Bottom-Up Summit (Top van Onderop)

Sunday May 20th 2007
11.00 - 18.00
Balie, Barlaeus and Leidseplein Amsterdam
Entrance fee: 5 euro per person

About the Nederlands Sociaal Forum (Dutch Social Forum): Millions of people joined internationally into a strong movement towards a different world. Organisations from different work area’s - environment, human rights, poverty, peace, labor - joined forces. The first World Social Forum was organised in Brazil in 2001. This example inspired the Dutch, and the Nederlands Sociaal Forum (in English: Dutch Social Forum) was organised in November 2004. A coalition of more than two hundred organisations made the first edition a success. This year’s expectations are very high.

Top van Onderop (Bottom-Up Summit):
The Nederlands Sociaal Forum organizes the Top van Onderop (in English: Bottom-Up Summit). Just before the leaders of the G8 meet in the beginning of June, Dutch social movements will meet to present their vision of a new world. At least one thousand participants are expected to join the Top van Onderop. In De Balie and the Barlaeus Gymnasium, close to the Leidseplein in Amsterdam, are dozens of debates, films, workshops and an information market. During the event everybody is invited to join the protest at 13:00 hrs.

A world without war, poverty and climate change:
The motto of the Top van Onderop is "A different world is possible". A different world than the one that is represented by the G8; a world without war, poverty and climate change. These three themes will be the focus of this year’s Top van Onderop. There will be 30 workshops, six big seminars, a variety of documentaries and a big protest action.

Cindy Sheehan at the Top van Onderop:
One of the prominent speakers at the Top van Onderop is Cindy Sheehan. She is an American peace activist and mother of a soldier who died in Iraq, just 5 days after his arrival in 2004. Sheehan is a member of the Gold Star Families for Peace, a peace organisation which pursues that American forces return from Iraq. The organisation got worldwide attention in 2005 when they formed a protest camp just outside the holiday ranch of president Bush. Sheehan was keynote speaker at the World Social Forum in Venezuela in 2006.