to have an interactive action, with direct contact with people that organise actions in other countries of the world, like, for instance, a giant video conference. Those who are interested in building this articulation can write to info@wsf.be (in English, Spanish, French or Dutch).
More information about the preparations in Belgium can be found at www.wsf.be (in French and Dutch).
Address: 9 Quai du Commerce 1000 Bruxelles Tél: +32.(0)2.250.12.68 Fax: +32.(0)2.250.12.63

*Catalonia*
Barcelona will host a Catalan Social Forum from *January 26 to 27, 2008*. It is being organized by more than hundred Catalan organisations, covering a broad diversity of sectors and issues. Concretely, it will be carried out activities like seminars and workshops about the impacts of capitalist globalisation in various aspects of life and the alternatives proposed by the social movements. An assembly of social movements and a demonstration will also be organised.
Further information: http://www.forumsocialcatala.cat

*France*
Since the first WSF in Porto Alegre, the main French Unions, Movements and NGOs have been organising different meetings to prepare the World and European Social Foruns. In 2003, these informal encounters became more regular with the creation of the French Initiative Committee (CIF, in French) to prepare the II European Social Forum, in Paris. Since this period, the CIF, which is an open frame, became the main place in which the Social Forum initiatives are discussed. During a meeting held on September 4th, the CIF decided to write a French call (see inhttp://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=appel_cif) to encourage the mobilisations for January 26 and start a discussion about the best way to assure the best visibility, particularly in Paris. The discussion is going on; new meeting will take place in October.

*AMERICAS*
An Americas Social Forum (ASF) preparation meeting was held in Guatemala on September 11th and 12th. In which regards January 26th, some initiatives at continental level were reported, like those of Hemispheric Social Alliance and Via Campesina/CLOC. Launching of ASF is scheduled for October, when the call for the global day of mobilisation and action will also be reinforced. Besides this, meetings to organise and coordinate several initiatives being prepared will be held in the next two months at Chile and Ecuador.

Download further information on the 2008 Americas Social Forum here:
English -http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/III%20FSA%20-%20GT08en.pdf
Spanish -http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/III%20FSA%20-%20GT08es.pdf

Further information on ASF process: www.forosocialamericas.org

*Brazil*
On August 2nd the launch of the global day of mobilisation and action took place during the 2nd North-eastern Social Forum, in Salvador, Bahia, when a wide dissemination of this initiative was done as well as a large distribution of printed folders about the journey.

The 2008 mobilisation was also a main subject during the first preparatory meeting towards WSF 2009, in Amazon. The meeting, held in Belem, in August 9 and 10, was attended by more than 100 people from many organisations, movements and networks of the Pan Amazon region. A workgroup integrating entities from the Pan-Amazon region was formed to prepare an action plan for January 26th and also mobilisation for WSF 2009. Among the proposals that were made for 2008, there is the preparation of water caravans in several states of the Amazon region, besides demonstrations and other actions.
At this meeting, a mobilisation schedule <http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2393&cd_language=2>towards
2008 was prepared, containing several events and mobilisations carried out until the end of December 2007 by the organisations, movements
and networks that act in Amazon. Those events will be moments in which the several social actors and actresses commit to disseminate the mobilisation day and the WSF process.

Other activities being organised in Brazil, which are as well prepared under the framework of the mobilisation week, are:

**Distrito Federal*
National Congress of the Central of Popular Movements
Date: *January 25th to 27th 2008*
Venue: Brasilia

**Paraná*
Mercosul Social Forum
Date: *from January 26th to 29th 2008*
Venue: Curitiba
Site: http://www.forumsocialdomercosul.org/

**Rio de Janeiro*
The World Social Forum Rio Committee is organising a big event on January 26th, in the sea edge. The event intends to promote the junction between culture and politics in the struggle for another possible world. Social movements members, artists, intellectuals and other individuals are taking part of the whole mobilisation process. There will be debates, musical groups and drama presentations, dance, poetry, space for solidarity economy etc. To mobilise the population and groups, communities and social movements to participate in the global day, there will be events carried out beforehand. Cultural and debate meetings will take place at the Circo Voador on *October 16th* – focused on social mobilisation - and *December 10th* –focused on human rights.

**Sao Paulo*
Assembly of the Global Campaign for Education
Date: *January 22nd to 24th 2008*
Venue: Sao Paulo

*ASIA*

*India*
Organisations, groups, movements and networks linked to the WSF in India held a meeting on the days of *August 10th and 11th* to, among other points, discuss the mobilisation for 2008. The meeting endorsed WSF India's participation in the call. It was felt by
participants that a mix of activities should be planned that would include:
1) Decentralised activities by organisations linking together at local, state and regional levels;
2) A few selected events/ activities that are conceived and co-ordinated by WSF India. WSF India can also act as a resource centre for the decentralised activities. It was also felt that thisopportunity could be utilised to contact all WSF India partners and also conduct an evaluation of the WSF process in India, as perceived by organisations who have been part of the process. Participants also felt that the nationally co-ordinated call could link with ongoing struggles and actions against globalisation. It was decided that the main slogans around which the activities could be conducted would be:
1) against war;
2) against globalisation and privatisation.
At the meeting, two subgroups were formed, that will work by e-mail to detail the Indian participation in the several actions. A new meeting to deepen the actions planning is set to be held in *October 5th and 6th*.

*South Korea*
Between August 30th and September 2nd, in the capital Seoul, a forum that gathered several social movements was held (*see information on this event at* http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/SMF_EN.doc). Participating movements made the commitment of prioritizing the global day of mobilisation and action in their agendas.


*Actions organised in world level*

*Campaign Act Together – Housing for All!*
Various international networks that develop and organise campaigns and events for housing and land rights are taking part of this action. It will
last four months: from *October 1st 2007*, International Housing and Land Rights Day and/or the celebration of the Habitat Day, until January 26 2008, with the global day of mobilisation and action within the WSF process. Further information can be found on the site:
http://campaign.hic-net.org/and in
http://www.hic-net.org/articles.asp?PID=803

The world campaign is the result of a joint initiative from the networks Habitat International Coallition (HIC), International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI) and Forum of Local Authorities, consolidated at the WSF 2007 in Nairobi. Since then, it has been supported by other networks worldwide.

Inside of this campaign, each network is invited to organize actions around specific issues linked to land and housing rights. IAI, for instance, is
organizing along this October up to January 26th the World Zero Evictions Days for secure housing rights. This campaign will have different actions like demonstrations, press conferences, meetings and occupations.

Click on the links below for further information:

*English*:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_en
*Spanish*:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_es
*French*:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_fr
*Italian*:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic.php?pagina=inv_habitants_it
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