The World Social Forum Workshops Begin
One session we attended was a workshop on Intra-Africa Migration that featured a panel of academics, migrants and activists from West Africa that exposed the complicity of West African and North African governments in violating the rights of migrants. The North African countries–Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Libya have signed undisclosed bilateral agreements with European countries–Italy, Spain, Malta, Portugal and France to act as their border control agents. North African countries routinely deport Senegalese migrants to their home countries, with many violations of their human rights. Migrants from all over West Africa are deported to Mali without regard to their nationality. The migrants are often brutalized, robbed and dumped at the borders. In exchange for their services, the North African countries receive development aid and military aid from European countries.
The World Social Forum Workshops Begin
One session we attended was a workshop on Intra-Africa Migration that featured a panel of academics, migrants and activists from West Africa that exposed the complicity of West African and North African governments in violating the rights of migrants. The North African countries–Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Libya have signed undisclosed bilateral agreements with European countries–Italy, Spain, Malta, Portugal and France to act as their border control agents. North African countries routinely deport Senegalese migrants to their home countries, with many violations of their human rights. Migrants from all over West Africa are deported to Mali without regard to their nationality. The migrants are often brutalized, robbed and dumped at the borders. In exchange for their services, the North African countries receive development aid and military aid from European countries.The World Social Forum Kicks Off with Historic March
February 6, 2011
The World Social Forum has officially begun! With a whirlwind of smaller events, meetings and orientations leading up to today’s (Sunday February 6, 2011) opening ceremony in Dakar, Senegal everyone seems to be energized for this week’s historic gathering.
Along with our companer@s from Priority Africa Network, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and several other organizations we marched through the streets of Dakar chanting in solidarity and with much enthusiasm.
The march was just the beginning and we are hopeful that the sentiment of joy and justice, that permeated the air, will be one that carries us through the complex discussions, networking and strategizing that are sure to fill the week.
The World Social Forum Kicks Off with Historic March
February 6, 2011
The World Social Forum has officially begun! With a whirlwind of smaller events, meetings and orientations leading up to today’s (Sunday February 6, 2011) opening ceremony in Dakar, Senegal everyone seems to be energized for this week’s historic gathering.
Along with our companer@s from Priority Africa Network, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and several other organizations we marched through the streets of Dakar chanting in solidarity and with much enthusiasm.
The march was just the beginning and we are hopeful that the sentiment of joy and justice, that permeated the air, will be one that carries us through the complex discussions, networking and strategizing that are sure to fill the week.
World Assembly of Migrants Concludes
Posted by Gerald Lenoir, BAJI Executive Director
February 4, 2011
The World Assembly of Migrants wrapped up today but, from my point of view, left much to be desired. It is a complete misnomer to call it a “world assembly.” First of all, the attendance was poor with only about 100 people. The overwhelming majority of migrants who were there were either from France or the French-speaking countries of West and North Africa. The rest of the world was left out of the process.
The “Charter of Migrants” that emerged from the process was so general as to be rendered useless. Although the initial draft was more progressive, after much tortuous debate and the consideration of amendments, the charter does not include any references to racism, the impact of economic globalization, the rights of indigenous people, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and health access for people with HIV/AIDS and people with disabilities.
One participant argued that references to racism should not be included because we’re all part of the human race. This was an especially blatant omission, since the conference was held on Goree Island, one of the main sites where the brutal, forced migration called the Transatlantic Slave Trade was launched. The same speaker also swayed many of the people present that the discrimination against LGBT people should not be included because this is a matter of “personal preference.”
I was disappointed in the process and the outcome. I am not hopeful that the “Charter of Migrants” will be at all useful or usable.
On Sunday the World Social Forum will begin with a mass march. The workshops and plenaries begin on Monday. I will continue blogging about WSF until February 11.
World Assembly of Migrants Concludes
Posted by Gerald Lenoir, BAJI Executive Director
February 4, 2011
The World Assembly of Migrants wrapped up today but, from my point of view, left much to be desired. It is a complete misnomer to call it a “world assembly.” First of all, the attendance was poor with only about 100 people. The overwhelming majority of migrants who were there were either from France or the French-speaking countries of West and North Africa. The rest of the world was left out of the process.
The “Charter of Migrants” that emerged from the process was so general as to be rendered useless. Although the initial draft was more progressive, after much tortuous debate and the consideration of amendments, the charter does not include any references to racism, the impact of economic globalization, the rights of indigenous people, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and health access for people with HIV/AIDS and people with disabilities.
One participant argued that references to racism should not be included because we’re all part of the human race. This was an especially blatant omission, since the conference was held on Goree Island, one of the main sites where the brutal, forced migration called the Transatlantic Slave Trade was launched. The same speaker also swayed many of the people present that the discrimination against LGBT people should not be included because this is a matter of “personal preference.”
I was disappointed in the process and the outcome. I am not hopeful that the “Charter of Migrants” will be at all useful or usable.
On Sunday the World Social Forum will begin with a mass march. The workshops and plenaries begin on Monday. I will continue blogging about WSF until February 11.
