» Alternative Regionalism
During the World Social Forum in Belem, a Workshop on Regionalism was organized, framed in the context of the Global crisis. This Workshop included a substantive update and exchange of experience from regional networks and ended with a call to engage the governments on the issue of regions as a very important arena for addressing the global crisis. In a follow-up meeting, a People’s Agenda for Alternative Regionalisms (PAAR website) was further elaborated, and a proposal was made to hold an International Conference. On July 21-22, 2009 a conference “Regional Integration: A new opportunity to face the crisis”, was held in Asunción, Paraguay, in conjunction with the Mercosur Summit. Representatives of social movements labour and civil society organisations from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe, met to discuss the importance of people-centered regional responses to the current global crisis. They called upon the heads of state of the region to decisively agree and implement new modalities for developmental cooperation that serves the needs of the peoples of the regions (Asuncion Communiqué).