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• CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT TO THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF STREETNET, 21/22 August 2007 in Brazil

• SECOND  INTERNATIONAL  CONGRESS  of  StreetNet  International

SECOND  INTERNATIONAL  CONGRESS  of  StreetNet  International

Atibaia, Brazil, 21 and 22 August 2007

 Day 1 (Tuesday 21 August 2007) 

OPENING SESSION

The Opening session of the StreetNet International Congress was hosted by CUT Brazil. The opening event was a performance and puppet production by Sebastiao Nicomedes, a waste collector from Forum Centro Vivo in São Paulo, about the way in which waste collectors (catadores) of Brazil have organized themselves. 

Thereafter the representative (Josue Luiz Dedel) of the Mayor of Atibaia welcomed participants and opened the event, followed by the following presentations:

-         Martha Ayala (ORIT-CSI)

-         Kim Heung-Hyun (StreetNet President)

-         Edilson de Paula Oliveira (President of CUT São Paulo)

-         Ariovaldo de Camargo (CUT São Paulo) 

CLOSED SESSION

The closed session of the Congress started at 14h30 p.m. 

The International Co-ordinator presented the following Credentials Report: 

This constituted a quorum as more than 50% + 1 of all qualifying member organizations (i.e. those who had affiliated before 31 May 2007) were present and registered.  N.B. FENASEIN (Niger) and SYVEMOCOT (Togo) only became affiliated after this date, and therefore did not qualify to send delegates. 

The credentials report was adopted unanimously.

            Proposed:        T. Ak’ongo (KENASVIT)

            Seconded:        R.B. Sharmale (NASVI)

Reports

The Co-ordinator’s written report (pp.145 – 162 in the English version of the documents, pp.147 – 164 in the French version and pp.147 – 165 in the Spanish version) was presented by the International Co-ordinator.

The audited financial report for the financial year 1 January – 31 December 2006, also reflecting the audited report of the previous financial year 1 January – 31 December 2005 (pp.163 – 180 in the English version of the documents, pp.165 – 182 in the French version and pp.166 – 183 in the Spanish version) which had been adopted by the outgoing International Council at its last meeting on 15 and 16 May 2007, was presented to the Congress by the International Treasurer. 

DISCUSSION on reports

The outgoing Secretary criticised the Treasurer’s mode of presentation of the audited financial report, and raised questions about the criteria for subsidization of Congress delegates. 

One of the SINTEIN delegates criticized StreetNet’s language policy – in particular the fact that written materials are not routinely translated into Portuguese. 

One of the CTPT-FNT delegates said that they were unable to understand the financial report, or the South African Rands currency. 

Delegates from FEDEVAL stressed the importance of the exchange visits and the need for StreetNet and its affiliates to work towards financial self-sufficiency.  One of the AZIEA delegates proposed that StreetNet should organize capacity-building for its affiliates on project-writing for fund-raising, in order to assist the affiliates to become financially self-sufficient.  The delegate from USYNVEPID stressed that all StreetNet’s affiliates should become self-sufficient, so that StreetNet should not have to depend on donor funding but rather on its affiliates.  One of the NASVI delegates stated that they are building a reserve fund in NASVI by setting aside a small percentage of all their expenditures, and suggested that StreetNet should do the same. 

NASVI further emphasized that StreetNet affiliates should practice democracy in their own organizations, and not merely come to StreetNet structures and demand democratic treatment.  StreetNet should promote democracy in all affiliates, and start global campaigns or programmes to fight against violence against street vendors, and against corruption.

The delegate from CNTS proposed that sub-committees should be set up to work on propositions for the next three years, and that criteria should be established for elections. 

The delegate from FNOTNA proposed that there should be more resolutions from affiliates at the next International Congress.  She underlined the importance of the exchange visits and of affiliates organizing themselves to have more members and be more financially self-sufficient. 

The delegate from CNTG proposed that StreetNet should continue with its step-by-step approach to its work, and affiliates should develop a collective way of operating rather than each thinking only about their own country. 

