More than 150 representatives of trade unions, farmers’ movements, global justice groups, environmental
groups, development groups, migrants’ groups, faith‐based groups, women’s groups, the have‐not
movements, student and youth groups, and anti‐poverty groups from all over Europe gathered on the 10^th
and 11^th of January 2009 in Paris to analyse collectively the current crises, to develop joint strategies and to
discuss joint demands and alternatives in response to these crises.

As the financial and the economic crises intensify, millions of women and men are losing their jobs, houses
and livelihoods. Tens of millions more are forecast to join the 1.4 billion people already living in extreme
poverty. The crises worsen the social, ecological, cultural and political situation of the majority of people on
our planet.

Despite the evident and foreseeable failure of the current economic model, world leaders are responding by
trying to preserve the system that is responsible for the crises. Governments have been quick to bail out
bankers, corporate share holders and their financial backers with hundreds of billions in public money. To
solve the problem, they put into place bankers and heads of corporations: the same actors that created the
crises. The workers, the jobless, the poor – all those affected have received no help in their daily struggle to
make ends meet, and to cap it all, they are now supposed to pay the bill.

Governments´ proposals to deal with the unfolding economic crisis do not address the other dimensions of
the crisis we face today – global justice, food, climate and energy – and with it the need to transform the
economic system towards one that allows us to satisfy the basic needs of all people, to implement all human
rights and to restore and preserve the ecological basis of life on our planet.

It is time for change!

We can build a system that works for people and the environment, a system to serve the needs of the many,
a system based on the principles of public benefit, global equity, justice, environmental sustainability and
democratic control.

As a first step, immediate measures must be implemented to address the social impacts on people, whilst
supporting the ecological conversion of the economy.

We call upon all social movements in Europe to engage in a process of change. To start with, we call upon
movements

‐ to engage in the mass mobilisation for the central demonstration in London on the 28^th of March
2009 ahead of the G20 meeting, or to take to the streets in their own countries that same day to
make their voices heard. 20 governments cannot decide on the future of the global financial system
and economy.

‐ to undertake a day of action in the week of the G20 meeting, preferably on the 1^st of April (Financial
Fools’ Day) all across the world, exposing unaccountable financial power and promoting democratic
control of finance.

This meeting is a further step in a long‐term process of building spaces for European networks to meet.

Recognising and drawing on previous and future mobilisations of social movements and civil society
organizations in Europe and all over the world, it builds on ongoing efforts developed at the European
Social Forum and elsewhere, aimed at realising a democratic and socially and environmentally sustainable
Europe. We commit to intensify cooperation and communication among our networks and organisations with
the aim of building capacity for sustained mobilisation and the development of joint alternatives. We are
committed to supporting and encouraging all people to have their voices heard in reshaping their societies.

We will meet again on the 18^th and 19^th of April 2009 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in order to develop the
next steps of mobilisation and strategies towards change. We call upon all social movements and social
organisations to join this process.