IUSY Festival in Alicante: mon carnet de bord

I just come back from Alicante. First, my apologies. I was supposed to send you a daily report. It was more impossible because of the work i had to do here for the IUSY presidium. From Paris, i will just try to remember all the main moments of this festival. I think we can be more than satisfied by it. Now, i have to sleep and try to eat more than during this week... ;-) Despite of the lack of time, we had a lot of fun there. It was a very good festival.

Tuesday 18th: Opening ceremony

All the participants arrived since yesterday. Two buses of MJS France delegation are delayed. The bus cannot exceed 75km/hours.. 24 hours to do Paris-Alicante. Opening ceremony in two times: first, opening speeches with PSOE leader in Pais Valenciano. After this, presentation of delegations. I read here the welcome letter in French. First party is great. Basically, we can choose between Social Club 1 and the disco. I choose social club 1 until a very late hour of the night.

Ouverture IUSY 2006 Alicante
Uploaded by lesmousquetaires

Wednesday 19th: ZP!

Apparentely, the party of yesterday night was great for a lot of participants... and the wake-up more than difficult. 3 or 4 participants in a lot of workshops.. We start slowly. ok, we have to say also that workshops were earlier: supposed to start at 9. First learning of this festival: 9, it is too early.
Main event of the day, the visit of Jose-Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Quite impressive to see the enthousiasm of the people. A rock star would not have done better. He is very popular here. It is justified. After two years of governement, Spain has changed. Withdraw of the Spanish troops from Irak, the right of marriage and adoption for gay, the law against precarious work adopted by all trade unions, the law against the violence against women.. ZP made a speech on international policies with a specific focus on Middle-East. We will come back later on this..
Today is the day of Asia. Anthony (IUSY VP from Malaysia) coordonates the first newsletter of this festival.
It is also the first day of the so-called Socialist School organized by MJS (see the program here). The first issue raised: workers and social movement. We prepared this first issue with SJO. Big success, not enought space in the room! This idea of a Socialist school came after the study session in May. We realized here a work on theories and values was necessary. In the taxi to go to the airport, we discuss this idea together with Tamara. I proposed it to other members of MJS who were enthousiastic. I was also but i had some doubts on the number of people that will attend this kind of activities. Second learning of the festival: Participants ask for more theoretical debates.
First day also for the MJS webtv. all the days during the festival, 10 minuts of news concerning the activities there. Also, interviews of member organizations. In the first edition, i speak on the involvement of IUSY within IUSY and the role of IUSY. See the webtv here.

Journal IUSY 19.06.2006 (17m 21s)
Uploaded by mjs-france

I met with Ania (ECOSY) and African comrades a representative of Action Aid. We see what kind of actions we can do together using the framework of the Global Progressive Youth Forum (GPYF).

Thursday 20th: when a IUSY event creates a diplomatic incident

The conference yesterday with Zapatero was very popular. Even too much. At the end of the plenary, some palestinian comrades give to ZP a keffiyeh. In El Mundo, the right-wing spanish newspaper: "the prime minister was guilty of irresponsible conduct in surrounding himself with young pro-Palestinians at a most inappropriate time for Spanish diplomacy". The journalist who wrote this should not know very well what is IUSY. IUSY has two vice-president from Middle-East: one from Israel (Sharon Erde from Labour Party) and one from Palestine (Ismail Sommad from Fatah Youth). IUSY is a relevant platform allowing discussions on this issue. A resolution is negociated between the two parts and discussed by all IUSY comrades (read the resolution here). Well, a lot of noise for nothing. But Israel made official protestations. But i'm sure that our comrades from Israel will explain this was not representative of all our debates on Middle-East.
The good point is that the media coverage of the Festival is excellent. All international medias spoke about this photo..

From my part, i think it was the most busy day of the festival. I am the editor of the newsletter that will be published tomorrow. In respect of the French language, i do it in two languages (French and English) which is much more work. Three issues inside this newsletter: the Global Progressive Youth Forum, Africa and the launching of the campaign on Decent Work (Rights@work). See the newsletter in French and in English.
Also all workshops and the launching of the campaign to prepare. I work with Maurice until 3A.M to finish the presentation that will be showned in the plenary tomorrow. Go to bed at 6.