One of the delegates from NUIEWO proposed that StreetNet should denounce the privatization of informal markets, which causes informal market vendors to lose their livelihoods and become gangsters.  NUIEWO was encouraged to prepare a resolution to submit to the Congress the following day. 

The Congress adjourned at 19h00 and re-convened on the 22^nd August at 9h30 a.m. 

Day 2 (Wednesday 22 August 2007)

Three constitutional amendments, which had been duly circulated to all affiliates in English, French and Spanish more than 60 days in advance of the Congress as required by Clause 13 of the StreetNet International Constitution, were adopted by the Congress (see Annexures 1 – 3). 

The following resolutions were adopted by the Congress (see Annexures 4 – 9)

1: Informal sector workers

2: StreetNet and Fight Against Poverty

3: HIV-AIDS in the informal economy

4: Worker Education in the informal economy

5: Exchange visit criteria

6: Creation of regional structures in StreetNet 

Due to lack of time to complete the discussion, the following proposed resolutions were referred to the International Council:

7: Fund-Raising Sub-Committee

8: Privatisation of Markets 

Elections

The elections were conducted by the following two Electoral Officers in accordance with the agreed Elections Procedure:

-         Flavio de Souza Gomes (CUT Sao Paulo)

-         Jose del Valle (CROC)

assisted by Joon Moon (Korean interpreter) and other members of CUT. 

FOR THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT:

1. Beauty Mugijima from ZCIEA withdrew her nomination, citing that she had been informed that she should make way for a male president.  The International Co-ordinator registered a formal protest.
2. The nomination of Miwoto Gossou was not seconded.

FOR THE POSITION OF VICE-PRESIDENT:

1. The following male candidates did not qualify as a male President had already been elected:  Orlando Mercado, Manuel Sulca, Gilberto Vasquez, Reuben Oroya.
2. The nomination of Shikha Joshi was not seconded.

FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY:

The nomination of Bourama A. Razack was not seconded. 

FOR THE POSITION OF TREASURER:

Fundile Jalile withdrew his nomination. 

FOR THE ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS’ POSITIONS:

1. The nomination of KenWilliams Mhango was disqualified in accordance with the newly adopted constitutional amendment to Clauses 9.4.1 and 10.1 of the constitution, as he is not from the sector of street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers.
2. The nominations of Virginia Wangui and Farida Akter were disqualified on the grounds that they had not complied with the requirements (i.e. submission of a nomination form and candidate’s profile).
3. Madeleine Tounkara protested about the fact that her nomination (received the previous week, 6 weeks after the deadline date) was not included in the list.  She argued for an exception to be made in her case, since the failure to submit the nomination was a result of the death of her daughter.  The meeting unanimously agreed to accept her nomination.
4. The Congress then agreed unanimously to also accept the following other late nominations:  Anastasie Chodaton, Sessou Pascaline, Aboh Jacques, Fatoumata Binetou, Mamadou Fall.

The results of the elections were as follows:

PRESIDENT:  Kim Heung-Hyun from KOSC

                    - elected unopposed 

VICE-PRESIDENT:  Clarisse Gnahoui from USYNVEPID

    - elected with 21 votes vs 13 votes for Sandra Flores Jimenez from     CTCP and 1 vote for Angelique Kipulu from LDFC  

SECRETARY:  Elvis Nkandu Chishala from AZIEA

                     - elected with 23 votes vs 11 votes for R.B. Sharmale from NASVI 

TREASURER:  Teresa Ak’ongo from KENASVIT

                     - elected unopposed 

MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL:

1. Luz Ysabel Maldonado Velasquez from FEDEVAL (22 votes)
2. Fatou Binetou Yafa from CNTS (20 votes)
3. Madeleine Tounkara from CNTG (19 votes)
4. Sandra Yadira Florez Jimenez from CTCP (18 votes)
5. Shikha Joshi from NASVI/SEWA (18 votes)
6. Juliana Afari-Brown from Ghana StreetNet Alliance (18 votes)
7. Lameck Kashiwa from AZIEA (18 votes)
8. Fundile Jalile from East Cape Street Vendors’ Alliance (16 votes)
9. Ram Baji Rao Sharmale from NASVI (15 votes)
10. Manuel Sulca Escalante from FEDEVAL (15 votes)
11. Peter Odhiambo Okello from KENASVIT (14 votes)

Conclusion

The incoming President, Kim Heung-Hyun, closed the StreetNet International Congress at 19h00 p.m. on the 22^nd August 2007.

ANNEXURE  1 

Constitutional amendment 1/2007 

The following changes to Clauses 2.1 and 9.1(a) of the constitution are proposed: 

Clause 2.1

StreetNet shall be open to the following types of organizations, provided that they represent not less than 500 members: 

Clause 9.1(a)

Amend “0 – 1000 members: 1 delegate” to “500 – 1000 members: 1 delegate”

PROPOSED:  MUFIS (Malawi)

SECONDED:  ZCIEA (Zimbabwe)

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

ANNEXURE  2

Constitutional amendment 2/2007 

The following changes to Clauses 9.4.1 and 10.1 of the constitution: 

Clause 9.4.1

Amend “Ordinary International Congresses shall elect from their member organizations an International President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary ………..”

to read 

“Ordinary International Congresses shall elect from their member organizations from the sector of street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers, or  organizers of street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers, an International President, Vice-President, treasurer and Secretary ………” 

Clause 10.1

Amend “Eleven (11) representatives elected from among member organizations (as envisaged in Clause 2 above) at the National Congress ……..” 

to read 

“Eleven (11) representatives elected from among member organizations from the sector of street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers, or organizers of street vendors, informal market vendors and hawkers (as envisaged in Clause 2 above) at the International Congress ……..” 

 PROPOSED:  AZIEA (Zambia)

SECONDED:  Eastern Cape Street Vendors Alliance (South Africa) 

ADOPTED BY TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE:

            FOR:  26

            AGAINST:   6

            ABSTENTIONS:   1

ANNEXURE  3

 Constitutional amendment 3/2007

 The International Congress of StreetNet International, 

NOTING

1. that certain additions to the Constitution are required in order to be able to register as a Non-Profit Organisation in terms of South Africa’s NPO Act no.71 of 1997;

2. that registration as a Non-Profit Organisation will allow StreetNet to apply for a tax exemption;

 HEREBY RESOLVES

to propose the following constitutional additions (which in any event reflect StreetNet’s current policy and practice) be made at this International Congress: 

Clause 8

Add:8.1 The organization shall:

-         exist in its own right, separately from its members;

-         be able to own property and other possessions;

-         be able to sue and be sued in its own name.

  8.2 The organization shall continue to exist even when its membership          changes and there are different office bearers. 

Clause 11

Add:  11.1(g)  The financial year of the organization ends on 31 December each year. 

11.9  Members or office bearers of the organization do not have a right over things that belong to the organization. 

11.10  The organization may not give any of its money or property to its members of office bearers, except as payment for work that a member or office bearer has done for the organization.  In such cases, the payment must be a reasonable amount for the work that has been done. 

 PROPOSED:  FEDEVAL (Peru)

SECONDED:   CTCP-FNT (Nicaragua) 

ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

ANNEXURE 4

 Resolution 1:  Informal economy workers

From 26^th to 30^th March 2007 a workshop on collective bargaining in the Informal Economy, strategies and litigations for Street vendors was held in Saly, organized by StreetNet International, whose affiliates were represented by informal economy workers.

 Those informal economy workers:

-  Considering their non recognition in a legal and regulatory framework;

-  Considering the fact that the Labour Codes used in most countries do not          consider their concerns;

-   Considering the lack of representation in the decision making structures;

-   Conscious of their vulnerability and their social exclusion;

-   Measuring all humiliations and harassment from policemen, municipal             authorities and fiscal services;

-   Considering their dynamism, their innovation capacity, their creative spirit and their business sense; 

-   Conscious of the economic weight of their sector in the national economy and their strategies of poverty reduction, street vendors affiliated to StreetNet:

            - Demand a better organization and structuring that are in line with                 their developmental aspirations, from StreetNet affiliates.

