The first Social Forum on African soil took place in January in Bamako, Mali [Photos | Video]. Around 10,000 activists from Africa and Europe mainly discussed issues of global trade justice, migration and neo-colonialism during the four-day get-together. A large-scale demonstration marked the opening the WSF. The Youth Camp and some media activists participated with a soundsystem bus. Slight troubles were caused by clashes between Moroccan and Western Saharian nationalists at the end of the ceremony [Video].
Before this the stadium witnessed the opening talks of Malian associations, remembering the quest of WSF to tackle the poverty in the world and create solidarity among the people.
"We have to talk about why our young people dreams are all about leaving Africa, why do they want to go to Europe and prefer the risk to die?"
Migration related workshops played a major role in the WSF and several statements were published about the pressing issue.
World Social Forum 2006 opens in Bamako, Mali | World Social Forum 2006: Bamako (Mali) | Caracas (Venezuela) | Karachi (Pakistan)
Un Autre Monde Est Possible
A spontanenus demonstration by the no Vox network against European Immigration policy was blocked from marching to the French embassy.
Media Activists from various countries worked together in the first ever Independent Media Centre in Bamako [Video] during the WSF. The IMC was part of the Youth Camp "Thomas Sankara" at the Multi Sport Statium in Bamako. Reflections and reports from the WSF were collected. A Sheffield activist as much as a variety of French, Canadian, Malian and Togolese activists participated in the reporting from Bamako.
The outcome of this process is the provisional Independent Media Centre Bamako, which works in French language and hopefully more Indymedia activity in Africa in general.
