Major breakthrough for Eastern European demands in Social Forum process

The next European Social Forum (ESF) is scheduled to take place in Istanbul in 2010. A Preparatory Assembly for the ESF was held in Vienna from June 19-21, 2009.

With the participation of approximately 130 representatives of social movements from all over Europe in the discussions around the present economic crisis and its consequences, the European Social Forum process made a big step forward. Particularly noticeable was the presence of approx. 30 participants from Eastern European countries, especially from Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia who held a network meeting in the so called Enlargement group moderated by Mathias Benek from ATTAC-Hungary.

After hours of intense discussions interpreted into four languages the network came up with the following action oriented conclusions:

- On the Crises in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE):
Working groups should be set up in individual CEE countries with the task to write down (before the next EPA):
· A portrait of the crises structures
· A comparative analysis of anti-crises programmes, including cultural aspects
· Concrete proposals based on this analysis

- On the Enlargement of the ESF 2010 to CEE countries
· For the ESF 2010, it is intended to set up a Support Group the tasks of which would be to contact and involve groups and initiatives, to gather and redistribute information including a new forum on the ESF webpage.
· At least one European Preparatory Assembly (EPA) should take place in CEE every year. Just a little preparatory group for each EPA (EPA host organisation, last and next ESF host organisation) should be established.
· Participants and movements from CEE countries are asked to write down proposals for their Western European counterparts how to help with the enlargement of the ESF process to CEE countries.

Any further suggestion or request, also from people who did not take part in the EPA, should be made to epa@asf2008.at Find further information on the European Social Forum process at: http://www.fse-esf.org/ For more detailed minutes of the Vienna meeting, please contact Leo Gabriel at epa@asf2008.at

The participation of CEE participants in the Vienna meeting was supported by TRIALOG.

Information provided by Leo Gabriel, Austrian Social Forum