Dignity International actively participated in the World Social Forum (WSF) on the 6th to 12th February in Dakar, Senegal. The Dignity International team at the WSF consists of 9 individuals, comprising of staff, partners, trainers and volunteers. DI organized 3 successful Forums with the help of our partners – European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN -Europe), Ekta Parishad (India), Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST-Brazil) and Nairobi Peoples Settlement Network (NPSN- Kenya), and played active roles at the thematic assemblies. We also had the opportunity to work with friends from Amnesty International, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (Uganda), African Biodiversity Network (Africa) and Institute for Culture and Ecology (Kenya).
Over the years, the WSF has been the apex of civil society solidarity against the neo-liberal and imperialistic agendas by capitalist. The WSF is also seen as the alternative to the World Economic Forum. It provides a platform for sharing of struggles and victories from the ground, advocacies on various issues, spaces for exchanges of programs and ideas, networking among civil society actors and various other forms of activism against neo-liberal hegemony. Hence, it was crucial for Dignity International to use this space to raise and discuss critical issues related to Economic Social and Cultural Rights. The workshops/forums organized by Dignity International were:
North-South Poor Demand Dismantling Oppressive Financial Systems
The panel consisted of Fintan Farrel and Yota Arvaniti from EAPN, Maria Raimunda Souza from MST, Ramesh Chandra from Ekta Parishad, and was moderated by Jerald Joseph, Executive Director of Dignity International. This panel of discussion brought together the poor from both North and South to analyze the oppressive nature of financial institutions, and demand their regulation and accountability towards their actions, also the global relations between multinational corporations and the poor. Decisions made in the board rooms of multinationals and financial institutions have deep consequences on the poor but there is very little accountability to the decisions made. These institutions also have much access to resources and are directly responsible for the unequal distribution of these resources, hence resulting in global poverty.
Governments and states that are supposed to regulate the actions of the institutions have failed in their moral and ethical duty to prioritize the needs of its peoples, thus causing the people to lose trust in their leaders. The speakers also highlighted the roles of intergovernmental organizations like the World Bank that promotes anti-peoples policy in the name of “development” which contributes to poverty and violations of human rights. The only way forward is for solidarity groups to track what is happening in terms of corporate governance, in order to establish checks and balances to hold corporations, financial institutions and even governments accountable. We will also have to continue the spirit of resistance to stop corporations from eroding people’s livelihoods. Ekta Parishad announced that they will organize the “Jan Satyagraha 2012”, a march of 100,000 people in 2012 in India against the unjust policies of the state and also the flawed economic system everywhere.
Corporate Land Grabbing
Moderated by Jerald Joseph, Executive Director of Dignity International, this panel consisting of Ramesh Chandra (Ekta Parishad), Humphrey Otieno (NPSN), Munini Mutuku (NPSN) and Maria Raimunda Souza (MST) deliberated on how the poor have been consistently subjected to the mercies of land-grabbing by corporate entities with the support of the state in the current approach adopted as PPP (Public Private Partnership). This phenomenon is exposed through the voices of community leaders. As land has become such an important commodity, governments and corporations are using every means to get it away from people for financial gains. From being seen as a common resource and nature’s gift, land titles are now being issued and this caused the usage to be determined by individualistic needs and greed. It is an irony that besides corporations, government and elected representatives also become land grabbers, instead of helping to solve this long struggle of their people. Even the process of acquiring land kills democracy as the settlers are not consulted before the lands are sold off. The corporations who need the land seem to have forged very close relationships with the government. Food crop conversions into cash crops and monocrops i.e sugarcane for biofuels have brought much misery to communities. Even the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) reports are ignored by state authorities in the case of land being used for mining and the industrial sectors.
In order to move forward, there are different methods and tactics used in the struggle to defend land. Citizens will have to hold their governments to account based on the mandate given to them during elections and the demand for accountability from governments are to be made using a human rights framework. Eco-mapping and the promotion of indigenous knowledge empowers communities to be able to address emerging issues at community levels. Networking will help increase the courage of communities in the struggle to protect land. Youth are also called to be at the center of the struggle. The Jan Satyagraha 2012 march organized by Ekta Parishad will inspire global mass mobilization to pressure governments to ensure the rights of the peoples are taken seriously. Last but not least, we agreed that not all laws are meant to be obeyed especially if it violates rights.
Global Campaign on Housing and Land: An Open Space Discussion on Global Strategies
This round table discussion was jointly organized with Amnesty International. It was moderated by Daniel Valls, the Regional Campaign Coordinator – Africa, Amnesty International and Jerald Joseph, the Executive Director of Dignity International. This space was utilized to brainstorm on the possible strategies that can be used in a global campaign on housing and land rights, and the proposed strategies will be executed at the grassroots, national and international levels. Besides organizing the people’s mass mobilizations to fight forced evictions at the grassroots and national level, the importance of empowering communities on the judicial process was raised, i.e on how to call for the provision of legal injunctions to stop evictions, and needs to be complimented by negotiating skills in order for people to defend their rights when dealing with the authorities. Learning and knowing legal frameworks also enables people to demand for clear procedures and explanations of the justifications of evections by their authorities. The media is also a very critical and creative tool to be used especially in community organizing and also to document the human rights violations that take place.
At the international level, suggestions for action include building global solidarity networks on anti evictions, and to name and shame the state authorizes and corporations involved in land grabbing and evictions. However, these have to be facilitated by urgent respond mechanism. Communities should also engage with the UN special procedures to hold states accountable and to lobby at the diplomatic arenas. Last but not least, engaging with the international media and media NGOs to help package information for lobby, documentation and advocacy is also very important in the struggle.
DI team at the WSF Assemblies
Dignity International also participated in the assemblies on Housing, Land Grabbing, Human Rights and Social Movements (photo), that became converging points of consolidation of discussions and action plans among civil society actors at a mass movement level. Among some of the statements and outputs from the assemblies include joint signature campaigns and formation of coalition against land grabbing. Kindly find links to statements endorsed by Dignity International at our website. Dignity International partners and friends are invited to be signatories and share the petition among other NGOs.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD DOUCUMENTS:
1. Dakar Appeal against the land grab
2. Joint Civil Society Statement on the draft Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
3. Comments and urging African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to adopt Principles and Guidelines on the Interpretation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (hosted my Amnesty International)
4. Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly
5. Declaration of Solidarity with the Jansatyagraha 2012 March in India