Civil society groups to meet ahead of BRICS summit in Goa

Representatives of various social movements from BRICS countries will attend a two-day people's forum beginning in Goa on Thursday, where they are likely to voice resistance against neo-liberalism.

"Hundreds of people, representing various social movements, trade unions, academia and civil society formations from BRICS countries will assemble in Goa on October 13-14 to participate in the People's Forum on BRICS and share analysis, struggle notes and build solidarity in the resistance against neo-liberalism and corporate globalisation,"a press release by the organisers said here.

The people's forum will be held at Xavier Centre of Historical Research at Alto Porvorim, Goa, prior to the official BRICS summit in the state on October 15-16 in which heads of the member countries would participate.

"Goa has been an active site of struggle against neo-liberalism, women empowerment and environmental justice. Groups from Goa along with other Indian organisations will jointly host the event which will include plenaries, self-organised workshops, cultural events and films," the organisers said.

"The opening plenary will see Medha Patkar of the National Alliance for People's Movements (NAPM) and several other eminent leaders of social movements welcoming the gathering," the release said.

There will be discussions on issues of imperialism, peace and security, finance, investment and trade, corporate power, food and agriculture, governance of natural resources, economy and labour, science and technology, public services, civil and human rights, among others.

"Humanity is facing a civilisational crisis and we are witnessing the impacts of developmental choices we have made over centuries. Nation-states, multilateral global and regional forums like the UN, ASEAN, SAARC, BRICS have tried to intervene and work ways out of this crisis," Patkar was quoted as saying in the press note.

"But the state centric intervention and management have in fact been responsible to large extent for the crisis in the first place. So, any new alternatives have to have people at the heart of it," she said.

The workshops will also look at alternatives built by social movements in BRICS countries as a counter to neo-liberalism.