World Assembly of Migrants
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Goree Island, Senegal
Posted by Gerald Lenoir, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Nunu Kidane of Priority Africa Network, Colin Rajah of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and I traveled from Oakland, California to Dakar Senegal to attend the World Assembly of Migrants (WAM) on Goree Island and the World Social Forum (WSF) at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar.
 |
| A statue of freed slaves on Goree Island donated by the government of Guadeloupe. |
Today, we took the 20-minute ferry ride to the infamous Goree Island where enslaved Africans were imprisoned, brutalized, led shackled through the “Door of No Return” and shipped en masse to the New World. We were there to attend the opening session of the World Assembly of Migrants. The Assembly was initiated by a migrant rights organization in France, Sans Papier (Without Papers) to provide the opportunity for migrants from all over the world to give input into the draft of the World Charter of Migrants. The opening session, attended by over 100 migrants, started with a panel that included the Mayor of Goree Island, a representative from WAM and a member of the leadership of the WSF leadership group.
The Mayor reminded us that the event was taking place on the spot where the first brutal forced migration of Africans took place. The WSF representative spoke about the importance of migrant rights as a central theme of the Social Forum scheduled to take place February 6-11.
 |
| Migrants from all over the world listen to the opening panel presentations at the World Assembly of Migrants. |
The WAM speaker spoke to the need of the rights of migrant to be recognized. The draft charter, he said, builds upon the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Indigenous People. As an Austrian, he talked about the “wave of xenophobia sweeping across Europe.” He indicated that process of input into the charter will make sure that it’s ratified by the people and that it is a people’s document. The aim is to get the charter ratified by United Nations.
The 2-page draft charter reads, in part:
“We Migrants declare to the world that: MIGRATION WILL BE A FREE AND WORTHY CHOICE FOR ALL AND IN EVERY CORNER OF THE PLANET…” (emphasis in the original document)
(To read the entire draft of the World charter of Migrants, go to www.cmmigrants.org.
Tomorrow, the day will be spent pouring over the draft document. There will opportunities for the migrants assembled to give their input. By the end of the day, the charter will be adopted by those assembled. On Friday, migrants, along with their allies, will consider the future of the charter. for many, the future for migrants is depending upon migrants themselves articulating their rights and, together with their allies, fighting for them.
My colleagues and I will continue to blog from the WAM and the WSF until February 11. For photos of today and throughout the week, go to Priority Africa Network’s D2D – World Social Forum web page at http://d2dworldsocialforumdakar2011.blogspot.com/
World Assembly of Migrants
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Goree Island, Senegal
Posted by Gerald Lenoir, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Nunu Kidane of Priority Africa Network, Colin Rajah of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and I traveled from Oakland, California to Dakar Senegal to attend the World Assembly of Migrants (WAM) on Goree Island and the World Social Forum (WSF) at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar.
|
| A statue of freed slaves on Goree Island donated by the government of Guadeloupe. |
Today, we took the 20-minute ferry ride to the infamous Goree Island where enslaved Africans were imprisoned, brutalized, led shackled through the “Door of No Return” and shipped en masse to the New World. We were there to attend the opening session of the World Assembly of Migrants. The Assembly was initiated by a migrant rights organization in France, Sans Papier (Without Papers) to provide the opportunity for migrants from all over the world to give input into the draft of the World Charter of Migrants. The opening session, attended by over 100 migrants, started with a panel that included the Mayor of Goree Island, a representative from WAM and a member of the leadership of the WSF leadership group.
The Mayor reminded us that the event was taking place on the spot where the first brutal forced migration of Africans took place. The WSF representative spoke about the importance of migrant rights as a central theme of the Social Forum scheduled to take place February 6-11.
|
| Migrants from all over the world listen to the opening panel presentations at the World Assembly of Migrants. |
The WAM speaker spoke to the need of the rights of migrant to be recognized. The draft charter, he said, builds upon the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Indigenous People. As an Austrian, he talked about the “wave of xenophobia sweeping across Europe.” He indicated that process of input into the charter will make sure that it’s ratified by the people and that it is a people’s document. The aim is to get the charter ratified by United Nations.
The 2-page draft charter reads, in part:
“We Migrants declare to the world that: MIGRATION WILL BE A FREE AND WORTHY CHOICE FOR ALL AND IN EVERY CORNER OF THE PLANET…” (emphasis in the original document)
(To read the entire draft of the World charter of Migrants, go to www.cmmigrants.org.
Tomorrow, the day will be spent pouring over the draft document. There will opportunities for the migrants assembled to give their input. By the end of the day, the charter will be adopted by those assembled. On Friday, migrants, along with their allies, will consider the future of the charter. for many, the future for migrants is depending upon migrants themselves articulating their rights and, together with their allies, fighting for them.
My colleagues and I will continue to blog from the WAM and the WSF until February 11. For photos of today and throughout the week, go to Priority Africa Network’s D2D – World Social Forum web page at http://d2dworldsocialforumdakar2011.blogspot.com/
Migrants in Mali
Bamako, Mali, West Africa
July 17, 2010
Gerald Lenoir, Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (www.blackalliance.org) and Nunu Kidane, Director of Priority Africa Network (www.priorityafrica.org) were in Bamako, Mali to attend the inaugural gathering of the Pan African Network in Defense of Migrant Rights hosted by Institute for the Research and Promotion of Alternative Development (IRPAD) and funded by Open Society Institute, West Africa (OSIWA). The following blog describes the conditions of African migrants who are deported from North Africa and end up in Mali. Read more >>
Pan African Network on Migration Formed
Bamako, Mali, July 18, 2010
