Concept Notes

Strengthening South Asian People's Solidarity for Democracy, Justice and Peace

PEOPLE'S SAARC - 2007

South Asia People's Assembly

March 23rd to 25th 2007, Kathmandu, Nepal

We, the people of South Asia share not only a contiguous geographical space but also social and cultural history which shape life styles, belief systems, cultural particularities, material practices and social relationships. Our natural environments are related, interdependent, form elements of a common eco-system. There is a similarity in our material life practices. There have been similarities in our histories due to interactions, which go back thousands of years. Our belief systems and cultural practices have been influenced by each other and exhibit some distinct similarities.

But we also recognise the reality that the ruling sections within these countries has kept the people apart from each other with the creation of walls of suspicion, hostility, intolerance, dis and mis-information and non-interaction amongst the people, in order to maintain their control over these societies. It thus leads to the creation of a spurious consent to the rule of the ruling class and one of the mechanisms by which a fraudulent legitimisation is secured for the system of oppression and exploitation. It also creates ideal conditions for paranoia, a war hysteria, armamentisation, militarization, proliferation of nuclear weapons and dominance of the armed security forces along with an ultra - nationalist ideology, which self-righteously curbs democratic debate and dissent on many vital issues.

To overcome the traditional geopolitical hostilities, rivalries, conflicts and to create culture of friendship, mutual trusts and confidence and economic cooperation between the countries of the region, South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) was established. The main objectives of this regional formation were "to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life, to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potentials".

The formation of SAARC was welcomed by the people across the region as it aroused the hopes and aspirations among the people for a better South Asia and hoped that it would enhance people-to-people linkages, free flow of people across the borders of the region and mutual cooperation among people to build a strong, vibrant socio-political region and create a new era of prosperity of a qualitatively more humane egalitarian, secular, democratic, ecologically balanced, socially just and sustainable kind, than anything known in the past.
Present Predicament

However, contrary to expectations, the official SAARC failed to fulfil the promised goals of a better South Asia. On the other hand economic policies pursued by ruling classes and parties of the region created a condition of exclusion and marginalisation, denial of rights, justice and democratic freedom.

As a result, South Asia and its people stand at a very testing and critical crossroad in the history of the region. The logic and thrust of the policies and programmes leads to the surrender of sovereignty of the people including economic, social and cultural rights.
The present crisis calls for new response. The globalisation of South Asia and its people buttressed by the Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) spells doom on the economic front, presents a threat to democracy and unleashes the demon of communalism and fundamentalism; increases disparity and discrimination, erodes livelihood opportunities, withdraws existing services and facilities, increasing militarization and the militarization of the mind, growing gender violence, brings forth social and cultural deprivation. This process further reinforces and reconstitutes the older forms of exploitative and oppressive structures in newer forms. All this is of course in the name of progress, modernisation and reform.

The idea of People's SAARC was floated a decade ago. SAAPE and other like minded organisations debated and deliberated on this idea in several fora and elaborated on the nature, role and objectives of People's SAARC.

People's Solidarity in South Asia must legitimately cherish the vision and perspective of a alternative political, social, economic and cultural system in the region which will do away with all distinctions and discriminations of gender, caste, religion, language and ethnicity; will lead to a situation free from exploitation and oppression, will inaugurate a climate in which each individual will have the opportunity, in concern with the collectivity, to realise the full development of her or his human potential; will restore the balance and harmony with nature, will liquidate the artificial and inhuman barriers that divide lands, collectivities and minds and transcend all boundaries. Such a South Asia must be the goal of the people of this region and of their solidarity.

As a process, we feel that the people of South Asia should come together to face the challenge of combating marginalisation of the vulnerable groups, degradation of environment, communal divide and fragmentation through wider sharing of ideas and experiences and forging solidarity alliance across the borders. The pertinent issues that may constitute an action strategy are:

The People's SAARC is a focal point and platform for sharing, forging and strengthening solidarity linkages along like-minded action groups, resources agencies, progressive individuals, among other with the common aim of promoting movement for democracy, justice and build peoples resistance against the forces of globalisation across nations. This alliance should be based on people-to-people contacts rooted in a culture of friendship, ethical and moral values shared by the common people; partnership and common bond that transcend borders and sectoral and organisational concerns. This calls for an attitude to learn from each others struggles and strengthen the relationships and alliances already underway in our own societies. We are challenged to be open to other cultures and experiences in our efforts to link not just ideas but persons; to support and contribute rather than merely expect support; to give meaning to language and communication between peoples; and to be open to initiatives coming from all levels. To realise this goal, it is significant to hold a People's SAARC during the next official SAARC meet in Kathmandu and India in early April 2007.

