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Concept paper: Southern African Social Forum (SASF)
Southern African Social Forum (SASF)
October 17, 2005

1. Introduction
The Southern African Social Forum (SASF) is a continuation of the Africa Social Forum, (ASF) that takes place annually, since Bamako (2002), as a prelude to the World Social Forum (WSF) that was initiated in Port Alegre (Brazil) in 2001. The latter is an annual event that is deliberately organized to coincide with the World Economic Forum (Davos). The timing is meant to signify civil society opposition voices to the high-level one-sided pro globalization and neo liberalism deliberations between the world leaders and international financial institutions.

Following the Bamako Forum and the Addis Ababa Forum, a process of consultations have taken place around Africa to find a way of effectively exposing the current social, political and economic injustices for better government and state action. A forum creates a platform for various interest groups of civil society to discuss issues together pertaining to social, political and economic justice. In addition, a forum increases solidarity in the sub-region and Africa as a whole before going to the global social forum, in this case in preparation for the next World Social Forum to be held in Africa in 2007.

The need to host a Southern African Social Forum (SASF) arose from the second African Social Forum held in Addis Ababa, 5-9 January 2003. Participants resolved to establish sub-regional forums as a way of getting diverse views on Africa’s socio-economic and political issues from a wider constituency prior to Africa Social Forum (ASF) and World Social Forum (WSF). Each sub –region was designated to form its own Steering Committee of at least five persons. Six persons that represented mass movements in their constituencies were selected as members of the Southern Africa Regional Steering Committee (SARSC).

Thus individuals and organizations that had previously attended the Africa and World Social Forums met in early May 2003 and founded the Zimbabwe Social Forum which then went on to plan, organize and mobilize social movements and organizations culminating in the holding of the first ever ZSF in Harare gardens from 9-11 October, 2003, under the theme "A People’s Forum on Peace, Reconstruction and Prosperity in Zimbabwe" As a result of the experiences gained during the ZSF, the Forum decided to take part and be part of the first ever Southern African Social Forum , held in Lusaka Zambia in 2003.

2.0 Key Components of The Southern African Social Forum

As African people with similar problems, the 2nd edition of the Southern African Social Forum [SASF] will provide space for advocacy for a better quality of life and development for all. The Forum will more specifically:

  • Provide the sub-region a platform for social activists to strengthen popular democracy and mobilization.
  • Critically challenge the status quo of abject poverty, gender inequality and discrimination, high level corruption, social insecurity, unconstitutional governance, HIV & AIDS pandemic, etc.
  • Build a sub regional solidarity network around issues of social, political and economical justice.
  • Create a loose coalition that will guarantee effective participation in the future Southern African Social Forum [SASF], the African Social Forum [ASF] and the World Social Forum [WSF].

2.1 What are the Issues?

  • The land issue and the future of agricultural based communities
  • Emergence of Labour Solidarity and relationship with Social Movements
  • Popular Democracy meeting people’s needs
  • People to People solidarity in Southern Africa

3.0 Justification Of SASF 2005
Due to the modest success of the inaugural ZSF, a second edition of the ZSF was held in Harare under the banner, "A People’s Forum Against Poverty, Gender Inequalities and All Forms of Oppression". More than 1200 participants drawn from various social movements, community based organizations, trade unions, HIV and AIDS activists, gender and women’s rights organizations and the youths, among others were at this important gathering. Discussions and solidarity sharing and exploration of alternatives to the current pro-globalization Zimbabwean economy took place under the following thematic clusters:

  • Gender Women’s Rights and Patriarchy, Youth, Labour, Debt and Trade,
  • HIV and AIDS, Peace and Human Rights, Constitutionalism and Governance,
  • Land and Environment, Food Security and Social Services Delivery.

