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News :: International : Race : War and Militarism |
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The Third Social Forum of the Americas Has Begun in Guatemala |
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by Sergio Reyes
Email: sreyes1 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
08 Oct 2008
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Guatemala City -- October 7, 2008.- The Social Forum of the Americas has begun, with most of the nearly 2000 participants arriving today. The registration process begun normally while switching from an automated system to a manual one. All the packets and a beautiful bag where distributed to each registered delegate. There was not doubt here that Spanish is the official language of the forum. The other undisputed presence is that of the Mayan people. In fact, their presence has been felt not only in numbers, but also in spiritual influence. Mayan religious ceremonies have gone on at dawn and sundown. |
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The first part of the inaugural event was a full hour-and-a-half of new and old music of struggle from Latin America. Many ofthe participants were able to follow dear songs of struggle like those dedicated to Che Guevara, Solo le pido a Dios (All I ask from God), No basta con rezar (Not enough to pray), and the People united will never be defeated.
Among the speakers, all of whom where amazingly self-controled in terms of time, where peasant leaders, native leaders, Latino lesbian leaders, and perhaps the highest ranking official of a country was the former president of the Constitutional Assemble from Ecuador Alberto Acosta who announced to the cheers of the audience that the revolutionary process of Ecuador has promised that the "U.S. military base in Manta will be dismantled in 2009."
The other important announcement made is that on Thursday at 2pm there will be a rally in solidarity with the people of Bolivia. President Evo Morales has confirmed his attendance to the event as of today.
Tomorrow will begin the workshops and presentations. The scope of matters that will be discussed is very wide and it will be serious work. After the opening ceremony today that ended with the sound of marimbas and a beautiful pirotecnic dance performed by two young men who at the rythm of music let different layers of fireworks off from a base they carried on their heads, the delegates who have arrived here by bus and planes are ready to go. |
See also:
http://www.bostonmayday.org/
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This work licensed under a
Creative Commons license. |
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Boston May Day Coalition Delegate Will Participate in the Social Forum of the Americas in Guatemala |
by May Day Coalition
(No verified email address) |
07 Oct 2008
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The main themes of the Forum are:
1. Scope and Challenges of the Changes in the Hemisphere: Post-Neoliberalism, Socialism(s), Civilizational Changes
2. Peoples in Resistance to Neoliberalism and Imperial Domination.
3. Defending quality of life in the face of predatory capitalism
4. Diversities and Equality: challenges for achieving them
5. The ideological dispute: communication, culture, knowledge and education.
6. Original, Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples and Nationalities: “Good living” and its keys for the future
The struggle for migrant workers rights, for an end to their exploitation, victimization and abuse falls under theme 3 and the Boston May Day Coalition will be presenting a workshop entitled "Strategies to Stop the Repression of Migrant Workers and Achieve Their Rights". This presentation will take place on Wednesday, from 11am to 1pm, at the University of San Carlos. The University of San Carlos campus will be the site for all presentations.
It is also expected that on Thursday there will be an event in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian people. The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales will address the participants.
If you are interested in reading the central document to be presented at the BMDC workshop in Spanish go to the link below. We expect to have it translated shortly:
http://bostonmayday.org/WSFA%20Documento%20Sobre%20Estrategias.doc |
See also:
http://www.forosocialamericas.org/
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