October 27, 28 and 29th

Rome: World Meeting of Popular Movements

22/10/2014

Opinión

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Various movements representatives of the most postponed and excluded, along with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, with the explicit support of Pope Francis, impulse the World Meeting of Popular Movements to be held from October 27 to 29th, 2014 in Rome.

We are very glad of this unique opportunity to let their voice be heard, to have the opportunity to give visibility to the excluded, in the Vatican itself. We are deeply grateful to Pope Francis for this possibility, a new sample of his permanent support and proximity not only to the injustice we, the excluded, suffer but also to those that organize ourselves and fight it back.

The Meeting is primarily aimed at organizations and movements of the excluded. We expect the participation of 100 delegates from different backgrounds, those backgrounds bring together: a) the precarious workers, temporary workers, migrants, and those involved in the popular sector, informal and/ or self-employed, without any legal protection, workers rights or recognized union; b) landless peasants and indigenous people or those at risk of being expelled from the countryside because of agricultural speculation and violence; c) people living in slums and informal settlements, the marginalized, the homeless, the forgotten without adequate urban infrastructure. Unions, social and human rights organizations will participate as well, due to their joint efforts accompanying the processes of organization and struggle of the above sectors.

Many bishops and other church workers from several countries are also invited, in order to stimulate dialogue and collaboration with the Church. The meeting will be conducted in Spanish, French, English, Italian and Portuguese. The meeting will conclude with an international body promoting coordination between popular movements with the support and collaboration of the Church.

The work is divided in three days:

a) The objective of the first day is to know today´s reality, struggles and thoughts of popular movements. It will be held at the Salesianum.

b) The objective of the second day is to appreciate Pope Francis´ teaching on how to move forward and together towards an authentic human development. Will be based at the Old Synod Hall.

c) The third and final day will be devoted to taking concrete commitments to coordinate the excluded organizations and their collaboration with the Church. It will be hosted at the Salesianum.

The main objectives are:

· To share Pope Francis social thought, especially items that he bring in his Apostolic Exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel" and discuss it from the perspective of popular movements.

· To develop a synthesis of the vision of popular movements around the causes of the growing social inequality and exclusion, increasing deeply worldwide, mainly the exclusion of land, labor and housing.

· To reflect collectively on the organizational experiences of popular movements as forms of solution for the above injustices dialoguing through our practices, forms of interaction with institutions and future prospects.

· To propose popular alternatives to address problems -war, displacement, hunger, poverty, unemployment, insecurity, exclusion- generated by the financial capitalism, military arrogance and the immense power of transnational companies from the point of view of the poor, with the prospect of building a peaceful society, free and fair.

· To discuss the relationship of Popular Movements with the Church, and how to move forward in creating an instance of articulation and ongoing collaboration.

Among others, the organizations that will participate in the Meeting are:

Articulação Dos Povos Indígenas Do Brasil (APIB) - Brasil

Asian Social Institute (ASI) and CBSCom Cooperative – Philippines

Asociación De Trabajadores Del Campo (ATC) - Nicaragua

Asociación Democracia Real Ya (Indignados) - Spain

Asociación Democracia Real YA (Indignados) – Spain

Asociación Nacional De Recicladores De Colombia (ARB) - Colombia

Asociación Nacional de Trabajadores Agropecuarios (ANTA) – El Salvador

Associacao Dos Peradores E Trabalhadores Do Sector Informal (ASSOTSI) - Mozambique

Associação Juízes para a Democracia - Brasil

Association des Marchés Economiques Locaux du Recyclage (AMELIOR) – France

Associazione Trentini Nel Mondo Onlus - Italy

Banca Etica – Italia

Biffins - Francia

Bigkis Lakas Pilipinas (Fishermen) - Philipines

Border Agricultural Workers – US/Mexico Border

Central de Movimentos Populares (CMP) - Brasil

Central Única dos Trabalhadores Minas Gerais - Movimiento Sindical de Maestros (CUT)

Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Frayba) - México

Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (CMMLK) - Cuba

Centro Sociale Leoncavallo - Italy

Children and Youth in Action for Sustainable Future (CYASF) - Philippines

Comité De Unidad Campesina (CUC) - Guatemala

Condederacion De Trabajadores Por Cuenta Propia CNTCP - Nicaragua

Conf. Nacional De Mujeres Campesinas Indigenas Originarias Bartolinas Sissa – Bolivia