             - Call with all their energy for a system of social protection for all their                  workers.

             - Demand to Administrative and Municipal authorities, the creation of a                 legal framework for street vendors.

              - Invite those in power (the government) to establish the social                 dialogue as a mean to solve all litigations that occurred concerning                 street vending.

              - Demand to Governments the recognition of a status of street vendors.

               - Invite all street vendors wherever they are to unite around StreetNet                   in order to exchange the positive experiences and successes.

               - Demand to national States and decentralized local authorities to                   propose the reform of labour, hygiene, security, civil and trading                   obligations codes, in order to adapt them to the reality of the Informal                   Economy.

 PROPOSED:  CNTS, Senegal

 SECONDED:  NUIEWO, Uganda

ANNEXURE  5 

Resolution 2:  StreetNet and Fight Against Poverty 

This Second International Congress of StreetNet: 

NOTING

-   The need to enable StreetNet to become a big and powerful organization in the fight against poverty;

-   To seek StreetNet partnership with big International Institutions (E.U, U.N, global union federations (GUFs) and international Human Rights NGOs, etc.) involved in the fight against poverty;

-   To involve affiliated organizations in the planning of StreetNet activities;

-   The International Coordinator and Council to establish a calendar of  visits to affiliated organizations to listen to their members;

-   To organize exchange workshops on practical experiences;

-   To organize trainings of organizations affiliated to StreetNet International on Informal Economy;

-   To supply affiliated organizations with the documentation on Informal Economy; 

PROPOSED:  LDFC, Democratic Republic of Congo 

SECONDED:   KENASVIT, Kenya

ANNEXURE  6

 Resolution 3:  HIV-AIDS in the informal economy 

This Second International Congress of StreetNet: 

NOTING

1. that many street vendors are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, either because they have lost their employment through being HIV-positive or suffering from AIDS, or because they have to support more and more dependants as they lose breadwinners in their extended families;

2. Uganda is one of the countries in Africa that has initiated the Market Vendors Aids Project (MAVAP) which has done a good job.  This could be referred to as a role model for other affilliated organisations that may wish to establish such initiatives.

HEREBY RESOLVES 

That all affiliated organisations should establish HIV/AIDS committees at their members’ places of work, focus objectively on sensitisation programmes, voluntary counselling and testing procedures for workers to know their HIV status, treatment of infected clients by providing them with ARVs (anti-retroviral treatment) and other necessities – including prevention. 

StreetNet International and all StreetNet affiliates should make possible contacts with other International Organisations to solicit funds for affiliates to run HIV/AIDS programmes.  StreetNet should also establish an international Sub-Committee on HIV/AIDS in accordance with Clause 10.6(d) of the StreetNet Constitution. 

Exchange of visits and sharing of experiences is of paramount importance and must be encouraged. Partnerships need to be established with health institutions and health professionals (both medical and psychological) for maximum effectiveness. 

PROPOSED:  NUIEWO, Uganda 

SECONDED:  USYNVEPID, Benin

ANNEXURE  7

 Resolution 4:  Worker Education in the informal economy

This Second International Congress of StreetNet: 

NOTING

1. StreetNet’s affiliation to the International Federation of Workers Education Associations (IFWEA);

2. StreetNet’s role in monitoring and evaluation of the IFWEA Southern and East Africa project on organizing workers in the informal economy;

3. StreetNet’s history of collaboration at country and regional level with IFWEA affiliates WEAZ (Zambia), PLADES (Peru), Workers’ College and Ditsela (South Africa) and relationships with LARRI (Namibia), SEWA Academy (India), LEARN (Philippines), LRS and Khanya College (South Africa);

4. the need for more capacity in workers’ education organizations to be able to take on facilitation of informal economy workers’ education activities for StreetNet’s affiliates.

