Perspectives for WWAF

Paris, February the 3rd.
Perspectives beyond 2012 WWAF* - Creation of a new World Political Space
10 years ago, the first World social forum, organized in Porto Alegre, gathered those whom the official
government did not wish to listen to. This first WSF gave the floor to people from all the continents,
carriers of numerous causes and opponents of the established system. For 10 years, this protest has not
weakened. And it is growing louder.
Recently in Ben S’mim in Morocco, or ten years ago to Cochabamba in Bolivia, citizens claimed their
right for an alternative management of water. They opposed mainstream ideas.
This expected and desired change is thus neither a delusion nor a dream. It is everyday becoming more
real and just under our eyes, at various levels and on territories of various shapes.
We believe that the next stage to keep moving, to win in visibility, to amplify the movement, is to give
this change a political and operational reality through the creation of a new world political space.
In Copenhagen, Cancun, world decision-makers have proved their sluggishness. They did not show
themselves capable of making the necessary decisions that allow changing the system. And, we cannot
waste more time waiting for them.
Another world is possible and nothing should stop it from existing now.
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We want today to dispute the powerful the right to arbitrate debates which they so far established
on access to water and on fundamental rights issues. At the World Water Forum or others
international meetings, the invited institutions do not represent any more the concerned peoples,
but only a grasping economic minority, from which they defend the interests.
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Time has come to go beyond "traditional borders ", those of historically defined & economically
powerful states who favor the decision-makers. For example, in Himalaya, in Africa, in Central Asia,
another world political space -going beyond the particular interests of national territories- could
provide people concerned by the water management issue the opportunity of being represented
internationally.
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It is possible today to establish a new balance of power and to impose new rules and interlocutors
for decision-making by the creation of a democratic world space, decentralized, made of countries,
regions, basins but also together with natives or nomads territories and culture. This political space
will be the common place to define our common objectives: guaranteeing access to water is
naturally one of them, other fundamental rights could also be defended there (health, education…).
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This world political space would help bringing out of isolation these territories and the fights of
these peoples and also facilitate their discussions. It would make sure the world acknowledge their
legitimacy and give their voices the power they need to convince.
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Including all typical areas of this planet, representing men and women of all the world, of all
societies and cultures; including the most singular or not represented territories (water-bearing
basin, Diasporas, etc.), this world political space would bring about this other possible world we all
desire. In a way it already exists, through the action of hundreds of organizations, hundreds of
thousand citizens who defend the access to water and to fundamental rights.
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This project of world political space was presented in Cochabamba in March, 2010. It is part a wider
proposition which aims at the recognition of 5 new right types: rights of nature, the freedom of
movement and of settlement, new spaces of democracy, food sovereignty, and access to
fundamental rights.
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Stéphane Hessel, Danielle Mitterrand, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Aminata Traoré and Taslima Nasreen
already support this project.
Is it a Utopia to imagine building a substitute to the current international organizations?
Of course not! Across the Atlantic, the Ecuador has, two years ago, recognized in its constitution new
rights. Some weeks ago, the same state decided to support an equivalent proposition, which would
bring about the creation of a universal citizenship (granting freedom of movement and settling of the
human beings)
What could be the first stage of this world political space?
The acknowledgment of fundamental principles concerning access to water, its management and the
protection of springs. States, territories, peoples, citizens and movements that acknowledge it would
become the first members of this world political space.
WWAF (World Water Alternative Forum) and all its partners could lead to the creation of this world
political space for they are the actors of this struggle, they identified the principles guaranteeing access
to the water, they are citizens of the world and probably the best ambassadors of the call for going
beyond the current system.
For the Utopia movement, Cyrille Cormier, Edith Felix and Mélanie Le Torrec.
* World Water Alternative Forum