Confederación de Trabajadores de la Economía Popular (CTEP) - Argentina

Confederation Paysanne (CIFTCI-SEN) - Turquia

Conseil National De Concertation Et De Coopération Des Ruraux (CNCR) - Senegal

Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas (COPINH) - Honduras

Consejo Coordinador Obrero Popular (COCOPO - MLN) Mexico

Coord. Nac. de Org. de Mujeres Trabajadoras Rurales e Indígenas (CONAMURI) - Paraguay

Coordenação Nacional De Entidades Negras (CONEN) - Brasil

Corriente Villera Independiente (CVI) - Argentina

Enhe Bizkaia (Euskal Herria)– Spain and France

ETC Group

European Coordination Via Campesina

Faith In Community Scotland - Scotland

Farm Workers Association Of Florida - USA

Federacion Nacional De Recicladores Del Ecuador - Ecuador

Federación Argentina de Cartoneros y Recicladores (FACyR) - Argentina

Federación Uruguaya de Cooperativas de Viviendas por Ayuda Mutua (FUCVAM) - Uruguay

Forum Des Alternatives - Morocco

Frente Nacional Comunal Simón Bolívar (FNCSM) - Venezuela

Genuino Clandestino - Italy

Hermandad Obrera De Acción Católica (HOAC)

Homeless Peoples Fedreation - Philippines

Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Associations- Camboya

Industrial Workers Of The World (IWW)

International Coordination Of Young Christian Workers (ICYCW-CIJOC) - France

Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne Internationale (IYCW) Aisbl

Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat - India

Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat - Waste Pickers Collective (KKPKP) - India

Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP) - India

Karnataka State Farmers Union (KRRS) - India

Kenya National Alliance Of Street Venders And Informal Traders (Kenasvit) - Kenya

Korean Women Peasants Association - Korea

La Junta - Perú

Levante Popular Da Juventude - Brasil

Liga Operária Católica -

Malawi Union for Informal Sector - Malawi

Minga Informativa de los Movimientos Sociales (ALAI) – Latinoamérica

Mouviman Peyzan Papay (MPP) - Haiti

Movimento De Mulheres Camponesas (MMC) - Brasil

Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra (MST) - Brasil

Movimiento De Trabajadores Excluidos (MTE) - Argentina

Movimiento Indígena-Campesino De Chiapas - Mexico

Movimiento Nacional Campesino Indígena (MNCI) - Argentina

Movimiento Nacional De Trabajadores Cristianos (MMTC) – Rwanda

Movimiento Nacional Empresas Recuperadas (MNER) - Cooperativa Subpga – Argentina

National Coordination of Peasants' Organizations (CNOP) - Mali

National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) – USA

National Slum Dwellers Federation - India

National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) - South Africa

Network for Political and Social Rights - Grece

New Zealand Council of Trade Union - New Zealand

Parlamento Xinca - Guatemala

Plataforma Afectados Por La Hipoteca (PAH * co-fundador a título personal) – Spain

Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN) - Brasil

Re-Food 4 Good - International

RIMAFLOW, Fabbrica Recuperata - Communia Network - Italy

Shack Dwellers International (SDI)

Shack Dwellers International/Zimbabwe Affiliate - Zimbabwe

Shehab Institution – Egypt

Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME) - Mexio

Slum Dwellers International

South African Federation of the Urban Poor - South Africa

South African Waste Pickers Association - South Africa

Spirit Of Youth Association For Environmental Services (Zabaleens) – Egypt

Syndicate Of Informal Workers (Homenet Eastern Europe) - Bulgaria

The French Organizations Droit Au Logement/No-Vox - France

Truth Foundation - South Korea

Tunisian Forum For Economic And Social Rights - Tunisia

Turkish Peasant Confederation (CIFTCI-SEN)- Turquía

União Nacional de Camponeses (UNAC) - Moçambique

Union Of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) - Palestina

United Steelworkers - USA

Youth Organization of The Kurds - Siria

Zambia Homeless And Poor People's Federation - Zambia

Zimbabwe Smallholder Farmer Forum (ZIMSOFF) Zimbabwe

We hope this Meeting will mark a milestone in the articulation process of popular movements strengthening a transformative perspective, empowering the poorest sectors and making visible the popular view about the serious problems humanity is facing.

Joao Pedro Stédile

Movement of the Landless (Brazil)

Via Campesina International

Xaro Castelló

Workers Christian Action (Spain)

World Movement of Christian Workers (Spain)

Jockin Arputham

National Slum Dwellers Federation (India)

Slum Dwellers International

Juan Grabois

Excluded Workers Movement (Argentina)

Confederation of Popular Economy