Social Summit for the Integration of the Peoples - Cumbre Social por la Integración de los Pueblos

TNI together with Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA) organised four Seminars on behalf of the Bi-Regional network Enlazando Alternativas during the People’s Summit in Cochabamba, Bolivia (December 6-9). The Seminars on EU Agreements with Latin America (EU-Central America, Community of Andean Nations and Mercosur) and on the European Transnational Corporations and on EU integration were very well attended and resulted in agreements concretizing a joint plan of action for the work of Enlazando Alternativas for the 2007-2008. TNI was represented by Brid Brennan, Cecilia Olivet and Claudia Torrelli.

These Seminars were held as part of the 5 day programme of the People’s Summit for the Integration of the Peoples organised on the occasion of the Presidential Summit of the “South American Community of Nations” (SACN). A unique feature of this was the interface of the Social Movements with the Ministers of the SACN in debating substantive proposals on Latin American integration on issues dealing with: militarisation, trade, justice and impunity, agriculture and land, the coca leaf, environment, infrastructure, finances, water, energy, migration, social rights and indigenous peoples.

All Presidents (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela) participated in the Final Event with a mobilisation of more than 30,000 people.

Summit website: www.integracionsolidaria.org

The Hemispheric Social Alliance (Alianza Social Continental) and the Bolivian Movement for the Sovereignty, Integration and Solidarity of the Peoples (Movimiento Boliviano por la Soberanía e Integración Solidaria de los Pueblos) are organizing the Social Summit for the Integration of the Peoples, which will occur in parallel to the meeting of Presidents of the South American Community of Nations (Comunidad Sudamericana de Naciones), to be held from 6-9 December in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The objectives of the Social Summit for the Integration of the Peoples are to:

• Analyze and reflect* on existing proposals and processes of integration in the American continent (including CAN, MERCOSUR, ALADI, Comunidad Sudamericana de Naciones, ALBA, TCPs) in the context of continental resistance to free trade agreements (FTAs).
• Deepen the process of *constructing alternative proposals* for an integration based on solidarity, justice and complementarity between nations and which serves the necessities and interests of the peoples in all their diversity, including gender.
• Influence the meeting of the Presidents of the Comunidad Sudamericana de Naciones* with concrete proposals around integration in themes such as migration, energy, trade and investments, water, health, employment, biodiversity, agriculture, infrastructure, public investments, security, and others which are on the age

Some photos from the summit: