2008-01. Day of Global Action: Social Forum of the Americas

January 26, 2008June 20, 2012

Guatemala City, Guatemala.
January 26, 2008.
Issue: Globalization / Social Forum

Text: Communiqué by the Facilitating Team, Social Forum of the Americas
Photography and Captions: MiMundo.org

Numerous political, cultural, and spiritual events, in addition to a fair trade market, took place in late January so as to officially launch the third Social Forum of the Americas (SFA), Guatemala 2008. Following are images of the various events mentioned in addition to the official SFA communiqué.

Official Public Launching and Presentation of the III Americas Social Forum Guatemala 2008:

In honor of Global Action Day, this January 26th we officially announce the 3rd Social Forum of the Americas, headquartered in Guatemala City from October 7-12, 2008.

The University of San Carlos, by opening its doors and welcoming social movements throughout Guatemala and Latin America, will fully realize its motto, “Go forth and teach.”

The 3rd Social Forum of the Americas in Guatemala will be supported by the convergence of social movements, native peoples, academic institutions and other committed sectors within this country and all of Mesoamerica who support the conviction that “Another America is possible and necessary!”

This event will permit us to share heroic struggles and experiences both past and present. By coming together, members of these movements can act in solidarity and discuss alternatives to war, destruction, fear, and the perverse forms of violence which unveil the savage face of armed neoliberalism (one result being femicide).

The 3rd Social Forum of the Americas welcomes diverse struggles, proposals and experiences. Many of these have arisen from and been enriched by the recent years of shared searching throughout the continent.

It will stimulate more solid communication between movements and open more effective spaces to construct common platforms for collective emancipation.

Guatemala, get ready to welcome our brothers and sisters from all over the American continent and the world!

As part of Guatemala’s popular movement, we affirm our commitments to the 3rd Social Forum of the Americas: to achieve unity and articulation within our common struggles, for change and defense of our sovereignty, and for the respect and defense of our rights and our people. Thus, we call out to sister organizations, institutions and committed individuals to participate in the construction of this greater effort. Let’s fight for and believe that “Another Guatemala is possible and necessary.”

Guatemala, symbol of resistance!
-Facilitating Team, Social Forum of the Americas Guatemala 2008

“The Social Forum is an open space intended to: intensify reflection, carry out a democratic debate on divergent ideas, elaborate proposals, establish a free exchange of experiences, and articulate effective actions by entities and social movements which oppose neoliberalism as well as world domination by means of capital or any other imperialistic method. In addition, such groups must be determined to build a planetary society focused on the fertile relationship between humankind and our planet Earth.” (First bullet in the World Social Forum Statement of Principles. 08/06/2002)

The University of San Carlos (USAC) hosted a forum focused on the proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and Central America deemed Association Accord (AdA).

Daniel Pascual, head of the Committee for Peasant Union (CUC), and panelist during the AdA forum, declared: “We do not reject commercial agreements, but we do reject those which are asymmetric and unevenly focused on Neoliberalism.”

The Alternative Network on Fair Exchange (RAIS) and the Global Table, who promote responsible consumption, organized a fair trade market in the Capital’s central square