I know that this will attract some "Peoples Front of Judea" comments, but please, read
the statement and consider signing it. I am not a member of any far-left faction seeking to score points...I am just an anti-authoritarian activist, VERY concerned about the way the ESF process is going in the UK. An ESF which involved the entire movement, which was discussed and organised in a democratic way could have a great impact in the UK...similarly, however, an anti-democratic and centralised ESF process could do great damage. Please consider signing this statement and raising awareness of the issues in
your area.

**********

A European Social Forum in the UK ? Action urgently required

This message comes to you from activists of the London Social Forum.
It’s
about some problems and issues concerning the future possibility of a
European Social Forum in the UK. It ends with a statement which we ask
you
to sign urgently. First, some background. Please forward the message to
your networks as soon as possible. As the next ESF assembly on November
10
in Paris will make a decision on this, we would urge you to e-mail us
back
as soon as possible, so we can circulate this statement to as many
organisations and individuals as possible in Britain and Europe.

Background

As you probably know the second European Social Forum will take place
in
Paris on November 12-16. The organising group have received a proposal
led
by Globalise Resistance and CND to have the next ESF in the UK in 2004.

The London Social Forum activists who have put out this message in
principle welcome the idea of a European Social Forum being held in the
UK.
However, we feel the proposal led by Globalise Resistance and CND to
hold
it as soon as 2004, and in London, is not something which we would
support
without much fuller discussion, for the following reasons:-

1) The current proposal has been put forward by a small number of
organisations, and drafted in haste in a `top-down' way; there appears
to
have been little or no discussion with important sections of civil
society,
for example direct action groups, local community groups, unemployed
people's groups, ethnic minority and migrant communities and faith
groups.
There has been no public meeting yet to discuss the proposal, which
means
many organisations and social actors are still excluded.

2) There is a risk that if the proposal goes ahead, it will be led and
shaped by its proposers to the exclusion of others and of the politics
which they represent

3) A much larger and stronger European Social Forum could be developed
given a few months longer and a fully open, transparent and democratic
process for shaping the event. In particular, the emerging local social
forums in London, Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newcastle and
elsewhere
should have a key role in drawing together groups in their areas to
plan
the next ESF. So far, they have been excluded.

If you share our view on this, and if you want to see an ESF which
would be
bigger, broader and more democratic, at a later date with more time to
prepare, we ask you to endorse the statement below, as organisations or
as
individuals, and e-mail it to  ukesf2005@yahoo.com. All replies will
then
be consolidated and sent to GR/CND in good time for the November 10th
meeting in Paris, with copies to the other national delegations who
will
meet there to coordinate planning of the next ESF to happen after Paris
2003.

We feel this is the quickest and simplest way to ensure that the
organisations who have made the current proposal and other members of
the
international planning group are aware of the problems of the present
proposal and of the support for a broader-based ESF event in Britain,
preferably in 2005.


For further information about social forums see:

London Social Forum; www.londonsocialforum.org

Mobilisation for the ESF: www.mobilise.org.uk

European Social Forum: www.fse-esf.org

UK social forum email list:  uksocialforum@lists.riseup.net


Statement to sign

We, the undersigned, in principle welcome the idea of a European Social
Forum being held in the UK. As part of the World Social Forum movement,
the
ESF unites people from a wide range of political and social
backgrounds. It
brings together NGOs, trade unionists, anti-capitalists, community
activists, environmentalists, concerned citizens, ordinary workers and
many
others in a forum to debate ideas and organise against capitalism and
the
forces of neo-liberalism. It is not simply a movement that opposes
global
injustice - it also builds practical alternatives and solutions. It is
a
movement that embraces our differences and acknowledges our strengths.

In this spirit of diversity and pluralism, we feel that the current
moves
to bring the ESF to London in 2004 are in need of a radical overhaul.
The
proposal so far lacks transparency and, crucially, the possibility for
all
interested organisations and individuals to fully participate in its
planning.

We believe that the process must be started from scratch again if it is
to
be successful in making the ESF the property of all the different
strands
of the progressive and social justice movement in the UK. In our
opinion,
this cannot realistically be achieved in time to bring the ESF to the
UK in
2004. Therefore, we suggest the ESF be held in 2005 in a yet to be
determined city in the UK. However, we want to stress that in our
opinion
the ESF should take place annually and therefore suggest that Athens
should
host the ESF in 2004 - members of the Greek Social Forum have already
indicated at various meetings that this would be possible.

Even if the ESF assembly decides on November 10 in Paris that London
would
be the best choice for the ESF 2004 to take place, we feel that the
following steps are of absolute necessity:

1) A proper consultation process with all interested and relevant
actors of
civil society should begin immediately: with the trade unions, NGOs,
campaign groups, cultural and community organisations, social movements
and
forums, political groups, left & alternative media, and faith groups.

2) During this consultation process, the question of venue and timing
of
the ESF in the UK should be discussed and clarified (if not London
2004).
London should be considered amongst other UK locations. A realistic
timetable should be drawn up, setting out key stages in the
coordination
and consultation process.

3) All bodies of the ESF process should from now on meet in public, be
open
to observers, advertise their meetings, agenda items and resolutions in
advance and provide full minutes on a website for all to see. They
should
also operate by consensus decision-making processes and have rotating
chairs/facilitators.

4) The development of local and regional social forums in the UK should
be
encouraged by the participants in the ESF process.

Please add your signature by emailing  ukesf2005@yahoo.com