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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PEOPLE"S
SAARC DECLARATION, COLOMBO – 2008 </span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span>TOWARDS A PEOPLES UNION OF SOUTH ASIA </span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span>20 July 2008 </span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span>===========================</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
South Asian People's<span>
</span>Assembly(Colombo, 18-20 July) resolves to issue the
Peoples SAARC Declaration at this gathering of representatives from SAARC
countries.</span></i></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We, members of social movements, labour
unions, women's groups and civil society organisations have gathered here in
Colombo from
18-20 July 2008, as part of the process of Peoples SAARC, to forge a vision for
a Peoples Union of South Asia. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>This year's People's SAARC culmination in
Colombo is the
continuum of a process of more than a decade. The last peoples SAARC gathering
in Kathmandu in March 2007 reaffirmed the South Asian peoples' commitment to
creating a better South Asia free from all
forms of discrimination, marginalisation and domination. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We represent a rich and wonderful
diversity of cultures, languages, religions and a multiplicity of identities and
are linked by shared histories, geographies and cultural
practices.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We believe we have the opportunity and
strength to transform our social, economic and political futures to ensure that
all our peoples can live in peace, security and dignity. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>For this to become a reality, we must
take a collective stand against all structures of oppression, discrimination and
violence facing the people of the region. We uphold the equality of all
countries in the region, and condemn attempts of any one country to dominate the
region. We stand for a secular, democratic, equal, peaceful and just South Asia. We will ensure that those who have been
traditionally marginalised from political processes, such as dalits, women,
indigenous peoples, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, will be in the
forefront of this political project.<span>
</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>This involves creating a discourse on
democratic and participatory political processes which respect national and
local priorities and take into consideration the very real inequalities between
the different states in the region. We are ready to take on this challenge
through resolute struggle. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We hail the people's movements for
democracy and peace and against dictatorship and monarchy, that are ongoing in
the countries in the region</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>After discussions and debates for three
days at plenary sessions and over thirty workshops we affirm our commitment to
achieving the following goals and aspirations; </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span> </span></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>To build a South Asian identity based
on our diversities and common histories. We Reject bigotry, jingoism and
hatred and will work towards ensuring that enmity between countries is not
propagated through instruments such as the media and education.
</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Resolutely oppose intervention of
USA and war exercises both in the
region and elsewhere. Reject the so called War on Terror which is nothing but
an attempt to cover up warmongering by USA
and its allies to target ordinary citizens. </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>South Asian countries to commit to a
no-war pact and declare the region as nuclear-free. This also involves the
drastic reduction of defence budgets and de-militarisation of the region.
</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Free movement of peoples in the region
or in other words a visa-free South
Asia</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Restoration and creation of rail, road
and sea-links that meet the needs of people. Encouraging and facilitating
people- to- people contact and communication in the region.
</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Peaceful and just resolution of all
conflicts in the region, including those on the border, through political
negotiations, and revoking so called national security laws that give a
free-hand to state authorities to commit atrocities against their own
peoples.<span> </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Operationalisation of food sovereignty
through building alliances of women, peasants and agriculture labour. This
would involve the creation of seed and grain banks, promotion of participatory
research and sustainable technologies and the rejection of monopolitistic and
environmentally destructive technologies such as genetically modified
organisms.<span>
</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Fisherpeople's right to fish in
territorial waters be recognized and legally protected through proper
mechanisms. Innocent fishers incarcerated for wandering into neighboring
territorial waters be immediately released. </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>The right to mobility is a human right.
Migrants should be assured of dignity and right of work as well as physical
protection, basic amenities and adequate wages. The victims of trafficking
must be protected, especially women and children. Similarly, the rights of
individuals and communities subjected to forced displacement due to conflict,
disaster, and development projects should be protected.
</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Ensuring rights of all workers,
especially women and dalit workers in accordance with the International Labour
Organisation Convention, United Nations Covenants and National Constitutions.
</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>The setting up of regional institutions
and mechanisms such as a South Asian Tribunal<b> </b>of Justice to address human rights
violations <span> </span>Those responsible for
war crimes and crimes against humanity must be prosecuted. Protection to be
guaranteed for right of dissent, protest and organization. We call for the
immediate release of political, social, media activists and prisoners of
conscience in the region. </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Recognizing the universality of
visibility, opportunity, equal rights and dignity for all people, including
excluded groups and minorities:<span>
</span>ethnic, sexual, gender and people with disabilities. Recognize the
prevalence of patriarchy, religious extremism and caste based
discrimination<span> </span>that deny <span> </span>human dignity, socio, economic,
political equality and justice to the 260 million dalits of in the SAARC
countries</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Achieving Climate justice by ensuring
that the burden of adjustment is borne by the elites. This requires a
fundamental departure from the current industrial and economic paradigm in the
region. Also, people's rights to information, knowledge, skills, housing,
education, health, food security and their organizations must be fulfilled to
strengthen their resilience to hazards such as floods, droughts and
cyclones.</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>The creation of alternative regional
trade and economic co-operation frameworks that meet the needs and aspirations
of small producers and labour. This will ensure the defeat of neo-liberal
instruments such as the World Trade Organisation and Free Trade Agreements in
the region. (In the light of current attempts to revive the flawed WTO Doha
Round we commit to work with groups across the region and elsewhere to ensure
that no deal comes out of the WTO Mini-Ministerial Meeting at Geneva from 21-25 July
2008.)<span>
</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Recognition of health, education,
housing as basic human rights. The scaling up of public infrastructure such as
housing, health, education and other civic amenities through democratic
sources of development finance. We urge equitable quality education to all
children through common school system in the region.. We oppose the
privatisation of these services and uphold the principle of basic services for
all. We particularly assert the rights of those affected by
disasters.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Upholding knowledge commons, rather
than monopolies of corporations. Adoption of free and open source software and
open standards in all e-governance projects. Setting up of a South Asian
resources pool for free software which enables international relations with
knowledge sharing.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>Unconditional cancellation of loans
from International Financial Institutions & bilateral
debt.</span></li></ol>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><span> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We call upon Government representatives
at the 15<sup>th</sup> SAARC Summit at Colombo to seriously address these concerns and
demands of the people of the region.<span>
</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>SAARC must be made accountable to the
citizens of the countries in the region. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span>We celebrate the struggles for democracy
and resistance to neo-liberalism and imperialism in the region and in particular
the victory of the people's movement in Nepal. Our Peoples Union of South
Asia is a rainbow coalition of democratic forces. We pledge to continue to
learn, inspire and empower each other to realise this vision.<span> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 2in; text-indent: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span>=============</span></p></div></font></div><font face="Arial" size="2">
<div><br>*</div></font></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>We have to start looking at the world through women's eyes' how are human rights, peace and development defined from the perspective of the lives of women? It's also important to look at the world from the perspective of the lives of diverse women, because there is not single women's view, any more than there is a single men's view." <br>
-- Charlotte Bunch <br><br>Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal<br>South Asia Advocacy Coordinator<br>Women's Health and Rights Advocacy Partnership (WHRAP)<br>Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre For Women (ARROW)<br>Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br>
website: <a href="http://www.arrow.org.my">http://www.arrow.org.my</a><br>Mobile-00919820749204<br>skype:lawyercumactivist<br>icq-lawyercumactivist<br>
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