FAL’s history - 4th FAL WORLD ASSEMBLY

Date: 2004

Place: In the framework of the “Universal Forum of Cultures 2004” (Barcelona, Cataluña)

Theme: The cultural dimension as a key factor for cities in terms of citizen participation.

Result: Declaration of Barcelona.
Approval of the document “Agenda 21 for culture. An  undertaking by cities and local authorities to cultural development”

DECLARATION OF BARCELONA

The 4th Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion took place in Barcelona, resulting from a process launched within the context of the first World Social Forum of Porto Alegre in 2001 and in the desire to forge ties between local authorities and social movements to build a fairer, more democratic world based on the values of solidarity. In pursuing this objective, local authorities, forming networks and working within their various territorial and thematic expressions, have established a political space and taken on a role in promoting public policies for social inclusion.

We recognize that there are many forms of exclusion, particularly those of extreme poverty and hunger, and for this reason this Forum pledges to promote solidarity between cities and civil societies through decentralized cooperation, calling on the international community to discharge its responsibilities with regard to such situations.

This 4th Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion took place following the merger of international organizations of local authorities (UTO/FMCU and IULA) in Paris on May 2-5, where a new network, United Cities and Local Governments, was established. The aim of this merger is to strengthen the cities’ organizational capacity and role as an influential player in foreign affairs.

In this context, proceedings at the 4th Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion of Porto Alegre, held in Barcelona prior to the Universal Forum of Cultures, focused on the shared idea of culture as a driving-force for social inclusion, democratization, solidarity and peace culture.

The period since the 3rd Forum of Local Authorities of Porto Alegre has served to confi rm some of the worst predictions formulated in the debates and conclusions there. Unfortunately, the dynamic of war has come to the fore on the world stage. However, in this context of war, violence, occupation of territories and international terrorism, the cities can play an important role as mediators in confl icts and in transmitting a culture of peace. In this, initiatives undertaken by local authorities in cooperation with social movements can provide the counterweight necessary to reverse the logic of confrontation.

In such context, culture should be understood, always, in its broadest sense, avoiding closed or elitist conceptions, and should be seen as an essential ingredient in a creative crossbreeding of races, the result of peaceful co-existence and dialogue between peoples and individuals, and as a central element in full Human Rights, as well as a factor in inclusion and social justice.

This Forum of Local Authorities is convinced that social inclusion requires promotion of and commitment to citizen participation and participatory democracy, recognizing people’s capacity to act on their own particular social circumstances.

The cities cannot advance unless citizens have access to direct mechanisms enabling them to intervene in decisions affecting their lives.

The right to information and communication is a crucial issue in democratic and cultural development. In view of this, this Forum pledges to promote public and private non-commercial communication arenas and media at the service of alternative information giving a voice to the cities and to civil society.

Action by the Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion is aimed at demonstrating, from the cities, that another world is possible, a world based on social justice and equality. True to its vocation, as declared at the 1st FAL, of providing the cities with their own voice and enabling them to take part in the work of international organizations, the 4th Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion will promote the Agenda 21 for Culture as the cities’ commitment and program for human cultural development. The Agenda 21 for Culture will be presented at the United Nations World Urban Forum, which will take place in Barcelona the following month of September, with a view to seeing it adopted as a reference and working document in a worldwide scale.

Moreover, we hereby agree to set up, in coordination with the new organization United Cities and Local Governments, a Commission on Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy.

Local governments so deciding through formal agreement are free to join this Network, endorsing the political resolutions and declarations approved by the FAL over the years. In this Declaration, expressing the feeling of more than 300 cities in 44 countries, we agree to launch a process for formally establishing the Network of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion, embracing networks, forums and expressions of local authorities and civil society, and which will be ratified at the 2005 FAL of Porto Alegre.

Barcelona, May 8, 2004.