From 16 to 20 September 2024, SERI researcher Thato Masiangoako participated in the Global Strategy Meeting (GSM) of the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), which took place under the theme "Building Collective Power to Shape Our Futures". The Meeting brought together over 100 ESCR-net members from around the world to set the network’s strategic agenda for the next five years which is rooted in "justice, dignity, and care for people and the planet". The Meeting took place in Chiang-Mai, Thailand and was jointly hosted by ESCR-net, the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD). Other South African-based ESCR-net members that participated in the GSM included Abahlali baseMjondolo, the Women’s Legal Centre, and the Legal Resources Centre.
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* Photos courtesy of ESCR-net.
The meeting comprised plenary panel discussions and presentations, break-away group discussions and incorporated several opportunities for member-to-member exchanges and solidarity-building. The meeting also gave a special focus on the plight of Palestinians and indigenous groups globally. The various sessions aimed to develop a shared political analysis of the current global context and the various crises of care, climate, debt, and escalating violence faced globally to further develop the conditions identified in the Common Charter for Collective Struggle of 2016. The meeting provided space for members to develop a new ESCR-Net strategic framework that is member-led and is aimed at realising the envisioned futures that were collectively developed throughout the meeting. As a member of the ESCR-net's strategic litigation working group and the research and monitoring working group, SERI had the opportunity to participate in the break-away sessions of these working groups.
Across the various discussions, members shared an understanding of the nature and causes of the various crises as rooted in capitalism, colonialism/imperialism, and patriarchy. Members also emphasised the importance of unity and building solidarity, strengthening political education, developing narratives derived from community-led knowledge, and the need for an intersectional analysis as vital strategies for confronting today’s global challenges.
- Read more about the GSM here.