The Social Charter of America

With the purpose of structuring a legal instrument for America that can coordinate efforts in our societies, in pursuit of establishing a scenario of justice and participation for the rights that for generations have been relegated to exclusive, and excluding, sectors, the Latin American Parliament, the Presidency, the social and economic cabinets, the Foreign Affairs ministry, and the ministry of Defense have promoted a series of meetings to be held in Maracaibo, Valencia, and Puerto Ordaz until October ninth.

The goals of these meetings are to promote the discussion of the Fundamental Social Rights Charter for Latin America and the Caribbean by the OAS, to diffuse the contents of the Charter project; to debate them thoroughly with the organizations of our society, the states and the parliaments, and to consolidate both the levels of political conscience among social organizations and their capacity to participate in regional and international affairs.

These debates should provide ample space for nationwide participation; where private and public institutions can share the common aspirations, hopes, ideals, and dreams of the social organizations, networks and movements, labor and business unions, and peasant and Indigenous movements, in order to achieve structural changes of a high social, economic and cultural significance.

This new endeavor to achieve genuine integration of our peoples shall be sufficiently expressed in a real Fundamental Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights Charter for America, drawn out of discussion, debate, and consensus among all the sectors of our continent.

It is relevant to recall that the Latin American Parliament has approved in the three Social Debt Summits a Charter set forth before the OAS. Likewise, Venezuela presented a similar project, in hopes that it will be extended and enhanced with the contributions in this meeting.

These meetings are intended for decision makers and influential groups in the OAS, social movements and organizations from all over the continent and above all, for the general public. Four meetings will be held throughout the different regions of the country (Central-Northeastern, Southern and the LLanos, and Northwestern), and an international meeting to be held in Caracas. Their purpose is to gather and exchange opinions and suggestions in order to arouse collective interest in the Charter.

Ministers from the social cabinet, regional and Latin American Parliament representatives will attend the meetings. The participants in each of the events, will be organized in six workgroups; including organizations, networks, and social movements from the regions, that will comment and discuss the specific articles that will integrate the Charter: two stipulating Social Rights, and one stipulating Economic Rights, Community Rights, Cultural Rights, and the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples.

The agreements reached in these regional meetings will be presented in November, in a main international event, with the participation of representatives of the most important social movements and organizations in America, in order to exchange views on the Charter and to promote its diffusion and approval.

Quantum will participate in these encounters, and will also cooperate directly in the organization of the workgroups.

Published in Quantum No 32