GREEK SOCIAL FORUM
2nd
Panellenic Assembly
Athens,
6-7 December 2003
The
2nd Panellenic Assembly of the Greek Social Forum was successfully
concluded
on the 7th of December, with important participation from all over
the
country and qualitative discussions, which resulted in proposals for
action.
More
than 500 people, from 18 cities of Greece took part in the Assembly,
while
10 thematic discussions took place simultaneously on Saturday morning,
and
were attended by 20 to 80 persons, with an average of attendance 45
persons.
The
thematic discussions were on Health, Employment and unemployment,
Education,
Rights of the Women, Environment-forests water, Immigrants,
Olympic
Games 2004, Repression, European Constitutional Convention, Antiwar
movement
and the struggle against military bases.
Each
thematic discussion produced concrete proposals for action, which will
soon
be summed up and placed in the site of the Greek Social Forum.
In
the plenaries there was a presentation of the activities of the Forum
since
the founding Assembly, the composition of a general campaign of the
Forum
under the Title Enough is Enough and the organizational broadening of
the
Forum.
Many
speakers underlined the need for broadening of contacts and of the
activities
of the Social Forum with collectives and activities of local or
thematic
interest, while the publication of a newspaper of the Forum was
decided.
Apart
from the campaigns coming out of the thematic discussions, there was
an
emphasis on the big European campaigns in which we participate with all
our
strength, and for which we shall mobilize, which are the European day
against
war and occupation in Iraq and Palestine on the 20th of March, the
day
for the defense of the social rights in relation to the European
Constitutional
Convention on the 9th of May. This day there will be a
culmination
of the actions of the GSF for the defense of work rights
(flexible
employment, work duration, part time employment, privatesations,
unemployment).
Also,
it the importance of the day of Immigrants the 31st of January was
stressed,
for which we plan to organize many activities.
A
campaign and actions against the anti-popular budget presented in
Parliament
has already started, and the Greek S.F. in collaboration with
trade
unions (for the time being the Confederation of State Employees Trades
Unions
– ADEDY), while an effort will be made for participation of other
sections
of the trade union movement and other forces. This mobilization is
decided
for the 18th of December.
A
motion of condemnation of the criminal activity of policemen in
Crete
on
the
5th of Dec. was passed, where a 22 years old citizen was assassinated
with
a bullet through the head, with direction from back to front, in an
effort,
as the policemen claimed, for… self defense. The motion spoke about
the
rightful rage of the co-patriots of the dead, and demanded the release
of
all those who stormed the police station in protest.
On
Friday 5/12, the previous evening from the Assembly, there was a public
meeting
in Athens where there was presentation of the 2nd ESF in Paris and
analytical
presentation of the European Constitutional Convention, which all
the
speakers explained why they condemn and reject.
Athens,
9/12/03
The
Press Office of Athens
Greek
Social Forum