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Occupation magazine - Activism

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Hold the Spanish government to account!
Dear all,

We are calling upon you to hold the Spanish government to account for their serious attack on civil society over the last week, which today culminated in the forcible closure of the Forum for a Just Peace, which was to be held in Madrid from the 14-16th December.

The attack was driven by the Spanish government’s desire to impose its political agenda on the conference. We see this as an assault on global society, the World Social Forum, its values and the open space it constitutes.
The Forum for a Just Peace was launched in July 2007. It originated from the initiative of the Madrid Social Forum – a response to the erosion of basic human rights, peace and solidarity taking place worldwide. The initiative was motivated by a conviction that the critical situation in the Middle East requires a new political perspective based on the values of peace and dialogue.[1][1]
In its first meeting, the International Committee constituted to organize the event adopted a document of principles that was to be the basis for participation, reflecting the values of the World Social Forum charter of principles.[2][2]

The Spanish Foreign Ministry declared its willingness to support the conference financially and organizing proceeded smoothly, including representatives of Spanish, Palestinian, Lebanese, Jordanian, Iraqi and Israeli civil society who had endorsed the document of principles.

The first interference of the Foreign Ministry came around a month ago when, apparently under pressure from the Zionist lobby, it invited additional Israeli representatives to the meeting of the International Committee. These new invitees did not endorse the declaration of principles and the committee refused to include them in the organizing process on that basis.

Two weeks ago the Foreign Ministry imposed on the program three workshops run by Israeli Zionist organizations. The International Committee again tried to resolve the crisis by restating that all those running workshops must endorse the declaration of principles. Finally, bypassing the international organizing committee the Spanish government arranged for a large number of representatives of Zionist organizations and apologists for Israeli apartheid to be secretly invited. The Zionist delegation included representatives of establishment Israeli political parties that have been historically (up to the moment) responsible for the ethnic cleansing, occupation, colonization and all the war crimes committed by the Israeli army against Palestinian and Arab civilians. They also invited organizations such as the Peres Center for Peace, a body intimately linked with the Israeli occupation.
The Palestinian, Lebanese, Jordanian and the original anti-colonial Israeli delegations therefore took a principled decision to pull out of the conference.[3][3] A number of Spanish organizations followed their lead. The alternative would have been to submit to government coercion to share a platform with apologists for Israeli apartheid. The conference had been intended to be an alternative to the flawed Annapolis conference, bringing together representatives of civil society to discuss ways of opposing racism, war and colonialism; to discuss the building of a peace based on international law and human rights. In the face of the attempt by the Spanish government to subvert the purposes of the conference, delegates were left with no choice but to boycott.

The international committee therefore decided to organize an emergency plenary on the first day to publicly explain the sequence of events, to discuss the implications of the Spanish government’s actions and to produce a statement of values reiterating the call for a just peace.

On Friday evening, the Spanish Foreign Ministry told the organizers that they must include two Zionist speakers on the panel. Again, the international committee refused. On Saturday morning, the Spanish government responded with force: by shutting down the conference venue and sending the police to evict the participants. The Madrid Social Forum has now suspended the event, and is preparing a press statement which we will send as soon as it becomes available. The organizers are currently meeting to discuss the way forward and we will update you on developments.

The developments over the last week constitute a serious attack on the whole of global civil society and the World Social Forum itself. If we accept that the Spanish government, or any government, should be allowed to impose its will on civil society unchallenged, the whole purpose of our organizing is called into question. The Zionist lobby must not be allowed to use governments to subvert the discourse of civil society. The World Social Forum and the regional and thematic forums must speak out against this attempt to strangle our voice.

In a more quiet moment, it is imperative that we have a full discussion of these events and the implications for civil society movements and the World Social Forum.

For now, we are asking you to take immediate action by calling the Spanish Foreign Ministry to account for this attack, which is an assault on all of us who are struggling for democratic and free societies. We have attached a pro forma letter below.

Greetings

Jamal Juma`
Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign - coordinator
global@stopthewall.org - www.stopthewall.org
phone: +972-22971505 fax:+972-22975123

To:
Miguel Angel Moratinos, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Plaza de la Provincia 1
E-28071 Madrid
Spain
Phone(s): +34-1-366-4800 /
Fax(es): +34-91-364-2965 /
E-mail(s): / secretaria.ministro@mae.es


Dear Mr. D. Moratinos Cuyaubé,

I am writing to condemn the actions of your Ministry, which today culminated in the forcible closure of the Forum for a Just Peace.

It seems that having failed to impose your political agenda on the conference you have resorted to force to shut down an important space for democratic and free discussion between civil society representatives.
I understand that this is the latest development in several months in which your Ministry has brought intense pressure to bear on the organizing committees of the conference to include Zionist delegates and representatives who refused to accept the values of peace, justice and democracy on which the conference was founded. These values are expressed in the Declaration of Principles for the conference, which you have worked consistently to undermine.
Be assured that we see this not simply as an attack on the Madrid forum, but on the whole of global civil society and the values of democracy and freedom that we stand for. We completely reject any attempt by the Spanish government or any government to subvert and suffocate these principles. We deplore the use of covert means to undermine the discourse of democracy and the use of force to silence the voice of justice and peace.
We urge you to make a full public statement, apologizing to the organizing committees and affirming your commitment to a free civil society, which is essential for democracy.

Yours Sincerely,

_____________________

N.B.:
To find the contact details for the Spahish embassy in your country, please go to: http://www.mae.es/es/Embajadas+y+Consulados/


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