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GCAP Invitation to members, partners and constituents to mark GCAP’s 3rd Anniversary by joining the World Social Forum Day of Action –“Another World free of Poverty and Inequality is Possible” on January 26, 2008
Dear friends.
As you may be aware that the World Social Forum has decided that in January 2008, instead of a WSF centralized event, it will have a week of action culminating in a global day of mobilization on Jan 26th. This decision was taken to help the idea of a global worldwide mobilization to emerge and the choice of date to coincide with the World Economic Forum held every year in January in Davos (Switzerland)
Many of you will remember that GCAP was launched at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2005. On the occasion of its third birthday, the alliance has decided to actively participate in this call to join hands with those millions demanding, justice, equality, fairness and pro-poor policies all over the world.
The slogan for the Day of Action and Mobilization on January 26th 2008 is ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE. We therefore invite all GCAP coalitions, partners as well as all participating organizations and movements at international, national and local level, to organize actions that interlink their national and international connections.
The website wsf2008.net and GCAP’s own whiteband.org include details of the international call for action and can be used as the main tool for publicizing and articulating your actions. There is no prescriptive formula for organizing events or actions as WSF is trying to empower the process of global intervention. Steps:
1) sign the global call (through the site wsf2008.net)
2) spread the word via newsletters, websites, newspapers, radio or by sending the call to your mail-lists - See some campaign materials bellow
3) organize and publicise your own action
4) propose international and national connections
Among other activities you may organize:
• public demonstrations (rallies, mass meetings, parades, occupations, bicycle demonstrations)
• pamphleting (editing posters, brochures and public declarations and distribute them in communities and public venues like open markets, trains and bus stations, schools and churches)
• cultural and artistic activities: performances, interventions, movie and debate sessions, shows, theatre
• graffiti, workshops to create banners, tools and musical instruments (to be used in mass demonstrations, for instance)
• torchlight and candle demonstrations
• conferences, seminars, debates in universities, factories, community centres and churches
• assemblies
• boycotts
• thematic and regional forums
To mark GCAP’s 3rd birthday we would also encourage coalitions to use the day to launch their 2008 mobilisation plans with a press event or photo opportunity- perhaps a GCAP birthday cake in front of a landmark building for media? We can then link the stories around the world to show how far we have come and what we are planning to do to keep the call alive.
Act locally to change globally! Give visibility to our local struggles through a common day of action!
In solidarity
Ana Agostino
Co-Chair
Kumi Naidoo
Co-Chair
Sylvia Borren
Co-Chair