WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2026: CARAVAN PARTICIPANTS TO DEPART FROM LOME FOR COTONOU ON 1 AUGUST
After travelling through Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana, a delegation of more than 420 caravan participants arrived in Togo on 30 July to express solidarity with local organizations addressing the impacts of climate change.
Representing more than 15 West African countries, the participants gathered at the University of Lomé for the launch of the 5th Caravan of the Global Convergence of Struggles for Land, Water and Peasant Seeds, a regional mobilization leading up to the World Social Forum (WSF) 2026, which will take place in Cotonou, Benin, from 4 to 8 August.
Meeting at the 500-seat Amphitheatre on the University’s North Campus, representatives of national platforms, farmers’ organizations, social movements, and civil society organizations reaffirmed their commitment to climate justice, the protection of natural resources, and the rights of vulnerable communities across West Africa.
The caravan is scheduled to leave Lomé on 1 August. Before crossing into Benin, participants will make a symbolic stop in Agbodrafo, where they will visit the House of Slaves, an important historical site commemorating the transatlantic slave trade. The visit serves as a reminder that past struggles for freedom continue to inspire today’s fight for social, environmental, and climate justice.
For Maladho Diallo, Focal Point of the Global Convergence of Struggles for Land and Peasant Seeds in Guinea, the caravan represents above all an expression of solidarity among peoples.
« We have come to raise awareness, listen to our brothers and sisters in Togo, and contribute to the collective fight against climate change. Here, we have found a committed people determined to defend land, water, and peasant seeds » he said.
Koulibaly Yetignan Awa, representative of the Ivorian platform and President of the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Domestic Workers (ADAD), shares the same vision. For her, the caravan gives a voice to communities whose concerns often go unheard.
« We travel from one community to another to remind people that they are not alone. We stand alongside them to denounce land grabbing, challenges related to water access, and the threats facing peasant seeds. This caravan is their voice » she explained.
In Togo, Edith Boko, Focal Point of the Convergence and Executive Director of the Pan-African Association of United Women for Development (APFUD), emphasized that the caravan is organized every two years to highlight the challenges confronting rural communities across the region.
According to her, this fifth edition is particularly significant because it is being held alongside the World Social Forum in Cotonou.
« We are heading to Benin to advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable communities. Our mission is to defend our land, our water, our peasant seeds, and to speak out against all forms of environmental destruction » she said.
Over the coming days, participants will engage with communities along the caravan route before converging in Cotonou, where the World Social Forum 2026 will bring together thousands of representatives from civil society, grassroots movements, youth organizations, and international networks to discuss social justice, food sovereignty, climate action, and the protection of the commons.
From Lomé to Cotonou, the caravan carries a clear message: solidarity among peoples remains one of the strongest foundations for building a more just, resilient, and sustainable future.
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