Rome: World Meeting of Popular Movements
Press Statement from the Popular Movements
October 27th, 28th, and 29th
In conjunction with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and with the express support of Pope Francis, a variety of movements representing those who are most disadvantaged and most excluded from society are taking the lead in organising the World Meeting of Popular Movements, which will be held in Rome from October 27th to 29th.
We are very glad of this unique occasion to give visibility to the excluded and to let their voices be heard within the Vatican itself. We are deeply grateful to Pope Francis for this opportunity, which is one more demonstration of his constant accompaniment and closeness – not only to those of us who suffer injustice but also to those among us who are uniting to struggle against it.
The Meeting is primarily directed towards the organisations and movements of the excluded. It is expected that 100 delegates from different backgrounds and walks of life will take part. Delegates will represent: a) those who suffer from employment insecurity, temporary workers, migrants, and those involved in the popular sector, informal and/or self-employed workers, workers who lack legal protection, union recognition or labour rights; b) landless peasants and indigenous peoples or those who are at risk of being driven off the land because of agricultural speculation and violence; c) people living in slums and informal settlements, the marginalised, those who have been evicted from their homes, the forgotten, those who are without adequate urban infrastructure. Representatives of the trade unions and the social and human rights organisations that have accompanied the processes of organisation and struggle of the above-mentioned sectors will also be taking part in the meeting.
Bishops and other church workers from a number of countries have also been invited, in order to stimulate dialogue and collaboration with the Church. The meeting will be conducted in Spanish, French, English, Italian, and Portuguese. It will conclude with the promotion of an international body for coordination between popular movements, which will have the support and collaboration of the Church.
The Meeting’s work is divided into three days:
a) The objective of the first day is to become fully acquainted with today´s reality, the struggles and the thinking of the popular movements. Day 1 will be held at the Salesianum.
b) The objective of the second day is to understand Pope Francis´ teaching on how to move forward together towards authentic, comprehensive human development. Day 2 will take place at the Old Synod Hall.
c) The third and final day will be devoted to making concrete commitments to coordinate the work of the organisations of the excluded, in collaboration with the Church. Day 3 will be hosted at the Salesianum.
The main objectives are:
· To share Pope Francis’ social thinking, especially the items that he includes in his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel”, and to discuss it from the perspective of popular movements.
· To develop a synthesis of the vision of popular movements with regard to the causes of the world-wide growth in social inequality and increase in social exclusion, particularly with respect to land, labour and housing.
· To reflect collectively on the organisational experiences of popular movements as ways of solving the injustices described above – and to include in our reflective process a discussion of our practices, our forms of interaction with institutions, and our propects for the future.
· To propose grassroots popular alternatives to address the problems – war, displacement, hunger, poverty, unemployment, insecurity, exclusion – brought about by finance capitalism, military arrogance, and the immense power of transnational companies. Discussion will be based on the point of view of persons and peoples who are poor, and it will be imbued with the vision of building a peaceful, free, and fair society.
· To discuss the relationship of the Popular Movements with the Church, and how to move forward in creating a permanent body to coordinate our collaborative work.
Among the organisations participating 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
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 (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
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
Media Contacts:
Gabriela Bonus + 54 911 3269917 – Argentina – in Spanish
Carolina Palacio +39 3357192098 – Italia – in English
Elvira Corona +39 3471895632 – Italia – in Italian
Rita Zanotto +556199700420 – Brazil – in Portuguese
Isabelle Delforge +39 3511556740 – Italia – in English, French, Spanish
This post is also available in Español.