zero draft youth report of the world social forum 2011

8/3/2019 Zero Draft Youth Report of the World Social Forum 2011

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2011

ByMiss.JalikaKeita&ModouC.Nyang

YouthDelegatestotheWorldSocialForum

12/1/2011

YouthDelegatesReportofWorld

SocialForumDakarSenega


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Youth Report of the World Social Forum 2011, Dakar- Senegal

Introduction

The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs

and other civil society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capitalor by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideasdemocratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective

action. Since the first world encounter in 2001, it has taken the form of a permanent worldprocess seeking and building alternatives to neo-liberal policies.

The World Social Forum is also characterized by plurality and diversity, is non-confessional,

non-governmental and non-party. It proposes to facilitate decentralized coordination andnetworking among organizations engaged in concrete action towards building another world, at

any level from the local to the international, but it does not intend to be a body representing

world civil society. The World Social Forum is neither a group nor an organization.

Hence this years edition is hosted by the Republic of Senegal, two young people from the

Gambias Youth Cohort represented the Gambian Youths to this high level meeting Support by

the Gambia Social

1. The March PastThe 11th edition of the World Social Forum opened in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Sunday6th February 2011 with a March Past through the streets of Dakar, From the Senegalese RST TVto the University of Checikh Anta Diop.

Tens of thousands of people held banners and slogans denouncing land grabbing, financial

secrecy and the non- commitment of the G8 leadersto the problems of the developing countries.

The marchers who came from almost 120

countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europeand the Middle East, danced and sang to

accompanying music played by a brass bandsthrough giant loudspeakers.

The messages on the banners were all speakingabout issues of unequal power relations in

global trends to which ActionAid Internationalsubscribes and has been articulating in all its programming across the world. Some of the

messages were as follows:

"G8! How committed are you to Universal Access? ACT NOW!"


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"940 women die every day worldwide from pregnancy-related causes: improve quality andaccessibility of health services for women"

"Support smallholder women farmers to achieve food self-sufficiency"

Equal Access to Education for All

Equal Rights for All

Support smallholder women farmers to achieve food self-sufficiency

The slow march ended at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in downtown Dakar where the

President of Bolivia, Evo Morales addressed the crowd. The 35 minute speech denouncedcapitalism which he said was dying in the face of peoples rebellion. Capitalism is suffering a

financial crisis, an energy crisis and is bringing us a food crisis. And it is the poor, be they

farmers, workers or townspeople, who must pay for this crisis of capitalism.

2. Youth CampOver two thousand Youth Delegates World View gathers at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop

in Dakar from the 6th

- 12th

February 2011. The camp design for young people across the globe

and coordinated by young people themselves to promote networking and experiences sharing and

more important to map out the ways in which Young People can effectively change the world

into a socio economical just world. It also enable young people to publicly demonstrate their

total opposing to the neo- liberalism and thus against a world of capitalism.

Activity

1.1 Youth Side EventDifferent Youth Networks and groups held different

youth Activities among which includes the Gambia.

During this event young people gathers to discuss

specific problems of interested and develop

measurable advocacy activities. Key among them

where the role of young people in resorting the

Global Economy, Youths and Human Rights, Child

Rights treats in Sub- Saharan African and Youth in

High levels decision making among many other just

to mention but a few.


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decision making is a key area of development of young people. Noting that the European

Union has already created a space in their conferences for young people to discuss and

put across their constraints before the E.U., the conference participants called for a

similar space to be given to the youth by the African Union A. U.

1.1.2. Gambia Youth Forum

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Gambia's Youth delegation on Monday 14th

February 2011 organized a youth side eventheld at the Cheikh Anta Diop University at the Youth Camp in Dakar to exchange experiences,

lessons and best practices learnt from the global convergence.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Amadou Taal, Ag. Chairman of the Gambia Social Forum,said another world is possible. "We must think that another world is possible," he said. "This

kind of forum is very important to exchange ideas and that today we live in a world of

globalization that is not favoring Africa unless we understand the social-economic situation ofthis world.He also advised African youths,saying young people who are interested in

the future of Africa should try to know thehistory of the continent. "As young people, you

need to play a very important role tochanging the world today," he said.

The Gambian social forum chairman called

on all and sundry to better understand thedynamics taking place in and outside Africa.

"We have the climate change, which is

affecting the whole world, and in thissituation, we should try and work as a continent. I believe that the World Social Forum is a

venue where different countries come together to discuss their common objectives," he said.Halifa Sallah, a prominent Gambian politician, also addressed the forum.

He said: "Now we have reached a stage where human ownership belongs to few people. The

world we live today is no longer for the world of the people but for few people." Mr Sallah tolddelegates that with the increasing unemployment, taxation and poverty in the world, humanity is

faced with uncertainty.

"As a result, all countries are facing the crisis today. World Social Forum is saying that thisworld belongs to the people," he said.


