HLRN @ WSF – Free Palestine

The World Social Forum – Free Palestine took place in Porto Alegre RGS, Brazil on 28 November–2 December 2012, convening social activists, trade unions, and other civil society organizations, including HLRN, to learn and strategize together in support of Palestine. The Forum coincided with the momentous International Day in Solidarity with the Palestinian People that, this year, coincided with the historic General Assembly vote endorsing Palestine’s observer state status in the United Nations. In the same context, Brazilian and Palestinian local authorities and international parliamentarians from several countries met in separate Forums, but with active exchanges between and among them.

The WSF – FP followed the same principles and methodology of other World Social Forums, making way for both popular rallies and pedagogical sessions that seek practical cooperation among some 3,000 participants and over 150 organizations in future campaigns and activities. This iteration of WSF culminated in a final declaration that was presented at the concluding Assembly of Social Movements.

HLRN’s contribution to the Forum included jointly organizing a legal panel on “Latin American State Obligations to Fight Impunity in Palestine: A law-based strategy for BDS,” on 30  November 2012. The panel was shared by HLRN coordinator Joseph Schechla, Tom Moerenhout (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva) and European Coordinating Committee (of NGOs) on Palestine (ECCPY) KatarzynaLamenska. In that order, the panelists began with Joseph Schechla’s presentation on the contributions of Latin American states to international law prohibitions against recognizing occupation, acquisition of territory by force and population transfer (implantation of settlers and settlements), and the corresponding obligations of states not to cooperate with entities that . Tom Moerenhout presented his thesis on the obligations of states to cease trade with entities supporting or benefitting from the occupation, with implications for MERCOSUR countries and the dispute mechanisms of the World Trade Organization. Katarzyna Lamenska reviewed findings of the Russell Tribunal on European Union (EU) obligations vis-à-vis Israel’s human rights and humanitarian law violations, and strategic litigation linked to advocacy among the EU. 

The combined presentations provided best practices and a basis for prospective campaigning/advocacy/lobbying for Palestinian rights before European governments, the EU and Latin American governments. The discussions involved networking and linking initiatives among participants from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Poland, Spain and USA. 

Other self-organized events brought together a broad range of social activists, including labor organizers (e.g, Central Única dos Trabalhadores), peasant organizations (e.g., MST and La ViaCampesina), student associations and queers for boycott, divestment and sanctions. Many of the participants in this WSF – Free Palestine pledged to meet again at the World Social Forum 2013, to be held in Tunis, 23–28 March 2013.