Asia Europe's People's Forum 7

The Asia Europe People’s Forum 2008 held from 13-14 October will discuss critical issues from alternative energy policies to regional security and militarisation to developing models of participatory democracy.

• Final Declaration 17 October 2008
• Press Release, 13 October Asia-Europe civil society forum opens with calls to re-design global financial system

The discussions will be organised in three clusters:

• Peace and Security
• Social and Economic Rights and Environmental Justice
• Participatory Democracy and Human Rights

Each cluster is co-organised by a European organisation, an Asian organisation and a Chinese organisation.

> Registration can be done at: www.aepf7.org.cn
> [url]detail_page.phtml?&&text10=aepf&menu=11a[link]Background and history of AEPF[/url]

(Not all people who register will automatically be able to attend. The organisers have to guarantee a wide spread of issues and countries and fair gender balance among the participants.)

• Opening speech by Heidi Hautala MP, Chair of the Finnish AEPF Committee
• The Wall Street collapse and its implications for Europe and Asia: the view from civil society by Walden Bello

Cluster 1: Peace and Security

Panel 1: Geopolitical conflicts and militarization: Asia and Europe - their role and impact

Panel 2: Promoting inter-cultural dialogues and understanding

Panel 3: Anti-terrorism policies and their impacts on human rights and security

Panel 4: Regional security processes and impact on Asia-Europe relations:

Panel 5: Alternative visions on security: strategies for conflict prevention and role of peace movements

Panel 6: Non-traditional threats to security and people’s responses

Panel 7: Legacies of weapons of mass destruction and struggles for justice and nuclear disarmament

Panel 8: Rise of religious fundamentalisms: impacts and responses

Panel 9: Arms trade – Trends, controls and how can we really reduce it?

Cluster 2: Social and Economic Rights and Environmental Justice

Panel 1: MDGs and their implications in Asia and Europe

Panel 2: Food sovereignty and security – experiences and responses

Panel 3: Asian and European Investment flows – social and environmental impacts

Panel 4: Free Trade agreements – contributing to sustainable development or double edged swords?

Panel 5: Possibilities, limitations and alternatives of Corporate Social Responsibility - voluntary codes or binding standards?

Panel 6: Migrant labour in and between countries: rights, challenges and responses

Panel 7: Decent Work and labour rights and protection

Panel 8: Alternatives to privatization of water and other essential services

Panel 9: Alternative financing for development – beyond debt and the International Financial Institutions

Panel 10: Climate change and ecological justice from Asia and Europe: people’s perspectives

Panel 11: EU-Asia cooperation in alternative energy policies

Panel 12: Social security in Asia and Europe – trends and challenges

Cluster 3: Participatory Democracy and Human Rights

Panel 1: Local governance: participatory democracy at the grassroots in Asia and Europe

Panel 2: Strengthening women’s political participation and influence

Panel 3: People-centered political parties and social movements: strategies for active citizen’s participation

Panel 4: Protecting rights of the disabled people - policies and practice

Panel 5: Democratization - national policies and options for joint Asia- Europe strategies

Panel 6: Protecting rights People Living with HIV/AIDS - policies and practice

Panel 7: Asia-Europe alternative regionalism and people’s solidarity

Panel 8: Regional human rights mechanisms in Asia and Europe after 60 years of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights

Panel 9: Progress and challenges to people-centered democratization and human rights in Europe and Asia