Delegation from North and East Syria attends the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA) assembly in Kenya
In the presence of representatives of alternative organizations, movements, and networks from 22 countries, from several continents around the world, the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA) held its assembly in the city of Nanyuki in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
The assembly was held from 8-14 August 2023, the attendees were the main members and supporters of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA), to exchange their views and experiences and discuss the crisis of centralized systems around the world.
The assembly included many activities, workshops, and free discussions, in addition to a tour of the region. Participants from different countries shared their experiences and expertise. Ashish Kothari, Spokesperson of the Indian Vikalp Sangam organization, said: This gathering of people from all over the world is of historical importance, because every society faces different crises, but at the same time, they are all together facing common crises, and the problems brought by capitalism are countless, and we need solidarity and mutual support to raise the level of resistance and struggle and find effective alternatives. We may differ greatly from each other, but this increases the richness of the values that we all believe in and the diversity of cultures, languages, and societies. We all believe that we are part of… Nature and we must protect nature and life.
The assembly continued for six consecutive days as follows:
The first day: Introduction among the participating members from 22 countries around the world, of different nationalities, cultures, races, and religious sects.
The second day: Working on developing plans to expand the work of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA) by exchanging experiences and opinions around the world to build global solidarity that can stand in the face of world crises.
The Third day: Discussing moving forward in the GTA process, cooperation, and plans that contribute to achieving the objectives of the process.
The Fourth day: Steps, ground plans, and conclusion, setting plans and practical steps that must be taken to reach common goals.
The assembly concluded after four days of discussions, mutual dialogues, and workshops, while the last two days were allocated to field visits. On the fifth day, a field visit was made to the “Tharaka” community, an ethnic community that speaks the Bantu language and lives in the eastern part of Mount Kenya, in addition to a visit to a protected area. Ingwesi community and wildlife encounter.
The goals of the assembly:
Think about the GTA Global Tapestry of alternatives that they are a part of and the alternatives/regions in which we are located (taking into account the diversity of alternatives according to different regions and internal diversity).
Centering grassroots movements and weavers and recognizing power dynamics – by placing grassroots movements at the center and then weaving outwards with other supporters and core groups.
Building connection, collaboration, and alternatives together, looking at the Weavers’ Standards document that we are building in the GTA and nurturing it in the collective.
Working in dialogue weaves together (not as academics but as owners of our process) gender, culture, race, class, ability, linguistics and so on. Recognizing diversity and how people construct their alternatives to care for life in different ways according to the struggles they face and the possibilities they create.
It is worth noting that a delegation from the Civil Diplomacy Center in North and East Syria participated in the eleventh assembly, and during the assembly a lecture was held on the Rojava Revolution, the model of Democratic Autonomous Administration, and the civil society institutions and organizations that were established under it, and how it maintains the peaceful coexistence of all components, through the foundations of direct democracy, environmental protection, and women’s freedom. The importance of building communes, municipalities, and local councils, as well as independent women’s institutions, was also discussed. At the same time, reference was made to the attacks and threats of the Turkish state the siege that the North and East Syria is experiencing, and the importance of supporting communities, peoples, and networks concerned with combating the forces of hegemony and occupation around the world.