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1.1.3. Other Youth Activities:Youth Side Meeting:

Youth People staying at the Youth Camp during the World Social Forum held different meetings

among which was the Sub Saharan Youth Meeting. It brings together young people from theGambia, Senegal, Ivero Cos, Mali and Geanie Bissuea. The meeting aims to promotenetworking among young people to share best advocacy practices and promote youth

participation in social and enomical developments of our motherlands. An ad-cohe committeewas form that involve The Gambia, Senegal and Mali to lead the process.

2.0. CSO Forums

As part of the activities in Dakar, Interesting presentations were made by Mr. Halifa Sallah anexecutive member of the opposition People's Democratic Organization for Independence and

Socialism (PDOIS), from the Gambia on Thursday addressed Young People at the 2011 WorldSocial Forum in Dakar. The conference held at the Cheikh Anta Diop University, was attended

by thousands of people from various walks of life and countries. The theme of the discussioncentered on Democracy and Crisis in Africa.

"After we attained the right to self-

determination and independence, the secondphase of national liberation should have

started," Halifa Sallah said. "The phase of thesovereignty of the people - for each African in

the respective countries should realise that thepeople are embodied from the sovereignty of

the nation to the sovereignty of the people."

Each African should realise the power of thenation, Mr Sallah said, adding that looking at

the constitutions of nations, "what is put there is technicalities".

The social advocate also pointed out that the president of a republic and the ordinary citizen areequal before the law of the land, in the sense that "every president is entitled to only one vote and

the worker one vote thus symbolises that the two are equal". "So we should not underestimatethe essence of democracy," Sallah says. Since the era of the African liberation movements,

African independent leaders eventually failed to build their citizen to uphold their rights.

"We must build instruments, institutional processes that would come up with policies andprogrammes that will address the needs and aspirations of the people," he said.

This is what is happening in Ivory Coast, Kenya as well as Zimbabwe; that is why "there is a

crisis of citizenship", he said, adding that the problem of the continent is not democracy but thesovereignty of the people, which is the way to move forward.


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This is the second phase of the national liberation; that is the phase of assertion of sovereignty ofthe African liberation, he said, adding that the World Social Movement must always put across

that agenda not only for Africa but for the whole world.The Gambian vocal politician explained further that the work for the liberation of Africa must

not stop at liberalism; it is the social movement impacting on the 'repatriate' states.

"We must see the struggle of social movement in Europe to expand the space so that at leastcertain gains can be achieved and pressures can be put to attain real freedom, liberation and

development. They want to make that social movement their achievements but the achievementsare universal."

Mr. Sallah while addressing young people finally said: "It is important for us to realize that ourdiscussions are very significant issues; they are not academic issues, they are issues of life and

death."

Lesson Learn

Our participation has enable us meet and network with different participants to the World SocialForum. It enables us to interact and share experiences and best particles in addressing the social

in just we are facing today. It was during the forum that we understand that our prob;lems weface today are not nature but man made and from that vision, could be redress by human beings.

As responsible members of the society we are committee to the principles of the world socialforum. And we will endeavor to contribute to a world where very one is equal in the share of all

socio- economics giants.

Achievements

1. The Youth Cohort been successfully represented at the World Civil Society platform heldin the African Soil in Dakar, Senegal.

2. Provides the Gambian Youth delegate the opportunity to participate in World Youthforum during the World Social Forum.

3. It enables us as Young People the opportunity to meet, network and interact with otheryoung people around the World.

4. The Gambian Young people to lead the mobilization process of young people to advocatefor an observers status at the ECOWAS and African Union Head of States and Ministry

Meetings.5. Enabled us the opportunity host the e-communications of experience and information

sharing6. The Gambia being indentify to host a regional meeting of African Young People to

develop an advocacy approach mechanism to address access to Children and Youthsaccess to social Services.

Challenges

1. Barriers to communication due to difference in Language2. No establish secretariat responsible for the running of the Youth Camp.3. Weak organization


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4. Information not share to participants on time.Recommendations

1.

The Gambia Social forum to support the establishment of the Gambia Youth SocialForum that will be guide by the principles and charters of the Social Forum. Membershipof this structure shall be open to interested youth and children organizations, individual

youths that intend/ wish to promote the values and concept of the social forum.2. It shall be a network of young people or a platform that will create the enable advocacy

platform on social development issues that affects young people directly or indirectly.3. The network shall be working together with young people, Government, INGOs, NGOs,

CSOs and FBOs.4. It shall generate funds for its operation and sustenance.5. It shall be register with Gambia Social Forum, Gambia National Youth Council and

Ministry of Justice as Charitable organization.

6.

For its establishment, we wish to recommend the Gambia Social Forum to take the leadin its establishment.

Participants from the Gambia under the Gambia Social Forum

1. Jalika Keita2. Modou C. Nyang3. Lamin Saidykhan

zero draft youth report of the world social forum 2011

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