Belgian Social Forum

Some organisations of the Belgium Social Forum would like to propose some practical suggestions concerning ESF and it's process.

1) We support the proposal to organise ESF every two years.

2) It would be good that more coordination would arise regionally. Thanks to i.e. : more exchanges and invitations to international speakers at National Forums.

3) In order to reflect more the specific concerns of each country and in order to improve the organisation of the European Preparatory Meetings, it would be desirable to think about a stable international facilitation group that would support next ESF'S national organising committees.

4) We support the proposal to allow a priority to speak during the European Preparatory Meetings to people who represent a country or to delegates of a network relatively to persons representing only one organisation.

5) We think that we should decrease the number and the pre-eminence of plenaries at the benefit of workshops and seminars

6) We request that a mechanism would be designed to facilitate the co-organisation of the seminars by several organisations from various countries (i.e. securing spaces and time during European Preparatory Meeting for such consultations)

7) We request that workshops would benefit from translation facilities in order to ease convergences of actors from various countries.

8) We request that for next ESF's a strong coherence would exist between discourses and practices: access for poor people, respect for environment, fair trade food, bio, mutual respect, non violence…

9) We request that the typical day schedule load would be reduced in order to guarantee room for informal meetings.

10) We think that it should be useful to consider the improvements tried at Porto Alegre this year where typical day schedule secure a significant time for movement, campaign, action reinforcement and convergence… this for more common and efficient mobilisation later on.

Organisations having participated in this reflection: FGTB/ABVV ; CSC/ACV ; Kairos Europe ; EuroMarsen Belgium ; CNAPD, Vrede, Attac W-B, CADTM