FAL’s history - 6th FAL

Date: 2006

Place: In the framework of the Polycentric World Social Forum 2006, Caracas.

VI FAL    DECLARATION OF CARACAS

The 6th edition of the FAL takes place in a moment when the building of another world more than possible is urgent. In fact, the context surrounding the development of new demands for social inclusion comes out of the imposition of neoliberal thinking, with its commercial and military policies, and its thirst of imposing their imperialistic hegemony.

The practice of the strategic concept of a preventive war has become a permanent war indeed, and leaves behind a growing number of civil casualties; the hindering of the free movement of people, either inside or outside their countries, whose most ignominious representation can be found in the example of the USA Mexico border wall, the wall which hampers the development of a decent living in Palestine and the fences in Ceuta and Melilla; the resurgence of racism, the insisting interventions on the Southern countries sovereignties on behalf of the G8 and the World Trade Organization, the constant aggression to the sovereign willing of countries such as Venezuela, a country choosing the path of solidarity with the least favored peoples of the world; as well as the exclusion suffered by the majority of impoverished African, Latin American and Asian peoples and the growing development of poverty and precariousness within the Northern rich countries before the uncompassionate look of those exercising the hegemonic power in the world; the proliferation and modernization of nuclear weapons in an open violation of the provision of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; all the above examples and symptoms of the hegemonic eagerness.

Nonetheless, in this global scene, a new conscience is starting to show up: the alter-globalization movements who plead for another globalization with cultural diversity, participatory democracy, equality and social justice. Amongst the excluded societies, every day, thousands of initiatives of political organization and action turn up. At this point, it is important to remark the role that several local governments are playing in the commitment, within their field, to this new movement. But, this is nothing but the beginning.

The 6th FAL 2006 has long discussed and deliberated in the city of Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, different issues related to the present situation and the actions undertaken from the different cores involved coming from different towns and cities from all over the planet; either urban or rural, capital cities and peripheries – who tend to reduce exclusion, poverty and precariousness, foster the citizen participation to build an alternative world inspired in solidarity, co-responsibility, tolerance and sustainable development values. We have also discussed and analyzed the fundamental importance of local authorities in such a process, which is starting now, and the need of accelerating, in our opinion, the popular empowering and the social inclusion inherent to it.

In this sense, the local authorities and representatives gathered in Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, from the January 23 to 24, 2006, reassert our commitment in favor of social inclusion as a necessary mean to achieve a fair society and a more participative democracy.

The 6th FAL of Caracas has discussed in depth, in plenary conferences and thematic workshops, important and fundamental issues to build another world.

These issues are: social inclusion, peripheral cities, Human Rights in the city, decentralized cooperation, peace culture and participative democracy, whose conclusions can be found in the appendix.

Apart from the thematic axis of the FAL, in this forum, we paid special attention to the monopoly of the media who create a public opinion which deform the truth and poses itself against the alter-globalization way of thinking. Media that also proclaims the neo-liberal paradigms hide the fair struggles of social organizations in favor of the most impoverished majorities and put pressure on the authorities to carry out actions opposite to the popular goodwill. In light of this, we consider as a priority the effective and disinterested support to the communitarian and alternative media.

We commit ourselves to support the Commission on Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy, created by the FAL, in United Cities and Local Governments, and also to work on the compliance of the Millennium Goals within the Cities in a strengthened relation with the social movements and organized civil societies.

We decided to continue the dialogue and constructive exchanges with the World Social Forum and reaffirmed the WSF Charter of Principles and the Porto Alegre Charter. For that reason we will put all our efforts to go to the African continent, where the WSF 2007 will be held, and where we will be able to meet in the city of Nairobi, Kenya, in the near future.

Caracas, 24 January, 2006