The idea of formation the People's SAARC platform though not owned by any particular organisation or individual will be facilitated by a larger collective people committed to justice, peace and democracy based on a common minimum principle with a shared perspective and understanding. Some of those who shared this concern met at Nairobi during the WSF. The meeting was attended by representatives from different social movements, mass organisations from South Asia and they decided to organise a People's SAARC Assembly at Kathmandu and related events in Delhi.

The idea of having two events, one in Kathmandu and second in Delhi complementing each other, was to create space for a larger participation of people through both the events. The rational for choosing to organise people's assembly in Kathmandu prior to Delhi was largely due to the region's political context and the specific political context in Nepal. The first reason for choosing Kathmandu was to express solidarity and celebrate success of the pro-democracy movement, with the people of Nepal and further strengthen and to defend the gains of the pro-democracy movement. And to send out a loud message from the 'Himalayan Mountains' that people are the sovereign and together face the challenges of combating marginalisation of the vulnerable groups, degradation of environment, communal divide and fragmentation through wider sharing of ideas and experiences and forging solidarity alliance across the borders. And assert and demonstrate that there are alternative to economic globalisation, and the alternative vision rest upon collective sense and collective endeavour. This requires the vision for the future along with community engagement, patience and struggles. It was also realised that a large people mobilisation could be possible in Kathmandu to raise the voices of people. Due to the visa regime existing in the region it is difficult for a large mobilisation of people across the region in India, whereas the free boarder policy of Nepal provides better opportunity for such large participation of people from different countries of the region at Kathmandu.

Based on the above decision a preparatory planning meeting on People's SAARC was organised in Kathmandu on 19 February 2007. Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka representing civil society federations, alliances, networks including peasants' association, youths and students organisations, trade unions, cultural groups, religious council, Dalits, indigenous nationalities and disabled federations, women associations, natural resources users' groups, professional organisations, parliamentarians, media professionals, teachers and some other regional organisations and alliances such as SAAPE, SAFMA, SAPC, SAP - International, SANFEC, Imagine South Asia participated in the meeting that endorsed to host People's SAARC in Kathmandu. The meeting further discussed the issues common to the region and preparatory process of the people's SAARC. The participants shared at the meeting that various country processes going around the SAARC Summit, which would culminate in People's SAARC Assembly in Kathmandu, and in New Delhi.

The overarching theme will be around Exclusion, Denial of Human rights and the curtailing of democratic constitutional and of judicial processes.
The last two decades of this century have witnessed an unprecedented neo-liberal growth model which is severely and even violently restructuring the region's economic policies and cultural life of the people. Inequality and exclusion, not merely a distortion of the system, is the logic of the new paradigm and it is necessary for the growth and permanence of the system. The growing economic power of TNCs and MNCs and the role of international financial institutions, the unequal trade relations under the WTO regime have resulted in severe erosion of our national sovereignty, destruction of natural resources, agriculture and means of livelihood.

Such a sweeping economic programme is not without its political implications. The total "free market" with its self-regulatory virtue being the heart of the neo liberal ideology seeks to transform the nature of the state itself as that of market democracy in which the legitimacy of the government is subordinated to the sovereignty of the market. The state is thus made to surrender most of its functions to the market forces and is becoming increasingly a mechanism to maintain law and order by strengthening its repressive apparatuses. Secondly, it seeks to curtail and devalue democracy directly or indirectly. Besides, more and more decisions affecting the everyday life of the people are surrendered to the dictates of TNCs and global financial institutions to which there is no democratic access and from where there is no accountability. The citizens find themselves not only more and more politically alienated but the inversion of personal consciousness of being a citizen into an individualistic consumer without any social goals and ideals. Thirdly, the state as space for peaceful resolution of various forms of social conflict remains fragile as political institutions have been robbed of their relevance and there is the danger of the whole normative framework of democracy being undermined.

