We, organizations that participated in the facilitation process of the World Social Forum 2018, held in Salvador from March 13 to 17, have witnessed and participated in the meeting of 80,000 voices from a great diversity of social struggles social around the world to affirm our common ability to confront and change oppressive realities. To resist is to create, to resist is to transform was the call of the WSF 2018.
Brazil, home of the 2018 edition and cradle of the World Social Forum, so deeply connected to the struggles for democracy in the continent, is today experiencing the most serious moment of attacking against democratic yearnings since the coup perpetrated through an unjustified process of impeachment, without crime of responsibility, against the president Dilma Rousseff.
At this moment, after thearrest warrant of former President Lula, in a clear political positioning of the courts, the voices that cry out for democracy are impelled to the most dramatic resistance against the abuse of the institutions that should promote Justice and political punishment of leaderships popular. Media and generals blackmail the High Court to obtain an unconstitutional result, which does not express the conviction of the collegiate, in addition to breaking the scene to spread fears that were only equal in times of recent dictatorship.
The undersigned WSF 2018 facilitating organizations call on all the Brazilian and international organizations participating in the WSF and on all world civil society, their movements and organizations of struggle, to take a clear stand against the coup that they are now seeking to be consummated with the arrest of former President Lula.
This dramatic moment in Brazil demands the union of all those who fight for a more just and democratic world.
We call for international support and solidarity with the political, partisan, union, social, and popular members who are without any affiliation, who stand up in every country, especially in São Bernardo do Campo, in a position of resistance to this deathblow which is being deployed against the Brazilian people.
To resist is to create
To resist is to transform
Brazil, April 5, 2018.
Organizations of the Brazilian Collective and Facilitating Group of WSF 2018:
• Vida Brasil
• Abong
• CUT-Brasil
• CTB
• Unisol
• Filhos do Mundo
• TV Kirimurê
• CONEN
• Rede Ciranda de Comunicação Compartilhada
• Unegro
• UBM
• Rede Mulher e Mídia
• UNE
• CEN
• Cebrapaz
• Cáritas Brasileira
• Clacso
• CONAN
• Conselho de Entidades Sócio Ambientalista da Bahia (COESA)
• Fórum Nacional de Democratização da Comunicação (FNDC)
• Fórum Baiano de Economia Solidária (FBES)
• Fórum Nacional de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional de Povos Tradicionais de Matriz Africana (Fonsanpotma)
• Geledés
• Instituto Paulo Freire /CEAAL
• Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos (MNDH)
• Mulheres Negras da Bahia (representantes do Fórum Nacional e da Articulação de Mulheres Negras da Bahia)
• Instituto Àwúre Incentivo Cultural Afro Brasileiro
• Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço CESE
• Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais
• Conselho Estadual de Cultura da Bahia
IC Members:
• Damien Hazard, Mauri Cruz - Associação Brasileira de Ongs - Abong
• Maria Liège Rocha - Federação Democrática Internacional de Mulheres - Fdim
• Rogério Pantoja, Leonardo Vieira - Central Única dos Trabalhadores - Brasil
• Salete Valesan - Clacso
• Nilza Iraci - Geledes
• Sheila Ceccon - Instituto Paulo Freire - IPF
• Rita Freire – Rede Ciranda de Comunicação Compartilhada
• Francine Mestrum - Global Social Justice
• Ahmad Jaradat - Alternative Internation Center Palestine - AIC Palestine
• Hermann Dworczak - international network against rightwing populism and rightwing extremism "Prague Spring 2"
• Virginia Vargas Valente - Articulación Feminista Marcosur - AFM
• Hamouda Sobhi - Forum des alternatives Maroc - FMAS
• Reseau Marocain Euromed des ONGs
