Dear IC members,
Following the decision taken at the last IC meeting to organize its next meeting in the Maghreb-Mashrek region, a series of preparatory activities towards the 2013 WSF and larger discussions on the current political context are planned to be held in Monastir (Tunisia, around 1 hour from Tunis by train), from July 12th to 17th 2012. The main idea is to organize a special and enlarged IC meeting, taking into account a series of important issues to be addressed by different social actors.
In this sense, this Global Preparatory Assembly, in the framework of the WSF-IC meeting, is been planned to include:
1) a visit of a flotilla of boats in solidarity with migrants lost at sea, and to demand freedom of movement and respect for migrants' rights;
2) an international meeting of the Indignad@s-Occupy-Arab Spring-Y’en a marre-M23 movements, to reaffirm the denial of people around the world of paying the price of the financial and economic crisis and their rejection of the hegemonic financial power;
3) An Assembly of Social Movements of the Maghreb and Mashreq region; and
4) a meeting of the African Social Forum Council.
All these meetings will take place between July 12th – 14th, so its discussions can contextualize and enrich the political debate inside the IC meeting itself, which is going to be held from July 15th to 17th.
The organization of the Global Preparatory Assembly considered that this IC meeting can have a different and new dimension: it offers the possibility for the IC members to participate, previously to the IC meeting, of a series of activities linked to the WSF 2013 mobilization process and to the new movements all over the world. This could effectively enrich the IC political debate taking place in its first day, as well as give a concrete framework to the Commission’s work. The IC members could participate of all these previous activities at least as observers. So hopefully they could come to the next IC meeting in Monastir not to accomplish a bureaucratic task, from the 15th, but entering, with all their political will, from the 12th, in the 2013 preparation and mobilization process.
A preliminary agenda for the IC meeting, to be proposed by the Liaison Group, includes, besides the political debate, a discussion on the meaning and aims of the 2013 WSF, LG renewal, commission’s tasks and preparatory process towards the next centralized event, as well as its financial and organizational issues (WSF office, Local Organizing Committee, registration schedule etc). It is also a good occasion to a reflection about the IC itself.
This enlarged meeting in July is, therefore, going to be an important step towards the next WSF, an opportunity to better anchor the WSF process in the region and, at the same time, opening it to the new social movements and actors of the Tunisian Revolution, highlighting the so reclaimed values of dignity and freedom.
In order to prepare all the logistics of the meeting and the solidarity fund, we request all organizations to confirm as soon as possible their attendance. Due to all budgetary constraints involved, for each time the organization of an IC meeting is a challenge... In this sense, and in order to help us better organize it, we kindly ask you to start booking your flights at earliest, avoiding the highly expensive tickets bought at the last minute. It will certainly not be possible to cover 100% of the tickets costs; nonetheless, we do insist on solidarity mechanisms of either contributions to the solidarity fund or self-paid tickets (including organizations from the South which are able to make it). You may find below the registration form and all requested info for those who need visa:
Participant’s name:
Organization:
Country:
It will contribute to the solidarity fund with 400 euros ( )
It will contribute with a bigger amount of € _________ ( )
Request support for reimbursing transportation ticket? Yes ( ) No ( )
Requested amount (even if a provisional one):
Do you need accommodation? ( ) Yes ( ) No
For which nights?
Do you need support from the solidarity fund for accommodation? ( ) Yes ( ) No
VISA LETTER
- Complete name AS IT APPEARS IN THE PASSPORT: (Mr./Ms.)
- Name of the organization:
- Birth date (month/day/year):
- Passport number:
- Passport expiry date:
- Your phone contact (country code-local code-number):
- Your address:
- Fax (country code-local code-number) of the Tunisian embassy or consulate in your country and/or other place to where the letter should be sent (besides the embassy/consulate):
For now we are waiting your registration form and confirmation of attendance. We insist that you send the confirmations of attendance until June 10th due to the short time we have for all the necessary organization of the meeting.
Sincerely yours,