We celebrate the seventh World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi and the lessons it has offered to the world. The visibilization, strengthening and articulation of struggles and resistances, the politicization by African organizations of crucial themes in the construction of the WSF, as well as the different forms of struggle in situations of profound exclusion that the African continent has shown us, are part of these lessons. However, we want to express our rejection of the fundamentalist tendencies that have been present in this edition of the Forum, and that have violated both the letter and the spirit of the WSF Charter of Principles.

During the whole Forum, different organizations have been present that deny the sexual and reproductive rights of men and women, of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgender and heterosexuals around the world. These positions are not new to the Forum, but have been particularly present in this year’s edition. They reached their clearest expressions during the last days of the Forum, with a march against abortion inside the WSF site, and the unacceptable treatment that fell upon a LGTB activist in the public closing ceremony.

Through this letter we embrace the struggles of our brothers and sisters for sexual and reproductive rights all around the world; they are part of our own struggles. Therefore, evoking diversity, we affirm that these struggles are a fundamental part of the construction of other worlds based on solidarity and justice.

We salute the organizations that struggle with so much dignity in name of sexual diversity in Kenya and other African countries. In spite of the difficult conditions and hostility they have faced in the organization process, these organizations have successfully gained visibility inside the Forum. The demands for sexual diversity and emancipation are not a “European” or “middle-class” issue, as has been suggested in some of the debates on the presence of LGTB activism in the WSF. They are part of the same struggle in which the right to land and the right to express one’s sexuality both contribute to the construction of radically democratic futures.

Simultaneously, we declare our solidarity with the African organizations that struggle for the rights and liberation of women in the continent. Even though fundamentalist sexual morality and structural gender violence continuously make their lives precarious, these women impulse struggles profoundly interconnected with the struggles against neoliberalism, militarism and the different fundamentalisms. These struggles are oriented towards justice in terms of economic redistribution, and in terms of recognition, among which, the recognition of sexual and reproductive rights of individuals. In this way, these organizations enrich the democratic basis of African society.

We want to recognize the valuable work done by organizations related to the churches and mosques in Africa. This social work, however, does not justify the exercise of control over the liberty and autonomy of individuals. We therefore reject all fundamentalist manifestations that deny sexual diversity, the right of abortion, the free choice of partner, the free exercise and expression of gender, sexuality, and the body, the use of condoms and other birth-control methods, and all other expressions against the sexual and reproductive rights of all.

As the struggles for the construction of another world can only be successful if they recognize the diversity of identities and political subjects, we affirm that the World Social Forum is a process open to all that recognize this diversity. Consequently, organizations and individuals that promote the marginalization, exclusion and discrimination of other human beings, are alien to this process.

Therefore, we call upon the International Council, and the different Organization Committees, to promote and facilitate the integration of the struggles for sexual and reproductive rights in every Social Forum around the world. Although we understand the diversity of cultural and political contexts that the WSF might encounter, the right of our brothers and sisters to struggle for autonomy and freedom is not negotiable.

Nairobi and Lima, 28 January 2008

Programa de Estudios sobre Democracia y Transformacion Global (Lima, Perú)

Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristan (Lima, Perú)

Network Institute for Global Democratization Perú (Lima, Perú)

Articulación Feminista Marcosur

ABONG

Instituto Paulo Freire

Signing Organizations

Engender- Bernedette Muthien. South Africa

Skeiv solidaritet/Queer solidarity, Norway Annika W. Rodriguez

ESSF- Europe solidaire sans frontières . Pierre Rousset

CADTM - Comitte for the Abolition of the third world debt. Eric Toussaint

OUT LGBT Zambia. Melanie Judge

DAWN- Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era. Bene Madunagu

International Women’s Health Coalition. Cami Hilsendager

Integrity Uganda- Relating Homosexuality with Religion. David Kato

CREA. Making Human Righst relevant. New Delhi. India Sunita Kujur

Canadians for Choice / Association canadienne pour la liberté de choix- Patricia LaRue

Red de Mujeres de AMARC- America Latina. Radios Comunitarias Argentina Olivas

ACPD - Action Canada for Population and Development-. Jane Gauthier. Katherine McDonald, LL.B.