The Forum rejected the unjust neo-liberal globalization and the integration of the Zimbabwean economy through NEPAD into a system in a manner that increases the poverty of the Zimbabwean majority. The HIV and AIDS thematic groups which had the biggest presence, recognized that the roots of fighting HIV and AIDS lay on a lack of social justice, and the acknowledgment that there was a vicious circle of HIV and AIDS and poverty, with both mutually reinforcing each other. The various entities at the ZSF ended up by concluding, "activists and social movements demand universal access to free treatment and the restructuring of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the World Trade Organization, and the need to develop friendly policies such as debt cancellation, equal trade, sober and responsible standards of living for our people". Participants from the thematic group also called on the next ASF in Lusaka in 2004 to give due prominence to the HIV and AIDS issue since it is the greatest social phenomenon in Southern Africa currently".

The 2004 event remarkably made the ZSF a leading and formidable bloc in the global justice movement mobilizing under the slogan, "Another Zimbabwe is possible". The ZSF is now an annual event, preceded by a series of mobilization and build up activities, that it is taking its own shape in the spirit of the World Social Forum, based and focused on the need to be organized and be active with regard to the manifestations of local globalization in national processes. Of major importance over the past two years of its existence so far is the Forum’s ability to let those affected be able to share platforms in building solidarity based on real life experiences as told and shared first hand. Beyond the borders of Zimbabwe, the ZSF has managed to present itself as a real force to reckon with, as demonstrated by the heavy presence and effective participation of ZSF delegates in the Lusaka 2003 Southern Africa Social Forum and the African Social Forum 2004 at the same venue. For both events, the ZSF managed to have at least a bus full of participants. For both events, the ZSF managed to have at least a bus full of participants drawn from the activists and social movements partaking in the ZSF processes. The ZSF has been nominated and will host the Southern African Social Forum (SASF) 2005 in October this year. This in itself is a good opportunity for Zimbabwe to continue building solidarity beyond our borders as the struggle against poverty in its entirety continues.

4.0 The SASF Event 2005
The event will be modelled along the ASF and WSF approach. The workshops, seminars and conferences will take place along autonomous activities.

The Consultation Theme for SASF 2005 will be: People’s Resistance to Neoliberalism.

The collective seminars, workshops will focus on the following sub themes:

  • Fighting HIV & AIDS
  • Militarization, Peace, Conflict and War and Global Solidarity
  • Poverty, debt and trade
  • Privatization and cost recovery
  • Nature and role of the African state
  • Regional integration
  • The land question within the region
  • Culture
  • Labour
  • Gender, sexism, feminism and masculinity
  • Democratization and elections
  • ZIMBABWE

4.1 Logistics SASF 2005
This activity will be the focus for the SASF secretariat, as there will be intense preparations, the venue for the event will be Harare Gardens. Affordable accommodations have been secured for the external delegates. Availability of cheap food stalls will also be put in place by the host committee. Indigenous caterers have been engaged to provide services during the forum. The secretariat

will ensure that spaces for exhibitions and sales (of organizational material) will be put in place. SASF will be open to the use of vernacular languages hence translators will be available during the forum. Cheap inner-city transport between the forum venue and the places of accommodation will be available.

4.2 Self –organized or autonomous activities
As usual, participating entities have the responsibility of organizing and defining the content of seminars, workshops and panels that fall under their responsibility. These activities will provide concerned organizations and movements with the possibility to express themselves thoroughly and facilitate a more systematic work on alternatives.

5.0 Regional Consultative meeting
The meeting, which was part of, the planning process for the SASF 2005, was held on 27 August 2005 in Harare Zimbabwe, members of the Regional Co-ordinating Committee, pledged full support to the organizing host committee to successfully host SASF 2005.

State of preparedness reported by country representatives inline with the upcoming SASF event.

South Africa

  • Encouraging young people to take interest in the Social Forum process and link them with other young people in the region so that they could share their own experiences
  • Keen to bring popular communities particularly women’s group – a women’s social forum will be held in the next 12 months to consolidate this process and build towards SASF
  • To run workshops on Free Trade Agreements and the role of women on the issues relating to trade
  • Unite all the movements into one forum if possible
  • Work with COSATU which is a member of United Democratic Front
  • Organizing a bus or several buses for the participants – funding proposals have been sent out for 60 activists to come to the SASF participants will be drawn from 23 different organizations
  • Commitment to autonomous events has been agreed in principle
  • Some of the entities would like to set up a media center at the forum to enable other activists to report on their experiences of the forum and upload media (stories, audio and pictures) to the Indy Media website
  • Upload daily reports on the SASF to the Indy Media SA website
  • Video Screenings of progressive stories and people’s daily struggles

