Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

Caravans from all over West Africa are heading for Dakar!

The mobilization of social movements is vital for the success of the WSF [1].
Several caravans of activists from different movements have set out these last few days from different West African countries. Their role is to raise populations’ consciousness and persuade as many people as possible to take part in the WSF process. The caravans will cover several thousand kilometres by bus. The CADTM is providing significant human and financial support for this creative militant initiative. For information about the activities of the caravans that left Cotonou on 23 January, read “The Social Movements Caravan lifts off for the WSF at Dakar !”. _ Hundreds of caravanners will reach Kaolack (south-east of Dakar) on 4 February where they will be met by participants in an international meeting on feminist struggles, organised by the CADTM. Then on 3 and 4 February, APROFES (Association for the promotion of Senegalese women, affiliated to the CADTM) and the international CADTM network, will organise two days of workshops and debates on feminism at Kaolack. Several hundred women are expected to attend the closure of this activity.
On 5 February, the caravans and the Kaolack delegation (it is the 6^th largest town of Senegal) will travel to Dakar, 3 hours away.

In the same spirit, Dakar has been mobilizing for months, especially in close collaboration with the suburban hip hop movement [2]. A compilation entitled “Prise de conscience collective!” followed by a 6-hour long concert on 29 January with nearly 5000 people in a working-class neighbourhood called Guediawaye were two high points in raising awareness about Third World debt and mobilizing for the WSF.

The World Social Forum – From 6 to 11 February 2011

The CADTM will be present in the opening march of the WSF on 6 February and on the days that follow with a delegation of about 200 people mainly coming from West Africa with the caravans, but also from Central and North Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America [3]. Join the CADTM’s group in the opening march in Dakar on 6 February.
The next days will be devoted to self-run activities organised by the CADTM in collaboration with partner organisations [4].

The WSF will close with the thematic assemblies. The CADTM will be particularly active in the Debt Assembly which will be held on 10 February in the morning with all the debt campaigns; it will also take part in the one on social movements. Assemblies are a place where international social movements can converge and deal such issues as fixing the dates of mobilisations throughout 2011 and 2012. Given the present context, the success of these two assemblies is crucial to being able to organize resistance against the attacks of the capitalist system against the peoples.

Networking at the WSF

These international meetings are always an important moment in our work with our partners. The two days following the WSF will be used for the WSF International Council and a meeting of the networks working on the debt. Delegates of the CADTM will be busy making the collective report of the WSF in these two important meetings (WSF IC on 12 and 13 February) and planning common actions concerning the debt in countries of the South, as well as actions in response to the debt crisis in Europe.