People’s Summit: A fiesta of thinking and art

The debates will question the current neoliberal model and its proposals of asymmetric integration. It will also challenge the poverty, discrimination, environmental contamination, and repression of social movements that this model generates. It will look to build alternatives for integration based on social justice and respect for human rights.

The People’s Summit Linking Alternatives 3 will be a festival of thinking and art. It will not only provide a forum for debates and interchange of experiences and knowledge amongst social movements and progressive politicians within Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean, but also be a space for spiritual and cultural interchange rooted in the cultural diversity of both regions.

The inaugural act of the People’s Summit will take place on Tuesday at 11am in the University Auditorium, with the meeting of more than 2000 delegates from Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean, representatives of left political parties, trade unions, campesino and student groups, women’s organisations, indigenous peoples, young people, NGOs and research institutes.

The different areas of the university will host hundreds of events, workshops and meetings focused around six themes: Neoliberalism in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean; integration and trade agreements; extractive industries, climate change and their impact on natural resources and public services; campesinos and indigenous peoples, natural resources, agrofuels, food sovereignty, economic, social and cultural rights; labour and trade union rights, housing and migration; social movements and human rights.

The activities related to the People’s Summit begin on Saturday 10 May with the Youth Gathering. The following forums will also meet: the Forum for Alternative Media and Radio, the meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum which brings together diverse left parties in Latin America, the Continental Indigenous Forum, the Euro-Latin America Political Seminar, the Seminar of the National Platform for Women, the Continental Labour Forum and the Permanent People’s Tribunal. The conclusions made at each of these forums will be communicated to the Presidents participating in the Fifth Summit of Presidents and Heads of State of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean on 15 May.

The People’s Summit will also include various artistic events including photographic and art exhibitions, cinema, theatre and music. At the end of each day, there will be concerts in which people can dance salsa, reggaeton and folk music. During the day, there will be an crafts fair, joined by well known artisans, as well as book sales. The summit will end with the pronouncement of the Final Declaration. The closing event is planned for 16 May with a mass event, to which the Presidents Raul Castro of Cuba, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador have been invited. Entry to all events is free via registering on the web: www.enlazandoalternativas.org