Dear friends,

Just below a message from the french comitte

The CIFS (French initiative committee on social forums) met on the 15^th of November to
assess the european assembly held on October, 23-24 in Paris and to consider the
follow-up steps that should be taken. During the European assembly, we exchanged and
debated on the situation (crisis, mobilisations...) as well as on the state of play and
the future of the ESF. Various proposals taking into account these debates have been
formulated at the assembly.

With regards to the ESF process as such, the CIFS joins the will expressed during the
last assembly to redynamize the process, even without any concrete proposal for a hosting
place, calendar, or alternative proposals on the shape that next ESF could take.

We find it useful to continue on with the debate on the future of the ESF and to work on
its relaunch, its enlargment (geographical, social actors, networks that have moved
away...), to work in the coming year on the organisation of a european seminar, for
instance on the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of the forum (in Florence?).

Thus, the CIFS proposes to carry on with the work on these prospects mentionned during
the assembly on October, 23-24^th.

Meanwhile, the proposal to organise a european conference in May or June 2011 on Europe facing the crisis: Debt, austerity plans... must become a reality, and provide the ESFprocess with an immediate perspective. The working group should come up quickly with proposals regarding the organisation, the date and the location.

Lastly, the organisation of a counter-summit on the occasion of the G8 and G20 meetings
in France should also be included in the agenda of the ESF. Recently the CIFS sent
some information on this matter.

Thus, the organisation of the next european assembly at the end of February / in early
March is important and could enable us to carry on with these different issues and the
implementation of the proposals.

It is needed that the organisations in Hungary do confirm their invitation and that a
european working group works on the preparation of this assembly.