HEREBY RESOLVES 

1. To participate in the Worker Educators’ Forum for workers education in the informal economy which will be convened at the international conference of IFWEA in Ahmedabad, India, in December 2007, to contribute and gain some experience about perspectives on workers’ education in the informal economy.

2. To develop a 3-year Workers’ Education programme spanning 2008 to 2010.

3. To continue to develop informal economy worker education materials and make these available for wider use by informal economy workers’ organizations, in collaboration with IFWEA affiliates.

4. To identify and develop worker educators from among the affiliates of StreetNet International.

PROPOSED:  FEDEVAL, Peru 

SECONDED:  CTCP-FNT, Nicaragua

ANNEXURE  8

Resolution 5:  Exchange visit criteria 

This Second International Congress of StreetNet: 

NOTING

1. that StreetNet International has an extensive programme of exchange visits between affiliates, started during the first three-year plan from 2003 – 2005 but ongoing during the current three-year period from 2006 – 2008;

2. that StreetNet is involved in an additional programme of exchange visits in our joint UNI-StreetNet programme in francophone West Africa;

3. that we have experienced two instances of abuse of exchange visit funds.

HEREBY RESOLVES to adopt the following criteria, in addition to (and to strengthen) the existing administrative requirements and procedures, in relation to all exchange visits supported by StreetNet:

(a) The purpose of exchange visits is to learn more about the following from each others’ experiences:

-   organising strategies appropriate to workers in the informal economy, particularly market vendors, street vendors and hawkers;

-   how collective bargaining is done (what are the issues, which authorities are the negotiation partner, how does the organisation structure its own negotiating teams, how do the negotiating teams report back, etc.)

-  what gains have been made for the members, and how far can such gains be replicated;

-   how do the organisations build, administer and sustain themselves;

-   how do the organisations build their leadership (particularly women leadership) and develop their capacity;

-   comparison of organisational systems and structures, and how well they work;

-   what common experiences they have which they would like to share with other organisations of market vendors, street vendors and/or hawkers. 

(b)StreetNet funds allocated to exchange visits are to be used exclusively for the realization of the abovementioned objectives. 

(c) Organisations participating in exchange visits are expected to make a contribution (however small) to the costs – and such contribution should be clearly indicated in the financial reports. 

(d) None of StreetNet’s funds allocated to exchange visits may be used by participants for personal spending money. Participants who wish to make purchases in the country they are visiting have to organise their own private funds for this purpose. 

PROPOSED:  AZIEA, Zambia

SECONDED:  KENASVIT, Kenya

ANNEXURE  9

 Resolution 6:  Creation of regional structures in StreetNet 

This Second International Congress of StreetNet: 

NOTING

1. that StreetNet affiliates in certain regions have established some level of direct co-operation with each other in various ways;

2. the proposals for establishing an Asian regional structure developed by affiliates attending StreetNet’s Asian Regional Workshop in Nepal in November 2006;

3. the constitutional provisions already in place for regional finances (Clause 11.2).

HEREBY RESOLVES 

1. That StreetNet International should establish regional structures in a bottom-up manner based on the co-operation between affiliates in the region, as follows:

-   one focal point organization will be identified by the International Congress or the International Council in each identified region, who will house the regional structure of StreetNet and co-ordinate the communication between affiliates in the region;

-   the focal point organization will report to the International Council, and to the Executive Committee and the StreetNet office between International Council meetings;

-   the focal point organization will be bound by the provisions of Clause 11.2 of the StreetNet International constitution with respect to fund-raising and financial management; 

2. It will be the responsibility of affiliates in each region to organise and strengthen StreetNet in their region.

3. That the following regional structures should be established at this International Congress, with the possibility of being revised, sub-divided or added to at future International Congresses according to StreetNet’s expansion:

-         Asia;

-         West Africa;

-         East and Southern Africa;

-         Latin America. 

4. That the StreetNet office should negotiate with the identified focal point organizations about their willingness to house StreetNet’s regional structures, and endeavour to raise funds to cover the administration costs incurred by focal point organizations.

PROPOSED:  KENASVIT, Kenya

SECONDED:  CTCP-FNT, Nicaragua

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