WRI and the European Social Forum

The War Resisters' International Executive Meeting discussed the European Social Forum, which will take place in London in October or November 2004. It was decided that a strong nonviolent and antimilitarist presence at the European Social Forum is desirable. The WRI Executive therefore encourages its European affiliates to mobilise for the ESF, and to offer workshops and seminars - individually and jointly.

The WRI Executive thinks that a coordinated series of antimilitarist workshops, with coordinated extra promotion during the ESF, could increase visibility of antimilitarist/nonviolent analysis at the ESF.

The WRI Executive suggests that the WRI Council in June should issue a WRI Call to ESF - a clear antimilitarist mobilisation for the ESF, and that the WRI Office could play a coordinating role during the ESF, trying to coordinate antimilitarists from all over Europe. Short-term volunteers from WRI affiliates would be very welcome to help manage this.

The WRI Office will also try to produce a broadsheet (4 pages tabloid format) for the ESF, which will promote the workshops/seminars and will try to provide a framework of nonviolence and antimilitarism for these workshops/seminars.

Link to the ESF/FSE homepage