The Bamako Consensus: Another Africa Is Possible!!

From January 5 to 9, 2002, more than two hundred social movements,
organisations and institutions from forty-five African countries
met in Bamako, Mali, in an open African Social Forum.

We undertook serious analyses, shared experiences and heard
testimonies on wide-ranging economic, social, political and
cultural matters affecting African peoples. We discussed the
following themes and proposed alternatives to the present
world order:

• Globalization and the Emerging World Order

• Debt Burden and Political Instability: the Meaning
and Stakes of Debt Reparations

• Trade Agreements: Stakes and prospects for Africa

• The Global Financial Infrastructure and Finance
for Development

• New Roles for the State, the Market and Citizen
Organisations

• Meeting Social Demands: Health, Education, Clean
Water, Employment, Sanitation, Housing, etc

• Participation, Democracy and Citizen Control

• Peace and Conflict Prevention

• Gender and Equity

• Building on African Women’s Imagination and
Talents

• African Farmers and Rural Livelihood

• Human Rights

• Culture, Creativity and Ethics

• Evaluation of African Initiatives (the Lagos Plan
Action, NEPAD, etc.)

• Alternatives to Neo-Liberal Policies and Trade Agreements

• Wealth Production and Identity

• Strengthening Social Movements and African Contribution
to the World Social Movement

Our collective reflections and shared sentiments confirmed
our conviction that another Africa is possible, and that we
can create it.

A strong consensus emerged that the values, practices, structures
and institutions of the currently dominant neo-liberal order
are inimical to and incompatible with the realisation of our
aspirations. We therefore reject neo-liberal globalisation.
Our alternative vision is for a human-centred world.

The future of Africa lies in the hands of African peoples.
We have the human and natural resources to shape our destinies,
and we are determined to break out of inherited and imposed
dependency on external forces and resources.

We value the richness of our diversity as a source of strength,
and we resolve to act together with our peoples nationally,
regionally and continentally. In this spirit we are in solidarity
with all forces in Africa that are committed to the realisation
of real alternatives.

We are also part of the World Social Movement to build a different world. To this end, we endorse and adopt the Charter of the World Social Forum, and pledge to build the African Social Forum on the principles enunciated in the Charter.