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No. MRI/GFMD2008/05       7 August 2008            ENGLISH

“Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights”
Independent Civil Society Event - 22 to 30 October 2008, Manila, Philippines

Dear Friends,

We wanted to give you an update with preliminary information for independent civil society activities being organized in response to the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Manila, Philippines in October 2008.

The “Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights”, or PGA, will be held 22 – 30 October 2008 in Manila, Philippines, prior to and during the GFMD (which is taking place October 27 – 30). The following is some information on plans so far for the event. More information to follow soon.

These plans are a result of discussions that started at meetings held 11 and 12 July 2008 between representatives from the Philippine Working Group (PWG), a coalition of organizations in the Philippines*, and groups from other countries of Asia and other global regions, including various members of Migrant Forum in Asia, Migrants Rights International (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants – PICUM (Europe), National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights - NNIRR (USA), Institut de Recherche et de Promotion des Alternatives en Développement – IRPAD (West Africa), and Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales - CELS (Argentina)), Fédération Internacionales des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), Human Rights Watch, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), the Council of Global Unions, and Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW).

Information on how to register and submit proposals for workshops will be available soon, but in the meantime, if you already have ideas for workshops or activities, or have any other questions or comments, please send them to MRI at migrantsrightsinternational@gmail.com. For more information on the GFMD, see www.migrantwatch.org. For more information on the PGA, see www.mfasia.org.

Best wishes,

Naomi Onaga, International Coordinator, Migrants Rights International

Colin Rajah, Director of Global Justice Program, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) (MRI Steering Committee)

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PEOPLES’ GLOBAL ACTION ON MIGRATION, DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS (PGA)
22 – 30 October 2008, Manila, Philippines

The Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA) is an independent civil society event that is being organized by a coalition of civil society organizations.**

This is an independent event designed to monitor and influence the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), a governmental forum to be held in Manila, Philippines from 27 – 30 October 2008, as well as in order to provide an inclusive space for civil society organizations to gather, reflect and strategize on issues around migration, human rights, globalization and development.

The PGA is independent of the official Civil Society Days (which will be held on 27 – 28 October 2008) that is a part of the FGMD (which will be held October 27 and 28, 2008).  It is being organized in response to the fact that the FGMD has been very restrictive on civil society participation, and is taking an approach that ignores the human rights of migrants and other peoples in discussing migration policy.

The PGA is intended to be an inclusive forum, in which all civil society organizations, including those groups that are selected to participate in the official FGMD Civil Society Days, can meet and exchange views. It is hoped that the PGA will culminate in a joint declaration expressing the views of civil society on migration, development and human rights, which will be delivered to governments on 27 October, at the beginning of the official Civil Society Days.

The PGA will allow space for key plenaries and workshops reflecting pressing issues around migration and human rights, self-organized and "open-space" events, broad networking, cultural events, rallies, marches, protests and other civil society initiated events in order to strengthen civil society movements, promote partnerships, and advance strategies and networks.

PGA activities

The PGA is structured to provide a space for the following activities:

Sectoral and Regional Meetings – Some sectors and regional groups are planning to hold meetings during 23 – 25 October to discuss issues related to the FGMD. For instance, the Council of Global Unions is organizing a trade unions convening on 24 – 25 October, and Migrant Forum in Asia will be holding its Regional Conference on Migration on 23 – 24 October on the topic “right to development”. Domestic workers are planning a meeting sometime between 23 – 25 October.

Workshops – Self-organized workshops (workshops organized by participants) will be held prior to 27 October. Workshops already being planned will address topics including: domestic workers, trade union and labor rights, detention and deportation, gender and migration, etc. There will be an invitation sent soon for groups interested in organizing a workshop. 

Plenaries – including an opening plenary on 25 October to formally open the week of action and frame the issues being discussed.

Mobilizations – rallies, marches, protests, and other actions are scheduled for 27 – 30 October.

Cultural Events – highlighting critical issues through cultural forms, are also scheduled for 27 – 30 October.

Networking and Strategizing Opportunities – there will be many opportunities for networking and collective strategizing throughout the week of action.

Joint Civil Society Declaration on Migration, Development and Human Rights – a draft of the declaration will be prepared and circulated for comment in advance of the PGA, and some aspects of it will be finalized at the PGA.

Tentative PGA Programme

  • The PGA tentative programme is organized as follows:
  • 21 Oct: Participants Arrival
  • 22 Oct: Informal/”Soft” Opening
  • 23–24 Oct: Sectoral Meetings & Regional Convenings
  • 25 Oct: Sectoral Meetings & Regional Convenings (continued)
    • 6pm – 8pm       Formal Opening Ceremonies & Keynote Speeches
    • 26 Oct:
    • 9am – 12pm      Concurrent Thematic Workshops
    • 12pm – 1pm      Lunch Break
    • 1pm – 4pm       Concurrent Thematic Workshops
    • 4pm – 5pm       Plenary: Recommendation from Workshop Sessions
    • 5pm – 6pm       Finalization of Joint Civil Society Declaration
    • 6pm – 8pm       Closing Ceremonies
  • 27 Oct (concurrent with GFMD Civil Society Day)
    • March & Rally
    • Submission of Joint Civil Society Declaration to Governments
  • 28 Oct (Concurrent with GFMD Civil Society Day)
    • Marches, Rallies and Other Actions
    • Cultural Events
  • 29 Oct (Concurrent with GFMD governmental discussions)
    • Marches, Rallies and Other Actions
    • Cultural Events
  • 30 Oct (Concurrent with GFMD governmental discussions)
    • Report-back from GFMD Session
    • Closing Ceremonies

How to register or submit a workshop proposal

More information will be available soon on how to register or submit a workshop proposal.

Why participate in the Peoples’ Global Action?

Through the GFMD, migration policy is being negotiated through an economic development framework, essentially minimizing migrants as a labor commodity.  Very little actual discourse is placed on the potential impact such policies have on the rights of individuals and communities, particularly migrants communities.  The GFMD process has thus far been very resistant to the integration of stronger human rights protections for migrants, as well as broader participation of migrant communities.

The PGA will also be an opportunity for civil society groups to network and strategize and many other issues currently not on the GFMD agenda, such as domestic work, trade union rights, joint enforcement policies, migrants’ rights etc.

For more information on the GFMD, see the “Road to Manila” section of the MRI website at www.migrantwatch.org.

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** International Working Group that is organizing the PGA includes: The Philippine Working Group*, Migrants Rights International (MRI), Fédération Internacional des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women (GAATW), the Council of Global Unions, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) - Asia, Jubilee South and others.

*The Philippine Working Group is composed of groups including Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), ASEAN Trade Union Council (ATUC), Asian Migrant Center (AMC), Atikha, Batis Center for Women, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino(BMP), Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA), Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD), Coalition Against Trafficking in Women in the Asia Pacific (CATW-AP), Daughters of Charity, Focus on the Global South, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Global Network Asia, International Gender and Trade Network-Asia (IGTN), Jubilee South-Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, KAKAMMPI, Kanlungan Center Foundation, National Union of Building & Construction Workers/BWI, Philippine Consortium on Migration and Development, Public Services International (PSI/PSLINK), Solidaritas Migran Scalabrini-Philippines, Stop the New Round, UNI-APRO, Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Women and Gender Institute Mirriam College (WAGI). The PWG is convened by Migrant Forum in Asia.

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