WUNRN
It is noteworthy to WUNRN that in this world, there are often
SEPARATE events for Governments, and for Civil Society. This creates a
marginalization, a hierarchy of power. But, the fact that there ARE civil
society events; and examples for women include CSW NGO events, the Civil
Society Mechanism at FAO, the Beijing Conference Civil Society gathering, and
this People’s SAARC Convergence. Many times, the participants in these
“people’s conferences,” parallel to Government Conferences, do not have funding
provided, and struggle to be present, to advocate for their rights. They have a
vision of human dignity, equality, justice. Also a challenge is taking such
“People’s Declarations” as below, and moving them forward with potential
Government engagement, infrastructure, budget, enforcement, sustainability. But
the women’s movement will persevere, as defined women’s advocacy, and
collectively, as our voices, our needs, our issues, our rights, must prevail.
Onward we go!
http://www.peoplesaarc.org/index.php/about-people-s-saarc/introduction
P EOPLE’S SAARC - Civil
society (people's movements and NGOs) have been working together for some time
to forge a people to people forum in the SAARC region and to enable
non-government voices to come together at the regional level.
http://www.arrow.org.my/?p=people%E2%80%99s-saarc-2014-%E2%80%93-declaration
MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS THAT FOCUS ON WOMEN, HUMAN
RIGHTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE
PEOPLE’S SAARC 2014 -
DECLARATION
“People’s Movements Uniting South Asia for Deepening Democracy,
Social Justice & Peace”
22-24 November, Kathmandu, Nepal
We, the participants of People’s SAARC Convergence met in
Kathmandu on 22-24 November 2014 to reaffirm our solemn commitments to justice,
peace, security, human rights, and democracy in the region for equality for all
and to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
We have come together to challenge the systematic and structural
marginalisation and exclusion of people through the dominant neo-liberal
economic model that is at play currently; which has been violently
restructuring the region’s economic policies and cultural life of the people
and undermining and devaluing both the values and institutions of democracy
directly or indirectly.
We have come together to resist this threat to democracy from
chauvinism, sectarianism, and communalism. Increased securitisation and
militarisation of states and society in the name of combating terrorism and
defending national security and increasing arbitrary detention, torture,
custodial rape and extra-judicial killings have reduced space for democratic
dissent and freedoms.
We have come together to respond to new challenges that have
emerged in the form of climate change and environmental degradation which are
of transnational dimensions; extraction of natural resources; food, water and
energy crisis; and resource grab by governments and corporates.
We have come together to fight increasing violence against women
and girls, dalits, tribals, indigenous peoples; all minorities including
religious, sexual, linguistic, cultural and ethnic; persons with disabilities;
migrants and refugees; and socially oppressed groups. These systematic and
structural processes and practices further reinforce and reconstitute the
traditional forms of exploitative and oppressive structures, like patriarchy
and caste, in new forms, in the name of progress, modernisation and reform.
Resistance has to come from civil society and mass upsurge of
people as contemporary experiences from around the world is showing that in
fact it is the people’s movements that can deepen the process of democracy;
contend ideologically, politically and organizationally with all forms of
regressive and chauvinistic regimes, viewpoints and ideologies; and build a
secular framework for peaceful co-existence.
This coming together became visible in Kathmandu with the
convergence of rallies across the city by a host of vibrant social movements,
trade unions, peasants, indigenous peoples, women, feminists, conflict affected
people, tribals and dalits, youths, elderly, academics, people with
disabilities; sexual, religious and ethnic minorities and human rights
activists from across South Asia and beyond with dialogues and deliberations by
over 2500 activists in plenaries and more than 70 thematic sessions.
P-SAARC notes the renewed focus on SAARC by member countries and
believes that ‘Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity’ is possible only
when this cooperation goes beyond the interests of regional elites and
corporates, allows socio-economic empowerment, and enables the people of South
Asia to build their regional identity, just development, and sustainable
livelihoods towards re-shaping the democratic institutions for peace, security,
equality, and prosperity for life with dignity.
P-SAARC welcomes the Government of Nepal’s initiative to form a
Social Committee to give voice to the people of South Asia in the SAARC
process. We hope this pathbreaking precedent becomes a regular mechanism of
SAARC for meaningful engagement with civil society and people’s movements of South
Asia.
Reclaiming the region requires the assertion of people’s movements
with an alternative vision of a progressive regionalism based on peoples’ needs
and aspirations, universal human rights, different degrees of democratization
and development, and allowing the diversity, including natural and
environmental diversity, of the region to flourish. This can be made possible
only if alternative people centred economic cooperation challenges the
neoliberal model.
P-SAARC advocates the people’s aspirations onto the SAARC agenda
through people’s movements and where there is shared interest with a South
Asian State, possibly aligning with it.
We reaffirm ourselves to the alternative vision of political,
social, economic and cultural systems to enable ecological, social and
sustainable development of the region that eliminates all forms of
discriminations based on class, gender, sexuality, disabilities, caste,
ethnicity, religion, language and geography; which leads to a situation free
from exploitation and oppression.
We commit to create a climate in which each individual will have
the opportunity to realize all human rights for all, including collective
rights, and full development of their human potentials; restore the balance and
harmony with nature; eliminate the artificial and human barriers that divide
lands, peoples and minds; and transcend all boundaries.
P-SAARC 2014 demands earnest attention and action
from the states and governments of the South Asian countries gathered here in
Kathmandu for participating in the 18th SAARC Summit to “walk the talk” and
act urgently with clear time bound response to the following:
P-SAARC finally demands implementation of
all charters, declarations and conventions adopted by SAARC in the previous
summits; and as members of the global civilization, all SAARC member states should
immediately ratify and enforce all core international human rights instruments.
On behalf of People’s SAARC 2014,
Sharmila Karki, Convenor, P-SAARC National Organizing
Committee
Dr. Sarbaraj Khadka , Coordinator, Declaration Drafting and
Lobbying Committee
24 November 2014 - Kathmandu