Dear Friend,

We want to inform you of the chance for your organisation
to be involved in an extraordinary and far-reaching event
later this year. The European Social Forum (ESF) is an
opportunity for trade unions, community groups, anti
racist organisations, women's groups, lesbian and gay
groups, the anti-war movement, campaigns around the
environment, privatisation, health, disability, asylum,
housing - everyone trying to create another world - to
make vital connections with people organising on the same
issues across Europe and internationally.

This, the third ESF, will be held in London in November
2004. The previous events in Florence in 2002 and Paris in
2003 brought together 60,000 social movement, community and
trade union activists from across Europe and the world.
These inspiring three day events included workshops,
debates, seminars, cultural events and rallies united by
the theme: Another World is Possible!

What makes the ESF special is that the themes for debate
and the seminar and workshop topics are decided by
campaigning, cultural and political organisations across
Europe. We are writing to you on behalf of the UK group
co-ordinating the programme of the ESF and to encourage you
to get involved in this process. The Programme Group is one
of several groups set up to plan the ESF in London. See
details overleaf of how you can find out more.

The European Social Forum is part of a global movement for
change and social justice. It was inspired by the World
Social Forum (WSF) which came out of the belief that
protest by itself is not enough. Movements for social
change
need the space and the international exchange of ideas and
experiences to develop alternatives to the free market
madness which dominates mainstream politics and our daily
lives. Social Forums, global, regional and local, are
attempts to create opportunities to exchange information,
learn, be inspired, think aloud about future visions and
strategies and plan joint international action, all in an
atmosphere respectful of diverse opinions and experiences.
A sign that this idea is one whose time has come is that as
we write, tens of thousands of people are gathering for the
4th WSF in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India.

In the WSF spirit, the organisation of the ESF in 2004 is
intended to be participative and egalitarian. The Programme
Working Group is made up of reps from around 30 trade
union, campaigning, political and cultural organisations.
We come from many different parts of the left and labour
and social movements. But we are all united in wanting to
organise an international event which will be of real
practical use to men and women on the frontline of
resistance and alternatives to environmental devastation,
privatisation and war. Public sector workers demanding
better wages and conditions for the vital work they do,
asylum seekers fighting for the right to work and against
destitution, detention and deportation; black and
immigrant people fighting racist attacks, single mothers or
part-time and low paid workers refusing to be sidelined,
women organising against subordination, rape and other
kinds of violence, people with disabilities and older
people defending day care, transport and pensions, lesbians
and gay people active in all these movements, sex workers
fighting eviction and harassment, workers in manufacturing
resisting redundancy and insecurity, people taking action
on international issues of war and peace, unfair trade
and third world debt - the list is endless but all these
groups and many more have a common interest in working
together across Europe and internationally. We want the
programme to be strongly influenced by the needs and ideas
of all these movements and struggles.

As outlined above, the programme will include large debates
(kept to a minimum) seminars to debate strategies and
propose action for resistance, and smaller workshops
dealing with practical cooperation and movement
building. Our job is to encourage the widest possible
participation of organisations in workshops and seminars-
and to help them in whatever way they need.

We are not asking you to commit to anything at this point.
This is just to sound out your views and ideas. Later this
year there will be a chance formally to register interest
in organising specific workshops or seminars.

We will let you know the timetable table. There will also
be a financial appeal for the ESF and organisations will be
urged to affiliate.

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. See
e-mails and addresses below. If you would like a speaker
about the ESF then please let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you and possibly meeting
you at the first UK Assembly for the ESF in 2004 on the
24th January, from 1.30-5.00 pm, at the GLA, City Hall, the
Queens Walk, London SE1 or Assemblies in the future. The
purpose of the UK Assembly on the 24th is to discuss the
structure for the organisation of the UK ESF. Future
assemblies will also discuss the programme.

All the best,

Alex Gordon (RMT), Hannah Griffith (Friends of the Earth),
Jonathan Neale (Globalise Resistance), Anna T (Crossroads
Womens Centre), Dave Timms (World Development Movement),
Hilary Wainwright (Red Pepper)

========================================

> >

How you can become involved in the ESF in 2004?

We hope you or a colleague will fill in the form enclosed,
adding any
further comments.
Join the email list for information and discussion on the
ESF. E-mail
 esf-uk-info@lists.mobilse
.uk
We hope you will send a delegate to attend the next UK
Assembly for the
European Social Forum on 24th January, from 1.30-5.00 pm,
at the GLA, City
Hall, the Queens Walk, London SE1 to discuss the structure
for organising
the UK ESF.

Send delegates to the next European Assembly, which will be
held in London
on March 6th and 7th.

Yes, my organisation would like to make an input into the
ESF programme

Form: Name of
organisation:.........................................


Name and position of contact filling the form:


Main activity of organisation:


What issues would your organisation like to see on the ESF
agenda?


Please give your three priorities.


Have you any suggestions about how we present these issues?
What kind of
debates for example?


Would you be willing jointly to organise a workshop or
seminar on any of
these issues?


Are you already part of a European or international network
or does your
organisation have international connections?


What resources can you bring to the ESF ? Time? publicity?
Help with
fund-raising? Access to rooms or accommodation - if you are
based in London?




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PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM BY POST TO:
ESF Programme Group, C/O WDM, 25 Beehive Place, London SW9
72R

If you are replying by e-mail, reply to
 afgordon@dircon.co.uk
;  findjonathan@hotmail.com
, or
 newpolitics@redpper.org.uk