FOCUS ON THE GLOBAL SOUTH will be holding a series of activities as it marks its 15th year. The celebration, hosted by Focus Philippines, will kick off on January 17, with an internal seminar on Alternative Regionalisms. This will be followed by the 3-day Focus staff planning/retreat, and will culminate with a dinner party on the 20th,where the new Focus on the Global South logo and the Focus on the Philippines 2009 Yearbook will be launched.
17 January: RECLAIMING THE REGION: Developing an Alternative Regionalisms Framework and Programme (An Internal Seminar)
18-20 January: Staff Meeting/Retreat
Venue: University of the Philippines
20 January: 15 Years of Focus: Dinner and Launch
Time: 7 pm
Venue: Village Patio, 185 Maginhawa St, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
FOCUS@COP15
A Public Affair -- Radio show featuring our own Nicola Bullard and Benny Kuruvill: Download it here
Giving Developing Countries a Voice in Climate Talks -- Dorothy Guerrero: Watch the video here
Fresh Air Briefing: Focus on the Global South -- Dorothy Guerrero: Watch the video here
Call for Civil Society’s Participation
In the 2nd ASEAN Peoples’ Forum / 5th ASEAN Civil Society Conference
18-20 October 2009
Cha-am, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand
http://aseanpeoplesforum.net
Asian People's Solidarity for Climate Justice
The Gr8 Climate Sale
Video now available! To obtain a copy please contact
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The issue of climate change has come to the forefront and people both in the North and the South have been feeling the devastating effects of global warming. However, the links between the neo-liberal system and the model of over consumption to the climate crisis are not clearly stated.
STATEMENT FROM THE ORGANISERS OF THE ASEAN PEOPLES FORUM/ASEAN CIVIL SOCIETY CONFERENCE
At 1130pm, Thurs, Thai foreign Ministry officials informed organizers of APF that 5 out of 10 civil society representatives were rejected from the interface meeting with ASEAN heads of government. The remaining representatives were told to be ready for pick up at 7.A.M., nearly 5 hours before the scheduled meeting. (see below for list of delegates).
(Speech
at the Conference on “Regional Integration: an Opportunity Presented by
the Crisis,” Universidad de Deportes, Asuncion, Paraguay, July 21-22,
2009.)
Globalization has ended in massive failure.
One
response to this crisis has been to dump export-oriented
industrialization and reemphasize the primacy of the national market in
sustaining economic growth.
Another response, complementary to this, has been to build regional associations or regional blocs.
Regional economic blocs are not new. However,
some of the more prominent ones have either not moved beyond a
primitive stage, as in the case of SAARC in South Asia, or have been
based on neoliberal principles, like ASEAN in Southeast Asia. ASEAN’s
idea of integration is to see it as a step towards full-scale
globalization, a process that is termed “open regionalism.”
WATCH LIVE Conference Regional Integration and Crisis!
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE of GOVERNMENTS and SOCIAL MOVEMENTS “Regional
Integration: an opportunity to face the crises”
DATES: 21 and 22 July 2009
VENUE: PRODEPA, Sala 1, Consejo Nacional del Deporte, Asunción del Paraguay
TIME: 9am-20pm
Watch live the debates (on 21 July at 9am -Paraguay time- the live streaming will start): www.alternative-regionalisms.org
To see the time in other countries go to www.timeanddate.com/worldclock
Co- Organisers
Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA), Iniciativa Paraguaya para la Integración de los Pueblos, People’s Agenda for Alternative Regionalisms(PAAR), Focus on the Global South and Transnational Institute (TNI)
In cooperation with
Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN), People’s SAARC, Solidarity for AsianP eople’s Advocacy (SAPA), TWN Africa, Trade Strategy Group, Jubilee South, REBRIP, Transform Europe, ATTAC France, Coalition for comprehensive democracy - Vasudhaiva Kutumkakam and Ecologistas en Acción
Supported by
Paraguayan Presidency Pro-tempore of Mercosur
With the contribution of
Oxfam/Novib, Oxfam Internacional, Christian Aid and Action Aid
Regional Integration: A New Opportunity to Face the Crises
International Conference of governments and social movements
Introduction
The core partners in the Regionalisms Programme organised a well-attended Regionalisms Workshop in Belem, which was framed in the
context of the Global crisis. This Workshop, which included a substantive update and exchange of experience from regional networks from ASEAN, SAARC, SADC, Latin America and Caribbean and Europe, 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 Caucus meeting, which consolidated the next phase of regionalisms work under the framework of the “People’s Agenda for Alternative Regionalisms”, the proposal was made to hold an International Conference in conjunction with the Mercosur Summit, due to be held in Paraguay in early July.
Focus on the Global South, a programme of development policy research, analysis and action, opens its 2009 Volunteer/Internship Program. The Focus internship is a non-salaried programme that is designed to provide exciting opportunities and exposure to highly-motivated college students, graduate students and fresh university graduates. Accepted interns/volunteers will have a chance to assist in a research on climate change.
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Programmes 
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