A new debt crisis is affecting a series of countries in the South, whether in South Asia (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.), sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Zambia, etc.), North Africa (Tunisia, Egypt, etc.), the Middle East (Lebanon, etc.), Latin America (Argentina) or the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc.). Some of these countries have defaulted on their debts.

The crisis is caused by a succession of external shocks that are severely affecting the economies of the South. These external shocks are the result of actions and events originating in the Northern imperialist countries (rise in interest rates decided by the Central banks of North America and Western Europe; increase in the price of food, fuel and fertiliser following the invasion of Ukraine, etc.). The policies of the IMF have not changed, nor have those of the World Bank. And as many countries in the South have just taken up IMF loans, they are having to apply anti-grassroots neoliberal policies to an even greater extent.

Speakers:

Sushovan Dhar, CADTM India, member of the WSF international secretariat and of Asia Pacific Social Forum

Eric Toussaint, CADTM international spokesperson, member of the Scientific Council of ATTAC France, member of the WSF International Council since its foundation in 2001

Balasingham Skanthakumar of the Social Scientists’ Association of Sri Lanka and the CADTM’s South Asia network 

Amali Wedagedara, activist and researcher specializing in agrarian debt and development, Sri Lanka

Abdul Khaliq, Focal Person CADTM-Pakistan and Executive Director, Institute for Social & Economic Justice, Pakistan

David Otieno, Kenyan Peasant League, CADTM Eastern Africa, Kenya

Solange Kone, World March of Women, CADTM Western Africa, Ivory Coast

Civil Society Facing the Announced Disaster

In the face of this announced disaster, activists, whistleblowers, as well as scientists, are increasing pressure on states and companies, including through civil disobedience actions, marches, and climate lawsuits. Citizens, supported by associations, take legal action against states, multinationals, especially oil companies, to alert the public about the climate crisis. This mobilization risks exacerbating the grim series of assassinations (227 in 2020 and 212 in 2021, with Latin America leading) and bans on climate marches and dissolutions of NGOs. In Dubai, in the space managed by the UN, protesters in solidarity with the besieged and massacred Palestinians by the Israeli army use a watermelon as a Palestinian flag to circumvent the prohibition of waving Palestinian flags or chanting certain slogans. This is not to mention the difficulties of access to COPs, not only for visa reasons but indeed due to restrictions on freedoms (Bonn, Glasgow, Charm el Sheikh, and Dubai).

In the framework of the upcoming World Social Forum, the Maghreb Social Forum plans to organize, among other activities, an event on climate justice with networks and organizations that wish to participate. This event aims not only to assess COP28 held in Dubai but also, and above all, to identify collective resistance paths to the announced disaster and injustice in addressing the climate crisis on a national, regional, and international level. Additionally, the event aims to formulate proposals that can contribute to exerting pressure on predatory polluters and climate-skeptical governments to prevent "climate collapse," as expressed by the UN Secretary-General.

We propose two sessions of two hours each, focusing on two issues that have sparked heated debates at each COP:

1. Extractivism and the abandonment of fossil fuels

2. Climate debt and the promotion of investments respectful of human rights and the environment. The decision to establish the "loss and damage" fund to assist developing countries, the main victims of the disastrous consequences of climate change, appears to be an attempt to thwart debates on climate debt and debt in general, and on the right to reparations for colonized peoples.

Objectives

1. Establish a globalized resistance dynamic to the destruction of the planet within the WSF.

2. Assess these inconsistent gatherings that resemble more greenwashing speeches.

3. Evaluate public policies on climate justice and movements and new forms of resistance for climate justice.

a. Climate debt, which sparked extensive debates and conflicts during COP 27.

b. Possible alternatives to fossil fuels.

c. Water as a crucial element in sustainable development, peace, food security, and social justice in the face of extreme weather events exacerbated by human-induced climate change.

d. The role of social movements, their involvement in monitoring and evaluating public policies.

e. Recommendations from social movements on climate justice and respect for human rights.

1. Each session will last 1 hour and 30 minutes.

2. A moment will be dedicated to solidarity with Palestine.

3. It combines expert presentations and testimonials of struggles and resistance.

4. Presentations and debates, unless opposed, will be broadcast online.