Dear friends ,

the Italian component of the network ‘The Charter of our common principles of another Europe’ held a meeting on May 22^th in order to assess the work done in Athens and to discuss our perspectives and implement the decisions taken in Athens.

Our assessment is very positive, on the whole, on the IV ESF and on the seminars and meetings organized by our network. This has strengthened our relations with new organizations and networks, has deepened its subjects and filled the gaps of the Charter.

We underlined the openness of the process, defined as a work in progress without a deadline, but with some goals which should be in tune with the social, political and institutional evolution at a European level.

It is very important for us to keep in touch with the Eastern friends who contributed to our meetings, and to contact other networks (migrant, poverty, feminist organizations, pacifist, environmentalist etc.) in order to implement our common principles. As we said, it is important to conquer new legislations on some important subjects (citizenship, peace, commons, workers’ rights and so on).

We believe that an Assembly in Paris will be very useful to try and characterize the French Presidential elections with the European aims which we are written in the Charter.

We think that we have to reassemble the Charter, by maintaining the two parts - principles and policies - but they need to be shortened and become more readable. We also need to fill the gaps and correct some propositions, bearing in mind the discussions held in Athens. Some Italians - in cooperation with the European group - are available for this work , which we will try and circulate on the web, and propose in the next meeting in September (at the EPA).

We will also propose for discussion the organization of national Conventions with unions, associations, social movements, political exponents etc to present and discuss our Charter, with the intention of starting a new democratic process to build another Europe. These conventions can be held as a preparation of the Paris Assembly, or following it (if our French friends will decide to organize it),

(Ed. by Franco Russo)