180 people from 14 countries attended the Assembly on the Charter of another Europe, held in Florence on November 12-13. The Assembly lasted 14 hours, through 7 sessions and tens of interventions. As you know the sessions were:

1. peace and security (R. Bolini, L. Gabriel);
2. Europe in the world (E. Gauthier, A. Mecozzi);
3. citizenship, equality and difference (I. Barbarossa, H. Wainwright);
4. workers and social rights (P. Bronzini, A. Klein);
5. democracy and participation (Manitakis, L. Menapace);
6. for another economy: common goods and environment (Spanish environmentalist [sorry, I didn’t write down her name], M.Gubbiotti);
7. for another economy: social common goods (P. Bernocchi, A. Coupé).

The obvious lacks were the absence of some subjects, like young people and migrants: when both of these groups should be among the protagonists of “another Europe” . Significant, but not sufficient, the presence of Eastern countries, who live in a condition of social and democratic deprivation. The discussion was deep and satisfactory for all the issues of the sessions, and it pointed out the necessity to continue the dialogue in order to reach the best and consensual solutions.
The Assembly decided the new steps:

1. the speakers are in charge of writing one report for each session, in which they highlight the areas of consensus, the areas of difficult problems which are worth deepening, the areas of dissent;

2. the reports will be translated into French and English, spread through the ESF’ mailing list and put on the Web-site (www.transform.it link Assemblea), so as to allow a discussion on the texts;

3. the whole process will be revised in Wien during the next EPA in order to verify the level of elaboration and writing, the areas worthy of further discussion, the proposals of seminars in order to continue the deepening of the themes on which there are difficulties or dissent.

So, Wien will be an other significant step of the writing-process.

The Assembly approved a document of condemnation of the French government and neoliberal policies which cause a widespread social exclusion and racism, the effects of which are the riots in the banlieues.The document, written by the French delegation, will be diffused through the ESF mailing list and on the Web site.

Another document, on the campaign against the Bolkestein directive, called for a European demonstration in Strasbourg and for other demostrations in the cities of the European contries in January - during the discussion on the directive in the European Parliament. The exact date in January will depend on the days of the
discussion in Strasbourg. These document also will put on the mailing list and The Web site.

The Greek delegation announced the postponemnt of the Athens’ Social Forum, because of the probable election day in April in Italy.

(ed. by Franco Russo)