Photo: https://spaceforalternatives.eu/who-are-we/

Marseille – Apr 26, 2024 at 3pm | European Common Space for Alternatives

Origins of the Event:

We are living in a crucial moment of human history, a time when the actions and decisions we take today will have a profound impact on the future of our planet and its inhabitants. For us, in this context, ‘alter globalism’ and internationalism are not just noble ideas; they are an urgent necessity. The challenges we face – such as climate change, biodiversity loss, economic and social inequalities – know no borders. They are global in cause and effect. So our responses must also be global […]. At present we have a large number of thematic networks in Europe, however we no longer have a common space for all social and citizens’ movements to share our experiences and challenges and to develop joint initiatives and mobilisations.

Earlier in the 2000s this role was played by the European Social Forums (ESF) which was inspired by the World Social Forum (WSF), an initiative launched in 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as a counter-summit to the Davos World Economic Forum. The WSF was designed as a space for organisations and social movements opposing neoliberalism and capitalist globalisation to meet, exchange ideas, and develop strategies. The European Social Forums adopted this approach, focusing on issues specific to Europe. The first ESF took place in 2002 in Florence, Italy, gathering thousands of activists, non-government organisations, unions, and other civil society groups […].

Objectives of the Event:

European Common Space for Alternatives intends to bring together more social and citizens’ movements, as well as individuals, from diverse origins and backgrounds to start building a caring society: old movements with a determination to do things differently, as well as new movements with different experiences and alternative organising methods, are joining us.

The Marseille encounter is an important step for this project. It will be held six weeks before the elections to the European Union parliament. This does not mean that this event is limited to EU countries; the whole continent is concerned and we will do our utmost to bring together activists from all over Europe as well as guests from the southern shores of the Mediterranean.

You can read here the Manifesto for an inclusive event.

The program of the ECSA2024 includes topics around social movement’s criminalisation, the rise of far right in Europe, alter-globalisation and post- capitalist strategies, climate crisis and ecological transition, feminism and care economics, solidarity to Palestine, social inclusion of minorities, commons and transformative economies and many more.

Please read the program here.

Ripess is organising and participating in three discussions:

1. Political action through alternative and solidarity economy

27 April | 16:00-18:00 h

We will propose an approach under the two terms ‘politics’ and ‘policies’ and discuss the differences between ‘transition’ and ‘bifurcation’. We’ll look at the complementarities between struggles to oppose the capitalist system and the dynamics of building concrete alternatives.

Organised by: RIPESS Europe – Solidarity Economy Europe network, le MES (Mouvement pour l’Economie Solidaire), l’Espace de travail Alternatives concrètes d’ATTAC France

2. Beyond Europe – Working with civil spaces across continents

27 April | 13:30-15:00 h

The World Social Forum, The Asia Europe People Forum, The Norwegian Social Forum are only a few of the Forum processes active today. in this workshop we will discuss how those spaces could be effective building solidarity across continents.

Organised by: AEPF, ATTAC France & Germany, Norwegian Social Forum, RIPESS, Transform!Europe

3. Commons, commoning and transformative economy practices: how to network at the European level?

27 April | 18:00-20:00 h

Shared resources, learning to live together, and concrete political practices for autonomous livelihoods: together, these three dimensions contribute to the emergence of the ‘commoner’ as a political subject

Organised by: RIPESS Europe – Solidarity Economy Europe network, Remix the Commons, RIES – Rete Italiana per l’Economia Solidale

Source: https://spaceforalternatives.eu/