The verdict on last months Nairobi World Social Forum, held under the banner of 'peoples struggles, peoples alternatives', was mixed. Several attendees consider the event both a success and a failure. Anthony Barnett elaborates on the Forum in a useful article. Also writing from Nairobi, Walden Bello questions whether the Chinese juggernaut in Africa holds great promise or great harm.

In our third article S.P. Shukla makes an intellectual, yet pragmatic attempt at articulating the contours of a National Political Agenda. He identifies the agrarian crisis, alienation of the Muslim minority and assertion of dalits, adivasis and OBCs (other backward castes) as the 3 issues that will dominate the political agenda of the Republic of India for the next few years. He calls for a grand alliance of peasantry, adivasis, dalits, OBCs and Muslims against the elite agenda of globalising growth. Whether his predictions will prove right remains to be seen, but its clear that India's political leaders will have plenty of issues on their plates.

The National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM) has launched its Action 2007, an attempt to forge a National Peoples Movement. The agenda is still work in progress and groups are encouraged to respond, critique and join in this initiative (See 2.a for details)  

Also find information on 3 meetings co organised by Focus. Several groups have come together to organise a Peoples Conference on South Asia to coincide with the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit from 3-4 April 2007. There will be a preparatory meeting on the people's conference in New Delhi on 15 February 2007. Other meetings include a workshop on the contentious issue of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in Retail and a March (12-14) conference in Delhi on War, Imperialism and Resistance in West Asia   


Best wishes,
Focus on the Global South, India

Contents:

1.      NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.a    Preparatory Meeting for Peoples Conference of South Asia, New Delhi
1.b    Conference on War, Imperialism and Resistance in West Asia, New Delhi  
1.c     Workshop: FDI in Retail and The Growth of Corporate Retail Chains, Mumbai
1.d     Refresher Workshop: Towards Green Villages, New Delhi
 

2.      STATEMENTS/REPORTS
2.a     Action 2007- Appeal for a National Peoples Movement. Issued by NAPM
2.b     Press Note: Maheshwar dam work should stop: Narmada Bachao Andolan

3.       ARTICLES
3.a     Beijing's Turbo-charged Trade and Investment Diplomacy Sparks WSF
          Debate -Walden Bello
3.b     The three faces of the World Social Forum  -Anthony Barnett
3.c     On the National Political Agenda - S P Shukla