(1) Topic-related groups: a) peasants; b) indigenous peoples; c) trade unions; d) women; e) youth; f) unemployed; g) migrants; h) environment; i) housing; j) culture; k) health; l) students

(2) The division of the regional groups is not done yet; it will depend on the amount of Southern delegates present at the conference (which will depend on the amount of funds that we can raise for travel expenses)

The Europeans assume the responsibility of co-ordinating the fund-raising, but they expect the collaboration of other continents in the efforts to finance the conference. We expect to use a great percentage of the funds raised to finance travel expenses, since there will be no lodging expenses and the building where the conference will take place will be very cheap. We will only finance the trips of participants from the South and from Central and Eastern Europe (ex-socialist countries).

The rule that limits the participation of Europeans to a maximum of 50% of the total means a serious commitment to get funds for the travel expenses of participants in the South and the East, since if we do not obtain these funds, we will not reach the amount of participants that we want to have in the conference. The biggest plenary room available has space for about 600 persons, which means that if we want to fill it up, we need to obtain funds for 300 tickets.

There will be a participation fee that will cover the expenses related to the participation in the conference (food, previous communication with the participants, etc.) and the preparatory costs. This fee will be the same for the whole world, but it will be a fee in ECOs, a (non-existent) equitable currency with an exchange rate that compensates for the differences in the costs of living and in the average purchasing power of different countries. It will be low enough to facilitate participation by everybody.

 

---

geneva february-may 1998 – old calendar – index of may 98 reports – www.agp.org