Feedback from the Berlin assembly

Note: This text was initially posted on the working group’s mailing-list.

Briefly, which effects us:

1. There was a call for more commitment from all participants to involve those groups,organisations presently outside the process. This may mean inviting CEE speakers to talk at events organised by networks, sponsoring buses, trains, etc.

2. Discussion over difficulties of reaching and staying in London: ask for cheaper rate for CEE participants: suggestion that the ’Ecorates’ (a sliding scale according to GNP ) be used to calculate a waged and unwaged rate for different CEE countries.

3. Visa details will be published shortly on the www.fse-esf.org site.

4. The 1st of July is the deadline for initial estimate of number participants per country / estimate of cost of travel / amount sought from solidarity fund / amount raised by self organisation.

 Regarding the Program and the number of speakers.

In Istanbul it was suggested that there be one CEE speaker on each plenary. This was revised to 10 altogether for all CEE. This was objected to and the decision put forward to next meeting Sept. 4/5 Brussels.

I dont have very full info on the final decisions (deadlines), so please, if someone can say more - write!

Regarding preparatory assembly in CEE: very briefly, after Sofia and Budapest offering a bid for the next assembly, both of which were received warmly by a fair number of participants, the question was put to a vote and it was decided that Brussels would be the next host, by 8 votes (Madrid was the other possibilty, Moscow and Romania also suggested they be hosts, but I dont know if this was followed by a proposal). This showed very clearly that there is strong support for a CEE based prep assembly, and the moderator proposed that the ESF III be followed by the first assembly being held in CEE. This is something we all need to think about very carefully, and, once there has been more complete info put on the list, is desperately needing discussion.

This is a very incomplete summary, and I only attempt to give an oversight of the questions I followed - feel free to contradict or supplement!

All the best!
Tracey