Making the Marginalised Matter at the Bamako Polycentric World Social Forum

After an uplifting opening march of the Bamako Polycentric Forum, where traditional African costumes and camels mingled with European participants, it was time for the real work to begin. CGP Tanzania organised a workshop under the title Making the Marginalised Matter, which was well attended by participants from various African countries. They showed great interest in CGP's work generally, and in that of CGP Tanzania in particular. 

Participants marching in the streets of Bamako. (Photo: Tuomas Ylä-Anttila)The session was co-chaired by Marie Shaba of CGP Tanzania and Sari Varpama of CGP Finland. Marie Shaba invited the participants to give their input into the follow-up Conference of the Helsinki Process in Dar es Salaam in September 2007, where CGP Tanzania intends to take centre stage encouraged by the experience of the Helsinki Conference in 2005. We are going to bring forth the concerns of civil society in Tanzania, and Africa at large, said Shaba. We are not going to be on the margins at this international Conference. CGP Tanzania is in a good position to do just this: the former Helsinki Process Co-Chair Minister Kikwete is now the newly elected President of Tanzania; the new Foreign Minister, Asharose Migiro, was the governmental representative of Tanzania at CGP's seminar at last year's WSF in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

While Sari Varpama told about CGP's work generally, Fr. Privatus Karugendo explained the regional work of CGP Tanzania at grassroots level, which has been actively carried out over the past year under the slogan Taking CGP to the People. The participants were keen to learn more about the way CGP has engaged with marginalised groups. The seminar delightfully showed that there is further demand for the approach that CGP has taken. Next week, CGP Brazil is organising an event at the Caracas Polycentric World Social Forum in Venezuela. Kansalaisten maailmannäyttämö (Suomi)

Sari Varpama

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