Political Mobilisation for the World Social Forum 2007

In this article Mondli hlatshwayo* reviews the process of WSF preparation by social movements in South Africa.

Our participation as social movements and NGOs in the WSF is based on three aspects:

1. i) To utilise the WSF process for purposes of building and strengthening social movements.
2. ii) To ensure that the participation of social movements becomes more pronounced at the WSF in Kenya.

iii) The WSF will take place in Africa and it is imperative that we use the WSF to build links and solidarity with Kenyan, East African and other African social justice movements.

Our approach to the WSF in Kenya is discussed in the WSF Concept Paper, which was drafted and circulated by Khanya College earlier this year [see The Road to Nairobi: South African Social Movements Prepare for the WSF in Nairobi, 2007, in this edition]. The concept paper adopts what is called a twinning project, namely to use the WSF space to link South African social movements and Kenyan as well as East African and African organisations sectorally. The process has three component parts, namely the joint hosting of seminars at the WSF venue, closed organisation-to-organisation strategy sessions, as well as visits to sites of struggles. Based on this approach, about two hundred activists from South African-based social movements – from sectors such as land, housing, water, electricity, HIV/AIDS, environment and women – will participate in the WSF. This report focuses on the process of political mobilisation for the coming WSF.

Political education and mobilisation for the WSF

Based on the concept paper, political education and debates around the WSF became an important step in our political mobilisation, in various ways:

1. The Khanya College Annual Winter School in July 2006 focussed on the WSF as a modern- day instance of international solidarity. South African and Southern African participants were introduced to the origins of the WSF, its operations and debates on its future direction.

1. In August 2006, the Conference of the Centre for Civil Society at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, focussed on the importance of the WSF as a platform for international solidarity. The Kenyan-based WSF Secretariat made a presentation on the political and logistical preparations for the WSF.

1. In September 2006 the Spring School of the International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG), among other things, focussed on the role of social movements at the WSF in Kenya. One of the outcomes was that social movements should use the WSF in Kenya as a space to build continental struggle against neo- liberalism and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

1. In October 2006 the Southern Cape Land Committee convened a Summer School in George, which debated in detail the need to see the WSF as a process of building local social movements. It was agreed that the discussion and debates on the WSF should be taken to small towns and rural areas as another method of building grassroots organisations in the WSF preparation process.

1. After the Annual Winter School, Khanya College hosted a meeting of the Southern African Social Forum (SASF) Regional Organising Committee (ROC) meeting in Johannesburg. The ROC, among other things, discussed plans for the WSF in Nairobi and preparations for the SASF in Malawi.

2006. The Southern Africa Social Forum (SASF) hosted an annual encounter in Lilongwe from the 12 to 15 October 2006. More than 60 activists from the South African social movements participated in the SASF. As part of preparations for the WSF, the SASF ROC adopted the twining process as a method of ensuring the building of long-lasting solidarity between African organisations.

1. A number of discussions between Khanya College and other social movements such as the Anti-Privatisation Forum, the Merafong Demarcation Forum, Jubilee South Africa, Umzabalazo we-Jubilee, and some sections of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) and NGOs were held. The plan for Nairobi was also tabled at a meeting hosted by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Windhoek, Namibia.

1. A South African-based team was set up to coor- dinate the preparation for the Southern African Social Forum (SASF) in Malawi, the WSF and to mobilise resources, at the ILRIG Globalisation School in Cape Town. The team included Khanya College, AIDC, the Southern Cape Land Committee and ILRIG. The team also planned arrangements for the first reconnaissance trip to Nairobi.

1. There have been sectoral meetings which ad- vanced the twinning process. In October 2006, Khanya College together with the Treatment Action Campaign hosted the Kenyan Women with AIDS (KENWA) and Alternatives, from Niger. Along the lines of the concept paper, the meeting discussed plans for the WSF in Nairobi.

1. The Southern African Farm-workers network held its meeting in Johannesburg in November
2. Attended by farm-workers’ organisations from Southern Africa, the meeting crafted plans for the WSF in Nairobi, including a forum at the WSF.

1. In December 2006, AFRA convened a national farm-dwellers’ meeting in Pietermaritzburg. Attended by organisations organising on land, farms and evictions, the meeting finalised its WSF plans. The land sector has been working closely with the Kenya Land Alliance, a Kenyan land organisation.

1. A special edition of the Khanya journal focus- ing on the 2006 Winter School and the WSF was published and distributed at the ILRIG School at the end of the September, as well as at the Summer school organised by the Southern Cape Land Committee in George in October. The edi- tion contains debates on the WSF, reports on the Winter School, and articles on the polycentric forum earlier this year. The ILRIG-based web page that updates comrades about the WSF is operational.

Social Movements Indaba

One of the important meetings of the social movement in the WSF preparations process was the 4th Annual National Meeting of the Social Movements Indaba (SMI) in December 2006. The SMI was attended by over 150 activists representing social movements. Besides discussion on local struggles, the WSF and African solidarity was a key discussion. Kiama Kaara, a member of the Kenyan-based WSF secretariat, gave an overview on the preparation for the WSF in Kenya. The

SMI reaffirmed the need to use the forum as a space to build solidarity with Kenyan and African organisations. The SMI also agreed that South African organisations use the WSF as a platform to expose the imperialist role of the South African state and its capital on the African continent.

Engaging Kenyan organisations

A number of Kenyan organisations and the WSF secretariat were engaged and agreed with WSF Concept Paper. The process of registration for events at the WSF and the planning for other events as outlined in the concept paper is complete. Organisations in Kenya are engaging with the WSF process. Plans for political mobilisation and events are moving forward.

Kenyan organisations under the Shelter Forum, a network of organisations struggling against eviction, homelessness and landlessness, have been involved in a number Kenyan mobilisation processes. The organisation took part in the Western Kenya Social Forum which identified the following themes for the WSF, evictions, slum-upgrading, housing and land rights. The subsequent Coast Social Forum and the Central Kenya Social reaffirmed the mentioned themes.

A Kenyan Civil Society organisation focussing on housing and land is planning a number of events for the WSF, namely regional caravans, processions in the informal settlements, seminars on housing and land, marathons, cultural events and youth events. The Shelter Forum, is keen on integrating our initiatives as part of the organising processes of the land and housing civil society network.

The Kutoka network is part of the housing and land initiative. The organisation (Kutoka) is organising in the slum areas. It is campaigning on the following issues: – land, housing, water, environment, sanitation and peace. Kutoka, among other things, has been calling for the reduction of the registration fee and the decentralisation of the WSF events. The proposal of the Kutoka is in line with our proposal for visits to sites of struggles and areas where people live.

Other organisations such as KENWA and FEMNET have also made plans for the WSF. KENWA will be convening HIV/AIDS seminars. FEMNET is planning feminist dialogues, which include women speaking on their conditions and organising.

The second reconnaissance trip was undertaken at the beginning of December. The plans for the WSF and registration for joint events were finalised during the trip. A number of Kenyan organisations, namely the Shelter Forum, the Kutoka Network, KENWA, cultural formations, KENDREN, the Kenya Social Forum and the Kenyan Human Rights Network had registered for the WSF events. The programme for the WSF, site visits and organisation-to-organisation sessions were also finalised with the mentioned organisations. There are a number of big meetings that are planned in the slum areas of Nairobi. The international council meeting of the WSF coincided with the second reconnaissance trip. Held in Kasarani sports complex, the venue for the WSF, the council discussed the entire registration process as well as the logistics of the WSF.

Mondli Hlatshwayo* works for Khanya College and is also a secretary of the Social Movements Indaba (SMI)