Friday 21st, Day of Africa and GPYF

1o o' clock sharp. I organize a workshop on "a New EU/Africa Policy". Three speakers: Judicael Biaou (PSD, Benin), Guillaume Fine (Survie, a french NGO fighting for a new French policy in Africa and against neo-colonialism), and Alex Vansteenbergen (Animo). Judicael gives a global overview of the problems in Africa and the responsabilities of the former colonies. Guillaume focused on Public Aid, stating that it is not only an increase of public aid that is needed but a complete reform of the mechanisms of cooperation. Alex focused on the negotiations on EPAs (European Partnership aggreement). They should be concluded in next months and will be very dangerous and harmfull for a lot of African countries, forced to open their markets to european products. For me, the best workshop i did in the festival.

During lunch time, i assist to a bilateral meeting between MJS France and ANC Youth League with Fikile Mbalula, the IUSY President. Finally, i will not do so much bilateral. I don't have so much time unfortunately. Estelle is responsible of these bilateral meetings for MJS. At the end of the festival, we will have organized more than 20.

Afternoon, workshop on "Social Movement and globalization" with ICFTU, GPF speakers and the leader of the Akbayan Party (Philiphins). Very interesting also. At the same time, a debate organized on migration and brain drain.

After this, i organized together with Suzanne, the African coordinator, an African Committee and Social Movement meeting to prepare the mobilization of IUSY and GPYF for the next World Social Forum. My friends of the Decent work alliance, from ICFTU, from Solidar, from GPF are also here. A good opportunity to exchange on this concept of Decent work from an African perspective. The comrades are quite sceptical, arguing it is not a relevant issue for them, because of the massive underemployment. Well, but the first pillar of Decent work is job creation. It is true also that the french translation does not fit very well. But the most important thing is the content..

Concerning GPYF, first we manage to coordonate ourself between the three component of GPYF (IUSY, ECOSY, IFM/SEI). First priority: the WSF. Then, an event organized by ICFTU on decent work for young people organized before next G8 (June 2006). Second, the coordination with the Global Progressive Forum. A dinner is organized with Poul Nyrup Rassmussen, PES President and also GPF President. We aggreed on a common agenda GPF-GPYF on one or two issues. IFM/SEI will organize the next activity of GPYF in the next Global village, that will take place in the next days.

After this, Norvegian music band all the night. A big success.

Sathurday 22nd: my first day without workshop...

Finally, i have one day without any workshop to organize. I can rest a little bit. Better because with an average of two hours of sleep by day, i started to be "a little bit" tired. Less stress then. I spend a lot of time with the speakers i invited (ICFTU, SOLIDAR, GPF, Survie). We discussed on how to coordonate IUSY rights@work campaign and the work of alliance for decent work.
This is the day of the main conference on Middle-East. Mohamed Dahlan from the Palestinian side and Ami Ayalon from the israeli side. Very positive debate, focusing on the future.
An excellent bilateral meeting with AUF.

Then the demonstration around the campus and a meeting to present the final declaration of IUSY festival prepared by IUSY Presidium. I managed to include two lines stating that Africa was at the top of our concerns and we need to reform commercial and financial rules to change the globalization.
We meet Uganda Young Democrats for the first time. Very important from us as Africa is the priority of the international agenda of MJS.

The night is the last one of MJS comrades that will take a bus tomorrow evening. All people at the disco. Go to bed at 8.30am.

:-)

Sunday 23rd: "ce n'est qu'un au revoir"..

Last day of the festival. Impossible to wake up this morning. To be honnest, i'm not so surprised.

Benoit Hamon is here today for a workshop on European constitution (organized by ECOSY) and a one of economic regulation of global governance that i chair. In the last one, he focused on the IFM, as he wrote the report on this for the European Parliament. My comrades left at 10pm. Most of delegations left also during the night. The party has nothing to see with the last one... "Ce n'est qu'un au revoir".

Monday 24th

This morning, the IUSY Vice-President from Israel and Palestine met Zapatero to discuss the Middle-East issues. A good opportunity to close the debate opened by the "photo" (see my report of the 20th). Also a wonderful recognition of the work done by IUSY on this matter.
I wake up, i do my luggage and i leave at 3pm. 8pm, i'm at home. IUSY Festival is over.. Next IUSY Event: the 100 year anniversary next year in Germany! See you there!

Update!

• Retrouvez le compte-rendu de Brian, secrétaire international du MJS Belge.
• Retrouvez quelques photos sur le blog du MJS 54
• La Web-TV du MJS
• L'ensemble des newsletters publiées pendant le festival