Initiative for Central and Eastern European Social Forum

Our Initiative is part of the World Social Forum mundialization process and follows the methodology and political criteria that the WSF Charter of Principles have set. Our aim is to make World Social Forum closer to the reality of social movements and entities in our region, too.

A brief description of our Initiative for the 1st CEESF

The idea of organizing a Central and Eeastern European SF was raised about one year ago. Central and Eastern Europe — forming a region historically forged together — has got specificities and problems different from the situation of the West, the price we paid for the system-transformation is enormous, poverty and social inequalities are also much deeper than in the West.

In the ESF process the Central and Eastern European civil organisations have been under-represented, mainly due to financial reasons as well as for the weakness of the civil society in this region. We had to undergo serious frustrations as well, because the officially not existing, but in reality massively existing “Leadership” of the ESF has hindered us to hold in Budapest or in Sofia an European Preparatory Assembly of ESF-3 we proposed last year.

For the above reasons ATTAC Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland issued a common declaration on 12th February 2005 regarding the ESF process: “...observing the weak participation of the Central and Eastern European organizations and the lack of debates regarding the problems and perspectives in this part of the continent, we have decided to begin organizing a European Social Forum for Central and Eastern European Countries. The first Preparatory Assembly will be held in May 2005. This will allow us to approach and keep involved in this process more organizations and individuals who have similar aims and are truly part of the anti neo-liberal and alter-globalist movement.”

On the basis of the above, the Hungarian Initiators of the 1st CEESF held a meeting in Budapest on 23rd April 2005 having invited all organisations/people to establish a Coordination Committee Working Group (CCWG) and to make proposals for:

 The position of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the world
 The specificities of nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe
 Dramatic poverty and defencelessness in our region
 Economic and social consequences of the rapid opening up of CEE countries’ markets (i.e. liberalisation and privatisation)
 What thematical proposals and/or statements we should take to Athens for the ESF-4 ?
 Date and venue for the international meeting of the Initiative for 1st CEESF (our proposal is 14-15-16 October 2005 Budapest – Hungary)
 International thematic conference of the globalization-critique theoretical quarterly “ESZMELET” (Conciousness), which is a unique paper of this kind (the only one!) available in Hungary — half or one day on 14th October 2005 (preliminary title: “What is the global capitalism and how to fight against it?”)
 Meeting of the civil organisations, networks of CEE countries (seminars and workshops) one or two days on 15th/16th October 2005. (preliminary title: “Deceived Central and Eastern Europe”)

The Hungarian Working Group of the Initiative for the 1st CEESF is inviting everybody to join and to make further proposals. This Initiative is open for all NGOs, civil organisations, or trade unions accepting and respecting the WSF Porto Alegre Charter of Principles. [Upto now several NGOs, civil organisations, trade unions from CEE countries (e.g. Russian SF) has expressed their interest or support for this Initiative].

Budapest, 26th April 2005.

Yours friendly,
Hungarian CCWG of the Initiative for 1st CEESF [1]

Contact persons:

 Annamária ARTNER, Phone/fax: +36 18888-181-712-347, mobile: +36 30 257 12 17, e-mail: aartner@axelero.hu.
 Matyas BENYIK, Foundation for the Hungarian Social Forum Movements, ATTAC Hungary. Postal address: H-1194. Budapest, Kolozsvár u. 7. Phone/Fax: +36 1 282 70 92, mobile phone: +36 30 252 43 26, e-mails: mbenyik@freemail.hu, mbenyik@freestart.hu.