The Alter Summit organising committee invites all European movements and organizations to the Summit in Athens.
The Alter Summit process was launched during the gathering of social movements in Florence last November, on the basis of a Call signed by a large number of organizations and personalities, and then joined by other calls. This initiative aims at building the convergence of trade unions and social movements and proposing common proposals and initiatives.
This event will be organized with the Greek social movement with the support of civil society organizations, trade unions, NGOs, political and cultural personalities from all around Europe.
The Alter Summit in Athens will be a step forward in the building of more convergence between movements opposed to the current anti-social and anti-ecological policies promoted by European governments and institutions.
It will be a highly symbolic gathering, since Greece has been the laboratory of the destructive austerity and so-called competitiveness policies, but can also become the laboratory of the resistance against austerity.
It will be the occasion to stress that the struggle of the Greek social movements is a European one, and show the solidarity of European organizations and movements towards the Greek struggles.
It will be also the occasion to present the Alter Summit manifesto, voicing the alternative proposals of the social movement against the crisis, and also to celebrate the struggles of the last year, and to propose a common agenda of action. A number of high level representatives of struggles, trade unions, political or social movements will come and show their support and commitment for a truly democratic Europe.
But this Summit of the peoples and its Manifesto will only have sense if they take root in national, sectorial and concrete struggles, and if a large variety of organizations and movements take part in the Alter Summit.
Let’s build the movement together!
Organizations and movements are most welcome to take part in the process, provided they agree on the Alter Summit Call which recalls its approach and stress its identity, and on our common functioning rules.
All Alter Summit members can participate to the discussion process on the Manifesto currently taking place to improve our concrete demands, and broadly share them by European organizations and movements. A long process of strategic thinking has already led to a first draft of Manifesto, based on the shared will to have a short list of concrete, political and urgent demands.
The next plenary assembly of the Alter Summit will take place in Brussels on 15 March after the actions planned against the EU spring summit. Until 24 February, organizations and movements supporting the process can send amendments on the current version of the Manifesto, which will be discussed by the assembly. A second round of discussion on the Manifesto will take place after 15 March.
The more organizations participate, the stronger the process will be. Becoming a member is only a political choice; no financial contribution is compulsory. Organizations can also, at first, become an observer. So do not hesitate to join in! If interested, you can send us a message for more information: contact@altersummit.eu
(*) Alter Summit: building a unitarian movement for a social, feminist, ecologist and democratic Europe.