SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ASSEMBLY IN NAIROBI

AFRICAN STRUGGLES, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

Social Movements Assembly at the World Social Forum

Nairobi, 24 January 2007

More than 2000 activists loudly and energetically endorsed this statement at the Social Movements Assembly in Nairobi.

AFRICAN STRUGGLES, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

Social Movements Assembly at the World Social Forum

Nairobi, 24 January 2007

We, social movements from across Africa and across the world, have come

together here in Nairobi at the 2007 World Social Forum to highlight and

celebrate Africa and her social movements; Africa and her unbroken history

of struggle against foreign domination, colonialism and neo-colonialism;

Africa and her contributions to humanity; Africa and her role in the quest

for another world.

We are here to celebrate and reaffirm the spirit of the World Social Forum

as a space of struggle and solidarity which is open to all people and

social movements regardless of their ability to pay.

We denounce tendencies towards commercialisation, privatisation and

militarisation of the WSF space. Hundreds of our sisters and brothers who

welcomed us to Nairobi have been excluded because of high costs of

participation.

We are also deeply concerned about the presence of organisations working

against the rights of women, marginalised people, and against sexual

rights and diversity, in contradiction to the WSF Charter of Principles.

The social movements assembly has created a platform for Kenyans and other

Africans from different backgrounds and communities to present their

struggles, alternatives, cultures, talents and skills. It is also a space

for civil society organisations and social movements to interact and share

the issues and problems affecting them.

Since the first assembly in 2001, we have contributed to building and

strengthening successful international networks of civil societies and

social movements and reinforced our spirit of solidarity and our struggles

against all forms of oppression and domination.

We recognise that the diversity of movements and popular initiatives

against neo-liberalism, world hegemony of capitalism and imperial wars, is

an expression of a world resistance.

We have now to move towards a phase of effective alternatives. Many local

initiatives are already existing and should be expanded: what is happening

in Latin America and other parts of the world — thanks to the joint

action of social movements — shows the way to establish concrete

alternatives to world capitalist domination.

As social movements from all five continents gathering in Nairobi, we

express our solidarity with the social movements in Latin America whose

persistent and continuing struggle has led to electoral victories for the

Left in several countries.

Actions

We are calling for a broad international mobilisation against the G8 in

Rostock and Heiligendamm (Germany) 2-8 June 2007.

We will mobilise in our communities and movements for an International Day

of Action in 2008.