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Spain: Women at the WSF
MEDITERRANEAN SOCIAL FORUM: A SEA OF RIGHTS
It was under this slogan that close to 5000 people converged on Barcelona from June 16 to 18, 2005, when this magnificent city hosted the 1st Mediterranean Social Forum (Fsmed). The result of several years of preparation, the Forum’s particularity was bringing together representatives of countries with very diverse histories: from Palestine, where daily life has been dramatic for decades, with little or no hope of a peaceful solution, to Turkey, which wants to join the European Union but continues to repress any opposition to the regime. From affluent old Europe supporting neo-colonialism to the demands of the Sahraoui people, who took advantage of the Forum to make loud and clear their desire for freedom and independence. The complexity of this sea of rights to be established or defended showed different facets over the three days of the event. It’s not clear if a second edition of this Forum will take place, but the desire is most definitely there to maintain this space for trading ideas, learning and acting. The only shadow falling over the event was the sparse turnout of Barcelona’s population and especially of the social movements that abound there. The mere fact of creating this meeting space was a challenge, however, and it was tackled!
It was also the place where, for the first time at a forum, women were successful in insisting on holding an assembly of women as part of the program without other activities being held at the same time. Thus almost 500 women got together to talk about the lives of women in the Mediterranean, their hopes and resistance. The women drew up a proposal for the assembly of antiwar movements to integrate, in current struggles against imperialism, a clear and powerful denunciation of violence against women in conflict-torn countries, most particularly, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. It was a place where women living under Muslim law reaffirmed the importance of joining our voices to condemn fundamentalisms and fight against the negation of women’s existence and rights.
The Catalonian women of the World March of Women were especially active in organizing the 1st Forum. They also organized seminars where we presented the Women's Global Charter for Humanity and talked about the Relay of the Charter and the solidarity patchwork quilt. Women from Valladolid, Catalonia and Andorra took the occasion to add their square for the quilt, illustrating their commitment to change the world. Turkish, Greek, Moroccan, Algerian, French and Italian women were present. We also took part in the Fsmed march, in the first bloc (the tradition continues as we take our rightful place). The streets of Barcelona echoed with the familiar chant of “So-so-so solidarity” with women everywhere on the planet. We’ve just taken another step in our move to change the world.
Diane Matte, Coordinator, International Secretariat
(see Newsletter, July 2005)
