[WSF-Discuss] Query on WSF meeting in Morocco

Sun Mar 22 10:06:19 UCT 2009

(If anyone can provide answers, thanks.)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: [DEBATE] : (Fwd) Cosatu crits WSF for Morocco venue
Date: 	Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:15:29 +0200
From: 	Dominic Tweedie <dominic.tweedie at gmail.com>
To: 	pbond at mail.ngo.za, "debate: SA discussion list" 
<debate at debate.kabissa.org>
References: 	<49C48D1D.40708 at mail.ngo.za> 
<b40c71810903210109v2e19cc2cm5d6e833bb95cbfc3 at mail.gmail.com>

Please, comrades, answer some questions about the World Social Forum
(WSF), and help me respond to these kinds of questions.

What are the lines of accountability and responsibility in the WSF?

Who are the leaders? Who are the equivalent people to "office-bearers"
in the ANC, COSATU or the SACP?

Does it have any legal corporate existence in any country or countires?

Is executive power confined to the arrangement of meetings? Or are
there publications? What publications are there?

Does the WSF have a web site?

Does the WSF have a media liaison officer or a spokesperson? If so, who is it?

Assuming the WSF gets money from donors, who are they? How much money
does each one give? Through what entities it is held and spent?

Morocco's current status is that it is expelled from the AU. Meeting
in Morocco is an affront to the entire continent of Africa. Anybody
who takes part is compromised. Those who as a consequence do not go
will not have a voice. If somebody had wished to contrive a
cold-war-style split in this body, this would have been an obvious way
to do it. Who wants to split the WSF and why?

With thanks and best wishes,

Domza, VC

***

COSATU

CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS

Head Office

1-5 Leyds Street

Braamfontein

JOHANNESBURG

P O Box 1019

JOHANNESBURG

2000

Tel: + 27 + 11 + 339-4911 /24

Fax: + 27 + 11 + 339-5080 / 6940

E-mail: cosatu at wn.apc.org

Internet: http://www.cosatu.org.za

Members of Liaison Group 17th March, 2009

International Council

World Social Forum

Dear Comrades,

Next International Council meeting in Morocco and why COSATU will not 
participate

COSATU notes your decision to delegate Wilhemina to find out if we shall 
be participating in the coming IC meeting in Morocco.

It shall be recalled that the IC had previously debated the issue of 
which country should host the WSF 2007, wherein Morocco was proposed by 
some and COSATU vehemently opposed it. We thought that the IC 
appreciated the principled basis of our objection. We are disappointed 
to realise that this is not the case, as later the same issue was 
discussed and decided much against that principle.

At the previous IC meeting in Belem, Brazil, COSATU could only attend 
the meeting on the first 1 and half days, thus missing the session 
during which the issue of the venue for the next IC was decided. Once 
again, COSATU wish to register that, it would still have vehemently 
objected to Morocco being chosen as the venue for such an important 
platform of the global progressive movement, given its policies and 
occupation of Western Sahara.

We wish to hereby reiterate our stand on this matter. We are opposed to 
occupation, apartheid and injustice against anyone, anywhere in the 
world, hence our principled objection in this case. We, the workers and 
people of South Africa, have ourselves, emerged from years of apartheid 
and occupation by a viciously racist regime. In this case, we understand 
very well the pains and suffering of all who are victims of such 
practices. This is exactly what informs our principled and consistently 
vocal stand against Israeli occupation of Palestine and our unwavering 
solidarity with the suffering people of Palestine. We assume this is the 
very reason why almost all members of the IC are in full solidarity with 
the people of Palestine too, including social movements from Israel too.

Consistent with this position and principle, COSATU is failing to 
understand why it cannot apply to the occupied people of Western Sahara, 
who also deserve justice and solidarity like all of us and from all of us.

Why should we allow an event of such magnitude and standing in the 
global family of compatriots to be hosted by a country that brutally 
occupies another, subjecting the peoples of Western Sahara to the most 
extreme forms of subjugation and dehumanisation, in the same way that 
apartheid South Africa was doing. To illustrate this further, Morocco, 
is not even a member of the African union, because the AU recognises the 
sovereignty of Western Sahara as a country, while Morocco does not.

It would be a shame for anyone claiming to be progressive to associate 
in any way with such a regime, worst still, to organise an event of such 
magnitude and posture in such a country, undermining the solidarity 
appeals of the suffering people in the occupied territory.

COSATU National Office Bearers discussed the coming IC meeting in full 
recognition of its importance, guided by the federation’s principle of 
solidarity and consistency in adhering to its resolutions and policies, 
where they decided that it would be morally wrong, politically 
opportunistic and an act of daylight betrayal to the cause of justice 
and solidarity with our comrades, the suffering people of Western 
Sahara, to participate in an event that might be used to legitimise Morocco.

We call upon all progressive people of the world to respond positively 
to the call by the Saharawi people for solidarity and to isolate Morocco 
until Morocco withdraws from all occupied territories for a lasting and 
just settlement.

COSATU has written to social movements of Western Sahara including those 
in exile and underground informing them of its decision not to attend 
both the WSF IC as well as the African Social Forum Council scheduled 
for Morocco. COSATU will at first opportunity either at the Liaison 
Group meeting or International Council raise the importance of 
developing guidelines for the hosting of international council meetings 
to avoid this being dictated by those with financial muscles.

In solidarity with the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.

Yours Comradely

Bheki Ntshalintshali

COSATU Deputy General Secretary

Bongani Masuku (International Relations Secretary)

Congress of South African Trade Unions

1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets

Braamfontein, 2017

Johannesburg

P.O.Box 1019

Johannesburg, 2000

South Africa

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24

Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940

Mobile: +27 79 499 6419

E-Mail: bongani at cosatu.org.za