What is the People’s Summit?
The People’s Summit for Social and Environmental Justice during Rio+20  is an event organized by global civil society that will take place between the 15th and the 23rd of June at Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro – alongside the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), Rio+20.

Why?
Rio+20 officially marks the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio 92 or Eco 92). In these two decades, the lack of action to overcome social  and environmental injustice has frustrated expectations and discredited the UN. The planned agenda for Rio+20 official – the so-called “green economy” and global governance – is regarded as unsatisfactory for us to deal with the crisis of the planet, caused by the models of capitalist production and consumption.

To meet the challenges of the systemic crisis, the People’s Summit will not only be a great event. It is part of a historical process of accumulation and convergence of local, regional and global struggles, that have anti-capitalist, classist, anti-racist, anti-patriarchal and anti-homophobic political frames.

We want to transform Rio+20 in a moment of opportunity to address the serious problems that humanity is facing and demonstrate the political power of organized people. ”Come reinvent the world” is our call and our invitation for the participation of the organizations and social movements in Brazil and in the world.

How?
The Civil Society’s Facilitator Committee for Rio+20 (CFSC) is preparing the design of the Peoples’ Summit and the territory we will occupy in Flamengo. The space will be organized into self-organized discussion groups, a People’s Permanent Assembly and a showcase space for organizations and social movements, to allow them to practice and dialogue with society on their experiences and projects. The actions of the Summit will all be interconnected.

The idea is that the Permanent People’s Assembly – the main political forum of the Summit, is organized around three axes and discuss the structural causes of the current crisis of civilization, without fragmenting it into specific crises – energy, financial, environmental, food. Thus, we expect to raise new paradigms and alternatives built by people and point out the political agenda for the next period.

When?
The first two days of the Summit (15th and 16th of June) will be guided by activities organized by local social movements, which are in constant struggle to resist the impacts of major projects. Starting from that moment, a free access space will be set up, where organizations and global civil society movements will be able to exhibit experiences and projects that demonstrate how a sustainable and fraternal society is possible, unlike the current paradigm that we live in.

Therefore, the territory of the People’s Summit will be free from corporate presence and based on solidarity economy, agriculture, in digital cultures, actions of indigenous and quilombolas communities. This meeting of citizenship, which will also feature cultural attractions, will be opened until the end of the Summit, on the 23rd.

On the17th, Sunday, the organization of the Summit prepares a march to mark the event. Starting from the 18th, the self managed discussions and the Permanent People’s Assembly will begin. The 20th of June is an International Day of Mobilization, with demonstrations that will send a clear and incisive message to the official Rio+20.