Swaziland

  • Present a paper on the effects of neo-liberalism and the role of the monarch – as we still have a feudal system of government in place
  • SCAPEI – is working with young people in the rural areas on livelihoods issues as well as democracy and would like to have them participate

Malawi

  • Commitment to organize autonomous activities during the Forum
  • Will network with regional bodies working trade justice issues so as not to duplicate our efforts in having autonomous activities
  • MEJN the secretariat for Malawi Social Forum is committing itself to organize a bus of at least 30 participants to participate in the forum and frantic efforts are being done to raise the funds for the bus

Angola

  • Collected experiences from other forums
  • Few organizations in Angola understand about the Social Forum
  • Jubilee 2000 Angola planning To hold the Angolan Social Forum in 2006

Mauritius

  • No unity in the social movements
  • Trying to work with people who do not usually attend meetings such as the forum for instance fishermen communities and rural farmers.

Zambia

  • Mobilize the grassroots by holding the Zambian Social Forum prior to SASF as grassroots participation in the past two social forum processes has been very weak
  • Commitment to autonomous activities (by Kamoto Community Cultural Arts)
  • Currently holding countrywide workshops focusing on trade and economic justice issues

Zimbabwe

  • Functional national council and organizing committee are in place
  • Approximately 18 movements will participating ranging from HIV and AIDS organizations, women, youth, cross border traders, informal sectors, residents associations, faith based organization, labour and those working on the land question
  • Still working on Police Permission to hold the forum
  • Expecting more support for regional solidarity funding from OSISA, Action Aid and MS country offices in Zambia and Mozambique
  • Most of the Zimbabwean entities have already committed themselves to hosting autonomous activities
  • Solidarity accommodation
  • The Youth Council of ZSF will host a youth camp during the forum
  • Setting up a youth list-serve to inform and attract other youth groups in the region and we are willing to reach out to all youth movements in the region
  • Zimbabwe Social Forum to hold People’s Summit on the 24th of September 2005 which will focus on three main issues:
    1. Impact of Restore Order on people living with HIV and AIDS
    2. Gender
    3. People’s Trade
      4.

SAPSN

  • To hold a workshop during the SASF event on the impact of privatization in the region
  • Information sharing strategy meeting – Road to Hong Kong
  • Launch SAPSN occasional papers, 10 of them will be launched during the forum.
  • Joint initiative with ZIMCODD, ZSF and SAPSN to fund raise for the forum to ensure that social movements will come en-mass
  • Will ensure that at least 4-5 buses will come to the forum from members of the network within the region

5.1 Information, Education and Communication Materials
For the SASF event to be a success there is need to make the concept known by both the local people and SADC citizens, hence the need to place adverts in both electronic and print media. This entails the publication of SASF daily newsletter that will be run during the event .The concept paper will be published in three languages i.e. English, French and Portuguese.. Daily reports will be uploaded to the Indy media SA website.

5.2 Solidarity funding for SASF Participants
This activity will entail fund raising for participants who will not be able to source funds to attend the SASF, but will need financial assistance in the form of traveling allowances, daily allowances and accommodation needs. This will ensure that delegates from, the 13 SADC countries will be able to take part in the upcoming SASF event. SAPSN (Southern African People's Solidarity Network) will ensure that social movements will come en-mass, 4-5 buses will come to the forum from members of the network within the region.

6.0 Expected Outcomes
The Southern African Social Forum [SASF] would be creative in order to achieve the envisaged progressive outcomes, such as:

  • A functional and operational long term Regional Steering Committee;
  • Functional and operational Social Forums within Southern Africa;
  • Collective and enhanced political pressure on politicians and all decision makers on behalf of the citizenry with regard to people centered policies on social and economic justice policies;
  • A framework of alternative political positions emerging from the deliberations and discussions during the SASF for the various participating entities and social movements;
  • A permanent presence of a living "free" networking space to strengthen solidarity among the peoples of Southern Africa (at sub-regional and national level)

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