By Susan Mwape
The 2007 World Social Forum (WSF)in Nairobi, Kenya will be a meeting point of global civil society, it will provide an opportunity for African activists and Civil Society Organisations to put on the agenda global solidarity towards the development of Africa. The world will focus its attention on Africa during this period.
Preparations are underway all around Africa, and it is envisaged that the 2007 WSF will play a significant role as this will be the second time that such a massive gathering will be held in Africa after the Bamako, Mali, Polycentric in 2006.
With regard to the WSF, a Regional Committee of the Southern Africa Social Forum has constantly tried to focus on how Africa can make an impact in Nairobi in January 2007.
Zambia conceived the idea of a caravan going to Kenya for the WSF. It was envisaged that the movement would be seen as a caravan towards an oasis, this being Nairobi. The caravan is planned to start from Cape Town all the way to Nairobi through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and finally Kenya, as the buses move from country to country: Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola and Malawi would all join at different points.
The Zambian committee plans to have provincial forums that will be looking at Lusaka as an Oasis as they move towards Nairobi.
Synchronising the journey to Nairobi is a task that has been organised by country committees. The timely arrival in Kenya would have more of an impact in various communities throughout the continent if the committees agree on an arrival date for the benefit of maximum visual impact.
Over the last few years the world has seen the re-emergence and growth of a (global) social justice movement. This movement has led to the recognition, by the public and by those in positions of authority, that while the world has unprecedented levels of production of material wealth, the majority of the world’s people are still mired in poverty. Increasingly, and to varying degrees, the poor and marginalized are organising and mobilising to change their lives. These organisations and movements have realised, however, that given the globalised nature of the environment within which they have to operate, they too have to build solidarity among the poor both within their respective countries and at regional and global level.
The South Africa social movement, in trying to look at a most comfortable and most effective way of getting to Nairobi, is considering taking to the sea as a means of getting to Nairobi. The ship may start off from Namibia pick up people in South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania then get to Mombasa where they will finally get on a train to Nairobi.
South Africa is organising to transport 200 people from grassroots organisations to go to Kenya.
The 2007 World Social Forum (WSF)in Nairobi, Kenya will be a meeting point of global civil society, it will provide an opportunity for African activists and Civil Society Organisations to put on the agenda global solidarity towards the development of Africa. The world will focus its attention on Africa during this period.
Preparations are underway all around Africa, and it is envisaged that the 2007 WSF will play a significant role as this will be the second time that such a massive gathering will be held in Africa after the Bamako, Mali, Polycentric in 2006.
With regard to the WSF, a Regional Committee of the Southern Africa Social Forum has constantly tried to focus on how Africa can make an impact in Nairobi in January 2007.
Zambia conceived the idea of a caravan going to Kenya for the WSF. It was envisaged that the movement would be seen as a caravan towards an oasis, this being Nairobi. The caravan is planned to start from Cape Town all the way to Nairobi through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and finally Kenya, as the buses move from country to country: Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola and Malawi would all join at different points.
The Zambian committee plans to have provincial forums that will be looking at Lusaka as an Oasis as they move towards Nairobi.
Synchronising the journey to Nairobi is a task that has been organised by country committees. The timely arrival in Kenya would have more of an impact in various communities throughout the continent if the committees agree on an arrival date for the benefit of maximum visual impact.
Over the last few years the world has seen the re-emergence and growth of a (global) social justice movement. This movement has led to the recognition, by the public and by those in positions of authority, that while the world has unprecedented levels of production of material wealth, the majority of the world’s people are still mired in poverty. Increasingly, and to varying degrees, the poor and marginalized are organising and mobilising to change their lives. These organisations and movements have realised, however, that given the globalised nature of the environment within which they have to operate, they too have to build solidarity among the poor both within their respective countries and at regional and global level.
The South Africa social movement, in trying to look at a most comfortable and most effective way of getting to Nairobi, is considering taking to the sea as a means of getting to Nairobi. The ship may start off from Namibia pick up people in South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania then get to Mombasa where they will finally get on a train to Nairobi.
South Africa is organising to transport 200 people from grassroots organisations to go to Kenya.
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