BACK TO GENERAL PROGRAM
REGISTER
Friday 25 November
Room: Salle Van Sint Jan
14:00 – 15:30
Analyzing the context and clarifying concepts
1. Public services, commons and social innovation - Presentation
Speaker : Francine Mestrum, Global Social Justice
2. Identifying strategies/policies to privatise/marketise/marchandise
Speaker: tbc
3. Free-trade and impact on commons and public services (TISA)
Speaker : Pablo Sanchez, EPSU
4. Access to affordable quality housing and public health services
Presentation
Speaker : Sian Jones, EAPN Policy Coordinator
Debate
15:30 – 16:00: Coffee break
16:00 – 18:00
Discussing concrete experiences (successes, difficulties and obstacles)
1. European Day of action against Health Commercialisation - April 7
Speaker: Yves Hellendorff, CNE (Belgium)
2. Movements in Education Presentation
Speaker : Ana Paula Canotilho (CGTP Portugal) / Marina Boscaino (LIP)
3. The Water Campaign
Speaker: Renato Di Nicola (Forum Acqua, IT)
4. Privatisation in Social services
Speaker: Belén Lendoiro Esmorís, Teniente Alcaldede Carballo (provincia de A Coruña. Galicia)
5. European Action Coalition for the right to housing and to the city
Speaker: Toñi Vazquez, Plataforma Afectados Hipoteca, Spain
Discussion & exchanges
Saturday 26 November
09:30 – 11:30: Finding ways to collaborate/cooperate and to act/to exist together
Imput : main elements of the previous day
Future activities of the participating campaigns/collectives
An initiative from: Alter Summit, Global Social Justice, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Campaign for the Welfare State, Confederacion Intersindical Galega, European Anti-Poverty Network, Tranform! europe
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Background
The financialisation of capitalism is opening new avenues for the commercialisation and privatisation of the commons and public services. Free-trade agreements, austerity and fiscal policies and new public management complete the picture.
The commons and public services are essential in sustaining life in society and for the well-being of all its citizens, making universal access to both fundamental. They are part of a redistribution of wealth in societies currently based on inequality. In doing so, they reflect the social and political balance of power within the society.
Defending public services and commons, is to also defend democratic practices and the participation of the population in defining the path for society. It is therefore important to rethink their utility in responding actual social needs and to see them as a project for the whole of society.
But under which flag could we unify our many struggles for the commons and public services ? Is approaching this question through the commons useful for this task ?
How important is the territorial aspect of the commons and public services ?
Which alternatives do we have to carry/propose ?
Which principles and criteria have to be highlighted?
Starting from concrete experiences of resistance but also from existing/emerging alternatives, we will debate and try to build a common dynamic for reflexion and action.
With/Avec/Mit/Con: Global Social Justice, Confederacion Intersindical Galega, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Campaign for the Welfare State, European Anti-Poverty Network, Tranform
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