havana, june 28-july 5, 2008

Fourth Assembly of Caribbean Peoples

2008-01-29 00:00:00

versión en español

CALL

“THE CARIBBEAN:
DIVERSITY, RESISTANCE, SOLIDARITY AND ALTERNATIVE INTEGRATION”

The Assembly of Caribbean Peoples is a dynamic of collective building, launched by social movements of farmers, workers, women, students and young people, trade unions; political organizations; artists and intellectuals; environmental, community based solidarity and non-governmental organizations from the Caribbean. It is a dialogue space for the development and the convergence of the Caribbean struggles in defense of sovereignty and national independence, peace, sustainable development, social justice, equity and cultural identity.

Three Assemblies of Caribbean Peoples have been celebrated up to the present. The first one took place in Trinidad & Tobago in August, 1994. The second, in the Dominican Republic, in April, 2001. The third, in August, 2003, in Cap Haitien, the historical city where the first revolution of slaves in our hemisphere started, which led to the independence of Haiti in 1804.

The main objectives of the Assembly of Caribbean Peoples are: to support and contribute to the strengthening of the social movements and organizations of the Caribbean, promoting their convergence and articulation; to promote a common Caribbean identity based on the respect for diversity and on the resistance in the face of all aggressions, forms of colonial domination and expressions of imperialist oppression against our countries; to encourage the struggles of the peoples of the region against the predatory consequences of the capitalist neoliberal globalization and its models of bilateral and regional free trade.

The Regional Executive Committee of the Fourth Assembly of Caribbean Peoples, which operates as an mechanism of linkage and follow-up between the Assemblies and which is made up of representatives of Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Martinique and Trinidad & Tobago, has agreed to celebrate the Fourth Assembly of Caribbean Peoples in Cuba, from June 28 to July 5, 2008, called together under the central theme “The Caribbean: Diversity, Resistance, Solidarity and Alternative Integration”.

With the purpose of going deeper in the analysis and discussion of the main problems, concerns and interests of the peoples of our region, the Fourth Assembly of Caribbean Peoples will broach the following Agenda:

1. Sovereignty: Independence movements; anti colonial struggles; struggles against military bases, militarization – terrorism

2. Resistance to imperialism and against the neo-liberal economic policies – models and free trade treaties (WTO, EPA, bilateral FTA’s), debt and international financial institutions, transnationals and privatizations

3. Un-sustainability of the neo-liberal model and its implications for the Caribbean: global warming, environmental degradation, natural disasters, agro-fuels, prices and financial speculation; the right to food and energy sovereignty and the need to construct alternative models of consumption

4. The resistance against the model of neo-liberalism in its social dimension: the right to housing, child rights, labour rights, the right to land, the right to education and health, the right to social security; and the struggle against neo-liberal mega projects, social exclusion, violence, drug addiction and poverty

5. Neo-liberal globalization, the movement of people, Migration and Tourism

6. Identity, Diversity, Culture, Education and Communication

7. Social movements: Solidarity; the construction of alliances and convergences; their struggles and the threat of criminalization of protest

8. Cooperation - Alternative integration projects - Transportation

Women and young people are cross-cutting axes.

The preparatory process of the 4th Assembly of Caribbean Peoples will embrace a wide range of discussions associated with developing mobilizations at national level in order that we may all come to the Assembly with proposals resulting from the outcome of the participation of the diverse sectors and protagonists of the social struggle of each country and territory in the Region (all the islands of the Caribbean, Belize, Guyana, Suriname and Guyana Cayenne).

The Regional Executive Committee therefore takes pleasure in inviting the movements and organizations of the Caribbean, identified with the objectives of this space of unity and struggle, to participate in the very rich debate and search for solutions that will characterize the Fourth Assembly of Caribbean Peoples to be held in Cuba. In this regard, we accept, with a deep sense of gratitude, the very generous offer by the Cuban people to host this event.

We look forward to our gathering in Cuba, from June 28th to July 5th 2008, as we affirm our commitment to the defense of “The Diversity, Resistance, Solidarity and Alternative Integration of the Caribbean!”

The Regional Executive Committee

Assembly of Caribbean Peoples

Havana, Cuba

December 11th, 2007

***terms of participation***