Ironically, while the state abdicates its social responsibility it equips itself with draconian powers of control, which aims to curtail people's movements and legitimate forms of organisation and protest.

Our system has constructed political, constitutional, administrative and developmental mechanisms in a manner which denies the masses any easy and rightful access to the instruments necessary or for realizing these rights. The parliamentary, democratic processes in one way provided space for legitimate social action but on the other hand the system exploits each and every situation of crisis to take away these democratic rights of the masses and to impose draconian laws and rules that in reality spell a flagrant violation of the spirit if not the letter of its own Constitution and the commitment to uphold the principles of human rights. These laws empower the security forces to arrest citizens without warrant and to detain them without trial for long periods. Torture, custodial rape and extra-judicial killings have become common occurrences.

A brief inaugural session (1.30-2 hours) will be organised in the first day of the program. The program will be inaugurated with people's song followed by a short presentation on the objectives and scope of the People's SAARC will be made.

Upon completion of the inaugural session, keynotes on the theme of growth and exclusion will be presented in the plenary that will provide a framework for group discussion.

Then the delegates will be divided in to groups based on their interests/constitution and go for group discussions. Although six groups based on the priority identified will be formed, the number of groups for discussion depends on the interests of people.

The interests groups will be assembled again into plenary to bring the issues coming from the discussions.

In addition to interest groups, regional forums can be organised to form alliances at regional level. Some expected regional forums are as follows:

The second day will also begin with the song. Then Resource persons will present keynotes on constitutional processes and democracy. Then the delegates will go for thematic sessions/interest groups and again converge in plenary.
Regional forums will continue their activities in the second day as well.

The delegates from South Asian countries appear to be interested to understand the peace process of Nepal. A special session on the process that how violent armed conflict has been transformed to a peaceful pluralistic political governance (though the peace is yet to be institutionalized). A sharing session will be organized with those who involved in the peace negotiation process (members of government, Maoists and civil society who involved in the peace process). Most of the participants for this session will be the international delegates.

Kathmandu declaration on people's SAARC will be made on the third day of the programme. The declaration will be made in the open space in the middle of the city followed by submission of people's charters to SAARC secretariat. Hundreds of thousand people will attend the session. Leaders of major political parties will be invited to address the mass meeting that includes whole South Asia region. Prominent civil society leaders including the youth leaders will also address the meeting. All the speakers will be well sensitized to capture the spirit of People's SAARC in their deliberation. A good diversity of speakers in terms of political ideology, gender, ethnicity, civil society and political parties and social movements will be ensured in the closing session.

The 3 day People's Assembly will also bring together cultural activists to give expression to Justice, Peace and Democracy from divers cultural traditions. The dances of the tribals, harvest songs of the peasants, folklore of the marginalized communities and many other art forms will find equal space for creative cross fertilization. Shared cultural expressions and recovery of their protest and resistance character, inherent in these cultural traditions, are vehicles for re-articulation, and re-invigouration of the human spirit to face the contemporary challenges. It also seek to create cultural solidarity among the participants to influence and change the character of public discourse in civil society and the creation of counter cultural praxis to "unsettled the existing equilibrium" to create condition of life free of domination and injustice.

Thousands of people (more than 50 thousands) will be mobilised during the three days period of the program in Nepal. Hundred of thousands people will join the public rally in the third day of the program.

More than 100 prominent personalities (representatives of social movements, trade union, peasant organization, dalit, youth, women movement etc) will participate in the program from other South Asian Countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka). Tentatively 600 people will be involved in discussing on the thematic issues. The participants in the discussion program will be inclusive and representative.

The meeting constituted a People's SAARC regional coordination committee to effectively manage and facilitate the processes. The Committee will form other subcommittees necessarily such as mobilization committee, management committee, fundraising committee, media mobilization committee to facilitate the process. The regional coordination committee comprises the following members:

A number of civil society organizations (see the list) will take lead role in facilitating the People's SAARC in Kathmandu. A coordination committee comprising of all representatives from member networks has been formed. A secretariat has been set up to facilitate the organizing process of the program. All communications related to the event will be done through this secretariat both at national and regional levels.