An assembly to indicate solutions

The year 2021, in fact, the two years of the pandemic, has been a time of reflection for ORU Fogar. Videoconferences, com never, have been used to carry out unprecedented dialogue exercises, from which, now, during the assembly of November 23, sponsored by Zicosur, we will draw some conclusions. Among them, it is worth highlighting the “Positive Conversations” on the governance of the coming years and the “Workshop of the Future ORU Fogar 2020-2030”.

The “Positive Conversations” were born when, because of the state of global alarm, Abdessamad Sekkal, as president of ORU Fogar, called on the members of ORU Fogar to have a great debate on the role of the regions in future governance. This experience began, still in 2020, with a conversation between Abdessamad Sekkal and Thierry Cornillet, the founding president of AIRF. In the official languages of ORU Fogar, Spanish, French, or English, at the end, 7 sessions have been held. A Moroccan, a Senegalese, and a regional president from Côte d'Ivore, a French, a Belgian and a Finnish, a Chilean, an Argentine, an Ecuadorian, a Colombian, a Peruvian and a Uruguayan participated. At the Annual Assembly on November 23, we have a document of conclusions.

Another debate exercise has been the "Future Workshop". At the meeting of the Azores Bureau in early 2020, a great debate was to be held about the future of ORU Fogar. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to hold the Bureau in Azores and it was not possible to have the debate. Now, during 2021, in virtual sessions in Spanish, French and English, held from July to October 2021, in which the teams of the most active members of ORU Fogar have participated, talked on the future of the organization. The sessions have basically served to answer two questions: How can ORU Fogar be more useful? What else can offer ORU Fogar to its members? Many of the participants in the debate have pointed out that the organization has a lot of potential if it generates more bilateral relations. Therefore, the need to create spaces (virtual and face-to-face) that promote agreements between the different members of the network is pointed out. Beyond this aspect, a report with broader conclusions will be presented at the Annual Assembly.

The meeting will also include a report on the V World Forum for Local Economic Development. During the five days, at the end of May, 35 members of ORU Fogar participated in panels and plenary sessions. During these sessions, and with the presence of academics, representatives of United Nations agencies and representatives of the local world, the debate on how to face the economic reactivation was addressed. Considering that the Forum was held at a time when the pandemic was overcoming and that economic recipes were noted to move forward, the Assembly will review the final document approved by the Cordoba Forum.

Finally, the assembly will have a speech by Natalia Uribe, Regions4 Secretary General, who will take stock of COP26 of Glasgow.

Registration here: 

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