National Day of the Belgian Social Forum

Brussels – VUB – 17 April 2010 – 11.00/18.00

On the eve of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union and in the context of global crises suffered by all citizens of the world – financial crisis, food crisis, climate crisis, economic and social crisis – the Belgian Social Forum organize a day of action focused on the alternatives to the current systemic crisis. The objective of this event is to gather the Belgian civil society to agree on common demands to be addressed to the Belgian Government as part of its EU presidency.

Program

11.00/12.00 Welcome

12.00/12.30 Opening Plenary : Anatomy of a systemic crisis
With Francine Mestrum, Global Social Justice, member of the International Council of the WSF.

12.30/14.00 : Workshops
 Financial Crisis : Rudy Demeyer (11.11.11), Daniel Vandaele (FGTB), Renaud Vivien (CADTM), Francis Gobbe (RJF)
 Women’s Struggles : Jules Falquet (author of "Degree or force. Women and Globalization")
 Social crisis and social protection : with Jan Beghin (armoedestoppauvreté) and Christine Mahy (Walloon Network fight against poverty)
 Migration : with Shisha Souhail (researcher in capital theory and economics of discrimination, Solvay School of Commerce), Sylvie Copyans (SALAM), spokesman for the Lille CSP59 (struggles in migration policies), Amel Wasfy (incarcerated in the 127a center while pregnant), Mathieu Bietlot (member of the socio / political commission Bruxelles Laïque)

15.00/16.30 : Workshops
 Conflict and nuclear crisis : with the Minister of Foreign Affairs (tbc), with Hans Lammers (Abolition 2000), the International Trade Union Confederation, Eddy Van Lancker (Federal Secretary FGTB)
 Food crisis : with Frans Coussement (Flemish Prime Minister’s Office), Kris Peeters (Ov), Xavier Delwart (FUGEA) Jonas Hulsen (Greenpeace), Caroline Descartes (oivo)
 Crisis and workers’ struggles : Rudi Kennes (OPEL)
 Climate crisis : with Thierry Jacques (MOC), Hervé Kempf (Le Monde)

Small Workshops :
 Another language is possible ? Georges Sossois (Professor of modern languages – including Esperanto) – and economics)
 Environmental Migrants : with Jessica Blommaert

17.00/18.00 : Final Plenary : The claims of the Belgian civil society to overcome the systemic crisis
With Anne Demelenne (FGTB), Marc Becker (CSC), Arnaud Zacharie (CNCD-11.11.11), Bogdan Vandenberghe (11.11.11-KVNZB), Michel Genet (Greenpeace), Elisabeth Gauthier (European Social Forum).

Debates - Exhibition of photographs and posters – stands
Entertainment for children – food and drinks

Where : VUB Campus Etterbeek, Building Q
Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels
(Information on transport and parking on our website)

Entrance : 5 € (1€ for people with low incomes)