South East Social Forum Alternative Environmental Summit and Demonstration Launched

waterford | anti-capitalism | press release Friday April 16, 2004 15:45 by Roy Hassey - South East Social Forum southeastsocialforum at yahoo dot com 086-3274015

Plans for the SESF Alternative Environmental Summit and Demonstration in May during the EU Environemntal Ministers Meeting in Waterford were launched at a press conference this morning.

PRESS RELASE

SOUTH EAST SOCIAL FORUM TO HOLD ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT AND DEMONSTRATION

The South East Social Forum is to hold an Alternative Environmental Summit and Demonstration on the weekend of May 14th, 15th, 16th. The Alternative Summit and demonstration are being organized to coincide with the meeting of the EU environmental ministers meeting which will occur in Waterford over that weekend.

The Alternative Environmental Summit, under the title of ‘People and Planet Before Profit: Another Europe is Possible’, will be held over three days in four different venues. Topics under discussion at the summit include:

• ‘Global Climate Change, Environmental & Economic Sustainability, Genetically Modified Organisms’
• ‘Yes to Irish Neutrality – No to a Europe of War and Militarization’
• ‘Yes to a Europe of Worker and Social Rights – No to a Europe of Profit and Privatization of Public Services’
• ‘Waste Solutions’
• ‘Our Marine Environment’

The opening meeting of the summit (‘People and Planet Before Profit: Another Europe is Possible) will be held in the Granville Hotel on Friday 14th May at 7.30pm. Speakers at this meeting will include Patricia McKenna MEP (Green Party), Jean Somers (Debt and Development Coalition), Dick Roche (President Waterford Council of Trade Unions), Daithi Doolan (Sinn Fein) and Brid Smith (Dublin Bin Tax Campaign & Socialist Workers Party).

Further meetings will take place on the morning of Saturday 15th in the Forum Theatre and The Showboat, both in The Glen. There will also be meetings on Sunday 16th in the Granville Hotel and the Grand Hotel, Tramore. Representatives of over twenty organisations will be speaking at the summit including: Sustainable Ireland, ATGWU, FEASTA, Irish Anti War Movement, Zero Waste, SIPTU, Coastwatch Europe, Waste Study Group, AFRI, GM Free Ireland, Busworkers’ Action Group, Irish Doctors Environmental Association, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, DAPSE, Stop Esso Ireland, Down to Zero, and Another Europe is Possible.

Speakers will include: Karin Dubsky, Mick O’Reilly, Deirdre de Burca, Richard Boyd Barrett, Dr. Elizabeth Cullen, Mike Jennings, Jack O’Sullivan, Rory Hearne, Michael O’Callaghan, Eoin O’Brion and several more.

There will also be music and entertainment throughout the weekend, the Jenkins Lane market with organic and fair-trade goods, an ENFO and Sustainable Ireland exhibition on sustainability and a workshop and field trip on the marine environment.

The demonstration will assemble in The Glen, Waterford at 2.45pm on Saturday 15th May. All groups and individuals who wish to express discontent at the policies of the government and the EU are invited to participate in the Alternative Summit and the demonstration which will be organized as a family day out with a carnival atmosphere.

The SESF sees this alternative summit as a platform to deliver information to the public, create debate and provide an opportunity for disparate groups and movements to come together to provide alternatives to the current model of development, and to help promote a society where human and environmental rights take precedent over profit and greed.

The South East Social Forum is a plural and diverse organization modeled on the World and European Social Forums. The purpose of the forums is to bring together people who share a common cause to create a more equitable society and a more sustainable, healthier planet. The Social Forum Movement has attracted millions of people worldwide, who wish to create an alternative to a society based on profit, greed, war and commodification. The SESF believes that another world is possible through solidarity and the access of information, which can lead to better policy decisions.

Social Forums are born of grass roots social movements dedicated to ensuring that human rights are promoted, protected, and fulfilled by governments, intergovernmental organisations, companies and other non-state actors. The forums are for anyone who wants to challenge the principles that the market is more important than the people who live on this planet.

Paul Flynn: 086-8581915
Roy Hassey: 086-3274015
www.freewebs.com/sesf/
southeastsocialforum@yahoo.com