SADC People’s Summit
The SADC People’s Summit is a historic annual gathering of social movements and progressive groups from Southern Africa aimed at enhancing solidarity and collective action towards a just, peaceful, and prosperous region for all. It is usually held at the same time and in the same country as the annual SADC Heads of States and Government. This gives the people an important opportunity not only to lobby SADC leaders but also to raise popular awareness and political pressures for SADC leaders to consider the demands and recommendations of the poor and marginalised. An inclusive Local Organising Committee of CSOs from the host country is responsible for convening and coordinating Summit activities as well as to sustain the pressure on the incoming Chair of SADC post the People’s Summit. TSHOTA (the Angolan Alternative Mining Indaba) will spearhead SADC People’s Summit processes in 2023 as Chair of the Angola Local Organising Committee taking over from the Southern African Resource Watch (SARW) who led the 2022 processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Summit Theme
Justice – Meaningful Participation – Inclusion
The 2023 SADC People’s Summit will run under the theme ‘Justice – Meaningful Participation – Inclusion.’ This theme reflects SADC people’s shared aspirations for justice particularly in the areas of debt bondage, unfair taxation, and the transition towards a climate secure future. It also underscores the concern with growing repression, authoritarianism and shrinking civic space in the Region. Lastly the theme recalls the desire for the voices and aspirations of poor and marginalised groups to be centred within regional political, social, economic, and cultural processes as a matter of justice.
Objetivo geral: Overal Goal
‘Justiça – Participação significativa – Inclusão’
Criar uma plataforma popular e uma mobilização inclusiva para o reforço das lutas de solidariedade transnacionais conduzidas pelas pessoas e alternativas centradas nas pessoas à dominação neoliberal, crises induzidas pelo clima, declínio democrático e pobreza extrema e desigualdade na região da África Austral.
Objectivos estratégicos: Strategic Objectives
Desafiar as narrativas e discursos dominantes e refletir melhor as necessidades, experiências e aspirações dos mais afectados pela dominação neoliberal e marginalização na Região.
Reforçar a solidariedade interseccional e transnacional entre as lutas dos povos em curso na região da África Austral.
Envolver e influenciar coletivamente os Chefes de Estado e de Governo da SADC para promover e apoiar as esperanças e aspirações articuladas dos grupos pobres e marginalizados da Região.
Summit Aims and Objectives
Overall Goal:
To strengthen and motivate people driven transnational solidarity struggles and people centred alternatives to neo-liberal domination, climate induced crises, democratic decline, human rights abuses, gender opression and extreme poverty and inequality in the Southern Africa region.
Strategic objectives:
To challenge dominant narratives and discourses and better reflect the needs, experiences, and aspirations of those most affected by neoliberal domination and marginalisation in the Region.
To strengthen intersectional and transnational solidarity between and amongst ongoing peoples’ struggles in the Southern African region.
To collectively engage and influence SADC Heads of State and Government to promote and support the articulated hopes and aspirations of poor and marginalised groups in the Region.
Summit focus areas and issues of concern
Climate Justice with a particular concern for climate change, just transition, forced migration, agrarian justice, anti-GMOs, water scarcity, climate financing, energy poverty and seed sovereignty.
Democracy, Human Rights and Governance with a particular concern about shrinking civic space, SADC Non-State Actors Engagement Mechanism, Human Rights Defenders, and solidarity with democratic struggles in DRC, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe,
Economic justice with a particular concern with natural resource governance, regional debt crisis, tax justice, trade justice, economic partnership agreements, AfCFTA, illicit financial flows, extreme poverty, inequality, privatisation and austerity measures.
Gender Justice with a particular concern on care income, gender-based violence, maternal mortality, feminisation of poverty, women and land, gender equality and inclusion of women and girls in decision making processes.
Youth inclusion and participation with a particular focus on, universal basic income grants, #feesmust fall, academic freedom, taxation, right to education, SRHR, extreme inequality, and youth engagement in decision making.
Summit participants
Local Angola participants: At least 200 participants from Angola CSOs
Regional participants: At least 100 gender balanced and inclusive regional participants representing diverse constituencies and nationalities.
Virtual Participants: At least 5000 virtual participants throughout Summit Virtual Week of Solidarity and Action 14 – 20 August
Summit order of events
Pre-Summit Consultations: National and thematic pre-Summit consultation are to be held between June and July 2023
Summit dates: Summit dates are tentatively set for 16 -18 August (pending confirmation by SADC Secretariat and Angola government.)
Week of Learning and Action (virtual): The Week of Learning and Action will run concurrently with the People’s Summit between 14 – 20 August.
Post Summit: Regular / monthly national and sectoral engagement meetings are to be held post Summit to follow up on Summit demands and recommendations.
Viva all Summit Solidarity Campaigns!
Campaign against Austerity
Campaign to dismantle corporate power.
Justice for Thulani Maseko Campaign
#feesmustfall Campaign
Fight Inequality Alliance
Southern Africa Migration Network
United Nations Tax Convention Campaign
Summit expected outcomes
(i) Inclusive Pre-Summit Consultations at country and thematic levels to build consensus on key demands and recommendations for collective consideration.
(ii) Local mobilisation of at least 200 people from Angola and inclusive regional mobilisation of at least 100 people representing diverse country and thematic structures.
(iii) Enhanced connection and solidarity with other global and sub-regional people’s struggles.
(iv) Consensus driven and people centred policy platform of critical demands and recommendations to SADC leaders and other solution holders in the Region.
(v) Increased awareness and popular support for people centred demands, recommendations, and alternatives for development in the SADC region.
(vi) Strengthened capacity of Angola CSO’s to carry forward and advance regional solidarity issues during Angola’s Chair of SADC between 2023 – 2024