The Need of a global action for the rights of migrants ...

During the World Social Forum on Migrations in Quito, Ecuador, a seminar discussed the need to come up with a global action for the rights of migrants, refugees and displaced people. Likewise they discussed the most appropriate date for this event and concluded that this was December 18, the date when the United Nations adopted the "Convention for the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families". This date already has an international character but we now must retake it from the grassroots up and transform it into a day of struggle.

Here we include the text approved by acclamation at the final assembly in the Forum. This document also includes the list of the first group of endorsers.

Statement approved by the social movements assembly in Quito, 2010

A single struggle that reclaims our right to migrate and also not to migrate, the right to stay and not to be displaced forcefully. A single struggle that would allow us to get to know each other and recognize we are one. A right to assume a shared identity among those of us who come from a tradition of solidarity that accept different cultures and different beings. A right to send a joint message to all government and international institutions, but also a message to a civil society that mistrusts us because we are migrants, refugees or displaced people; mistrust that many time is transformed in racism and xenophobia.

This is why we propose that the IV World Social Forum on Migrations launch and encourage a social mobilization and strike on December 18, 2011, which marks the anniversary of the day when the United Nations passed the Convention for the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Family. Likewise we propose that this action be also endorsed by the World Social Forum that will take place in Dakar in 2011.

This mobilization and strike will take different forms, because our methods of struggle and our demands have specificities that are different from place to place, according to the places where we live and struggle. Nonetheless it is imperative that we become a single global movement.

We know this action requires an enormous effort. This is why we call on not only anti-racist and migrant organizations, but all social movements, all labor unions, all organizations of civil society, religious and non-religious to join the struggle. Because this much we know: unity is a fundamental factor to achieve our objectives.

We believe that today more than ever it is necessary to unite our struggles, to share tactics and strategies, and become a global movement that will not stop until we achieve each one of our demands.

We propose that the actions of December 18, 2010 and May 1, 2011 are transformed into a preamble in preparation for the great strike and mobilization of December 18, 2011. In the same spirit, we propose that we all convene again at the next World Social Forum in Dakar.

Quito, October 11, 2010


First Group of Endorsers:

• Hamdauchi Abdul - As. Parteras de la Vida (Marruecos)
  
• Ousmane Diarra - AME (Mali)
  
• Nonoi Hacbang - Trasnational Migrant Platform EWG-PGA (Holanda) - nonoiwoih (at) gmail.com
  
• Xavier Jeyaraj - Jesuits in social Action (India)
  
• Hicham Baraka - ABCDS (Marocco)
  
• ARCI (Italia) - Contact: Edda Pando
  
• Vladimir Paspuel - Asociacion Ruminahui Hispano Ecuatoriana (Espana)
  
• Manuel Hidalgo - Asociacion de inmigrantes por la integracion latinoamericana y del Caribe (Chile)
  
• Red Chabakka (Marocco)
  
• Maria Rodriguez - Coalicion de inmigrantes de la Florida (EEUU)
  
• Ruben Solis Garcia - Alianza Popular por Justicia Global - Asamblea de movimientos sociales - Union de trabajadores del suroeste (EEUU)
  
• Oscar Chacon - Nalacc (EEUU)
  
• Amarela Varela - Tribunal de los pueblos en movimiento (Mexico)
  
• Elvira Arellano - Tribunal de los pueblos en movimiento (Mexico)
  
• Jose Antonio Foronda - Tribunal de los pueblos en movimiento (Mexico)
  
• Lina Cahuasqui - Miredes Internacional
  
• Camilo Perez Bustillo - Miredes Internacional
  
• Edwin Sanchez - Tribunal de los pueblos en movimiento (Ecuador)
  
• Gladys Gould - TIGRA (EEUU)
  
• Nitra Segui - FIDMI-Nalacc (EEUU)
  
• Gustavo Vera - La Alameda (Argentina)
  
• Maria Rosa Marquez - Gob. Distrito Federal (Mexico)
  
• Guadalupe Chipole Ibanez - Directora de atencion a Migrantes y sus familias (Mexico)
  
• Asociacion de Familiares de Migrantes Ruminahui "9 de enero" - Ecuador
  
• Victor Saez Presidente Federacion Estatal de asociaciones de inmigrantes y refugiados en España
  
• Marika Siroti - December 18 - december18.net
  
• Ana Silvia Monzoni Mujeres Abriendo Caminos - Guatemala
  
• Oscar Vargas, Ronal Vargas, Guillermo Osorio, ONG Teletule, cultura de paz para el desarrollo - Casanare Colombia
  
• Florencia Mazzadi Clinica de migraciones CELS-UBA
  
• Eleuterio Martinez Sanchez Asociacion de Migrantes Ernesto Che Guevara (Cuenca-Espana)
  
• Elisabel Enriquez Mesa Nacional para las Migraciones en Guatemala Menamig
  
• Edoardo Bazzaco Idheas A.C. (Mexico)
  
• Comite Permanente por la defensa de los DD.HH. Valle del Conca
  
• Soleterre Onlus (Italia) Valentina Valfre
  
• Comunidad Salvadorena en Milan - Italia Conchi Castillo
  
• Marco Mejia - Movimiento nuevo santuario de EE.UU.
  
• Comite de peruanos en el exterior franciscolmoralesa (at) yahoo.es
  
• Ana Belen Barrios Enlace, comunicacion y capacitacion Chiapas - Mexico
  
• Mesa de coordinacion, transfronteriza, migraciones y genero
  
• Flor Maria Haro Cardenas Centro Familiar de ayuda al migrante "Cefamm" Ecuador
  
• Carmen Blanco Valer Solidaridad Suecia America Latina
  
• Boston May Day Committe, Massachusetts, EE.UU. Contact: Sergio Reyes
  
• International Commission on Eritrean Refugees (ICER)Washington, DC

Source :: globalmigrantsaction.org