IBASE- Brasil. Candido Grzybowski
Campaña por la Convención de los derechos sexuales y los derechos reproductivos. América Latina y el Caribe- Roxana Vázquez

FIRE-Radio Internacional Feminista- Andrea Alvarado Vargas

CAFRA – Caribbean Association for feminist research and action. Sergia Galván

Redhe Mulheres Rurais de América Latina y del Caribe- Janet Almeida

IGLHRC - Internacional Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Comisión- Programa para América Latina y el Caribe. Rosa Poso

Articulación de ONGs de Mulheres Negras brasileiras- Nilza Irazi

La Corriente- Programa Feminista Centroamericano- Maria Teresa Blandon

RSMLAC- Red de Salud de las Mujeres Latinoamericanas y del Caribe. Nirvana Gonzáles

AMB- Articulación de Mujeres Brasileras- Carla Batista

Red Latinoamericana de Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir

Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, caribeñas y de la diáspora. Elizabeth Suvez

Articulación de Mujeres Jóvenes de América Latina y el Caribe – Maria Gloria Tiazziteui

REDLAC, Red Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Jóvenes por los Derechos Sexuales y los Derechos Reproductivos - Victoria Bugallo

ELIGE, Red de Jóvenes por los Derechos Sexuales y los Derechos Reproductivos

Red Nacional de Jóvenes y Adolescentes para la Salud Sexual y Reproductiva -REDNAC- / Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer -FEIM- Argentina

REDSER - Panamá

Germinando Ideas - Republica Dominicana

Coordinadora Juvenil por la Equidad de Género - Ecuador

Jovenes Feministas de Sao Paulo - Brasil

Moverte- Jóvenes y Ciudadanía sexual – Argentina. Maria Eugenia Miranda.

Coordinadora Feminista de Jóvenes- Chile Johanna Ortiz

ICAE Internacional Council for Adult Education. Celita Eccher

Campaña 28 de septiembre, por la Despenalización del Aborto en América Latina y el Caribe. Patricia Orozco

REPEM- Red de Educación Popular entre mujeres- Ximena Machicao

Campaña Contra los Fundamentalismos “Tu boca fundamental”- Lucy Garrido

Red Internacional de Género y Comercio. Capitulo Latinoamericano. Norma Sanchos

CMP- Coordinación de Mujeres del Paraguay- Line Bareiro

CLADEM-Comité Latinoamericano de defensa de los derechos de las mujeres. Silvia Pimentel

CHIRAPAC_ Centro de Culturas Indígenas- Peru. Tarcila Rivera

Aalochana Centre for Documentation & Research on Women- Simrita Gopal Singh. India

Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género- Haydee Birgin

Center for Women Global Leadership- CWGL- Charlotte Bunch

Women s Evironment and Development Organization –WEDO- June Zeitlin

WIDE- Women in Development Europe. Wendy Harcourt

ISIS Manila. Raijeli

AKSHARA Centre . Mumbay. India. Nandita Sha

Women’s centre in Mumbai. Nandita Gandhi

NNAWGS. Mumbay. India. Ammu Abraham

Sexuality Policy Watch/Observatório de Sexualidad y Polític. Brasil. Sonia Corrêa y Richard Parker

Colectiva Mujer y Salud. República Dominicana. Lorena Espinoza

Pacific Institute for Women’s Health. Instituto Pacific para la Salud de la Mujer. Los Angeles. USA. Magaly Marquez

Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia, A.C. Mexico

Ddeser - Red por los derechos sexuales y reproductivos en México

Foro Nacional de Mujeres y Políticas de Población - México

African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) Nairobi. Kenya

The Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka. Kumi Samuel

Pedro Santana Rodriguez- del Consejo Internacional FSM- EURALAT y Presidente Corporacion Viva la Ciudadania. Colombia

Women’s Action for Change (WAC). Suva, FIJI. Noelene Nabulivou