WHY THIS FORUM?

campaign against Agrexco
BDS Europe, a major struggle
The Annual General Meeting of the Coalition against Agrexco has initiated this forum while Operation "Gaza Strawberries", conducted by Agrexco, the CRIF and the Israeli Embassy in France, is in full swing.

Foreign investors are pulling out and tourists are staying away, adding greater pressure to Syria's frail economy

Apart from the tinkle of water from the fountain, all is silent in the courtyard of a boutique hotel in the old city of Damascus. "We're almost empty," says one employee. "Usually we'd be full, but tourists have stopped coming."

An international trade union event at the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal on 9 February will address the causes of and solutions to the global economic crisis. Open to all the organisations and movements present in Dakar, other ITUC-supported activities at the Forum will deal with migration, domestic workers, access to social protection and trade and investment. Yesterday's opening march included a huge number of trade unionists coming from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

The UK and Spain have announced they will not be sending delegations to attend the OECD tourism conference in Jerusalem this month. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's biannual tourism conference will be held in the city from October 20-22, despite recommendations from certain members that it be held elsewhere.