Forum social maghreb/machrek

Like all social forums that have gradually emerged around the world, the Maghreb/Mashreq Social Forum is an open dynamic, a space of diversity, and therefore a constantly evolving process. The Maghreb/Mashreq Social Forum appeared and is currently expanding in a context where the multiplicity of civil society components and political and economic dictates make networking essential to move towards a different Maghreb/Mashreq. In the Maghreb and Mashreq countries, neoliberal globalization threatens the region's people with increased precarity, social and cultural exclusion. As elsewhere, populations face a rising cost of living and a deterioration of public services, while the job market is shrinking, affecting even university graduates. This capitalist globalization has exacerbated the countries' debt problems, undermining the economic fabric. Despite the region's wealth, its people are driven by poverty and exploitation to seek work in a fortress Europe that has turned the Strait of Gibraltar into the region's largest graveyard. At the same time, democratic shortcomings, repression, and local despotism fuel resistance and struggles for democracy, dignity, justice, and equality. How then should we understand the waves of protests against the high cost of living? How should we assess the millions of demonstrators in the streets in solidarity with Palestine, despite restrictions, if not outright bans and repression? In this context, the Maghreb/Mashreq dimension is not an empty concept; it corresponds not only to a centuries-old history shattered by colonial wars, but also to a pressing necessity in the face of European expansion and bilateral agreements between the United States and the countries of the region. The failure of the states in the region to achieve the unity of the Maghreb and the Mashreq, and the regional conflicts, compel us to seek alternatives to create a space of peace, prosperity and democracy.