For The Dignity and The Respect of Migrants

Polycentric World Social Forum, January 2006, Bamako, Mali

09.Mar.06 - During the Polycentric World Social Forum (jan 2006) in Bamako, Mali the follwoing participants published an appeal for the Dignity and The Respect of Migrants. The aim is to build a common space for campaigns and mobilizations in Europe and in Africa in the period between the polycentric forum in Bamako to Nairobi (where the next world social forum will take place in january 2007). the initiators also aim to make migration one of the center issues of the upcoming social forum processes in athens and nairobi.

For The Dignity and The Respect of Migrants

Bamako's Polycentric World Social Forum is an integral part of the process to build an alternative to free market policies.

In the name of fighting clandestine immigration governments are adopting repressive policies and are expanding the frontiers of wealthy nations through centers of detention, ejections, expulsions and selection of the labor force.

These policies have caused the dramatic events of Ceuta and Metilla, Cairo, deaths in the desert, in the Mediterranean and along the Rio Grande.

We call for the building of an international alliance based on solidarity against these murderous policies composed by civil societies, non-governmental organizations, social movements and organizations.

In the period from the Bamako Forum to the one in Nairobi, we propose a year long international mobilization in defense of the right of all people to circulate freely around the world and to determine their own destiny. The following proposals emerged from the immigration seminars during Bamako's Polycentric World Social Forum:

- We want to build an international network for the exchange of information and the organizing of joint actions in defense of migrant rights
- We ask that a thematic area on immigration be added to the agenda during the preparations for Nairobi 2007
- Finally we call for an international day of mobilization that could take place in the sites symbols of the frontiers (airports, detention centers, embassies, etc.):
   - against special laws for migrants
   - against repressive policies on immigration
   - for the immediate closing of the camps and people's right to free movement.

The African-European summit of Rabat in the spring 2006 will be the first step of this mobilization.

FORAM (Forum pour l'alternative au Mali- Mali), Retour, Travail, Dignitè (Mali), AIDEMET (Mali), AEDH, Alternative Espaces Citoyens (Niger), AFEPEC (Algerie), ACTECOD-Zagora (Maroc), ACS (Italia), Altro diritto (Italia), Amalipe Romano (Italia), AMDH (Marocco), AMERM(Association Marocaine d'étude et de recherche et d'émigration- Maroc), ARCI (Italia), Arcinsegna (Italia), ASDHOM(Association de Défense des Droits de l'Homme au Maroc), ASIAD (France), Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates (Tunisie), ATMF (Francia), Attac Maroc, Attac (Italia), Beati costruttori di pace (Italia), CATTA (Coalition d'Appui aux Travailleurs et Travailleuses Agricoles - Canada) CCFD (France), CEAR (Espagne), CESDI (Italia), Chabaka des Associations du Nord (Marocco), CIMADE (Francia), Comitato intercomunale per la Pace (Italia), Coordination Démocratique de la Société Civile Nigérienne (CDSCN, Niger), EMCEMO (Pays Bas), Espace Associatif (Maroc), Federazione dei Verdi (Italia), FTCR (France), Femmes de la Terre (France), GISTI (Francia), IDD ( Immigration développement Démocratie, France) Giuristi Democratici (Italia), IBASE (Brasil), IPAM (Francia), Fédération Nationale d'appuie aux iniatives locale (Maroc), F.F.E.D (Larrache, Maroc), FIOM/CGIL (Italia), Forum Civil Démocratique(Maroc), Gruppo Migranti-antirazzismo (Italia), IDEAL-92 (France), LDH (France), L'Apis (Italia), Les Cultures (Italia), Migrations et Santé (France), MIGREUROP (Europe/Afrique), Mouvement Annajat (Maroc), Mouvement des iniatives démocraties (Maroc), Pateras de la Vida (Marocco), PRC(Italia), Reseau Education Sans Frontier (France), Rete Antirazzista Catanese (Italia), Rete Antirazzista Siciliana (Italia), Sincobas (Italia), Terres des hommes (Italia), Tavolo Migranti (Italia), Todo Cambia (Italia), Transform (Italia), Unione degli Studenti (Italia), Unione degli Universitari (Italia), Zattera Urbana (Italia), Universitaire de Rabat (Maroc)... [as of 10 march 2006]

To sign the appeal please send a mail to: forumbamako@arci.it