• Date: 19/09/2025
• Time: 1pm GMT
• Duration: 2 hours

• Note: to be able to switch the audio interpretation channel:
  • In Chrome: go to chrome://flags/, in your URL bar, and enable “Experimental Web Platform features”
  • In Firefox: go to about:config, in your URL bar, and enable “media.track.enabled”

1. Welcome
2. Short Presentation by the WeaversThey are local, regional, or national networks or organizations that connects or consists of multiple Alternatives on different themes/spheres, in an inter-sectorial way. A global network cannot be a Waever, neither a thematic one. It should be a collective process of some kind, rather than only a single individual or single organization. By being a "weaver", they are committed to participate in the GTA, developing ways of dialogue, interconnection, collaboration and solidarity with other Weavers. GTA promotes the interconnection of the Weavers, identifying [[:weavers:criteria|a series common criteria for the weaving of Alternatives]]. Examples: Vikalp Sangam and Crianza Mutua. on their weaving work
3. Breakout groups: How does the presentation of the weavers relate to your work and your territory (both endorsers and weavers)?
4. Collective reflections around any earthy steps forward
5. Closing

• Facilitators: Ashish Kothari and Mauricio del Villar
• Note-taker: Beatriz von Saenger
• Translators: Bruno Pita and Victoria Heras
• Participants: Abhayraj Naik, Ashish Kothari, Beatriz von Saenger, Belén Díaz, Carlos Tornel, Deissy Perilla, Franco Augusto, Friede, Gustavo, Hannah Bickel, Joy, José Luis, Juan Silvano, Juana Osorio, Khalid Khawaldeh, Lina Lefstad, Martín, Martha, Matías Vaccarezza, Mauricio del Villar, Madhuresh Kumar, Matt Burke, Melanie Bush, Reyna Angélica Guzmán Palacios, Roberto de la Rosa, Ryan Martínez, Sehjo Singh, Seno Tsuhah, Sastro Ma’ruf, Vasna Ramasar, Vera Kozak, Vilkap Sangam, Xóchitl Leyva Solano.

Facilitator: Ashish Kothari.
Presentation of the agenda. Introduction of new participants: Sehjo, Hannah, Martín, Lina, Joy, Reyna, Gustavo, Abhay, Juan, Belle, Khalid, and Seno.

• Facilitator: Mauricio del Villar
• Explanation of the dynamics and time management.
• Order of presentations:

Sehjo and Seno from Vikalp Sangam: Presented some key points of VSVikalp Sangam (India)’s work, including who the alternatives are that gather in the organization, their forms of organization, and the main activities they have carried out over the past year.

Xóchitl from Crianza Mutua México: Shared the work of the organization, recalling its origins and highlighting the organization of the five International Gatherings in Defense of Life that weave grassroots work. She also spoke about the main megaprojects affecting their territories and the alternative proposals that are being organized in resistance. A video from the spokesperson of the Community Government of Chilón was shown. In addition, Professor Juan shared the experience of grassroots work carried out by CMMCrianza Mutua Mexico.

Ryan from MASSAMovement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia (South East Asia): Presented the different weavings that have been generated in Asia and the various platforms they have organized. He also spoke about the complexity of building alternatives in the face of colonial violence. He mentioned past gatherings and upcoming ones aimed at strengthening solidarity networks of resistance. Sastro also shared the importance of organizing regional alternatives among communities in the ASEAN context. Finally, Raquel spoke about the regional inspirations drawn from socialist and social democratic governments in Latin America as a way to imagine regional alternative weaving.

Guiding question: How does the presentation of the Weavers relate to your work and your territory?

• Facilitator: Mauricio del Villar
• Reminder of the importance of having a rapporteur for each group.
• Group distribution: Group 1 (English): Abhayraj Naik, Ashish Kothari, Khalid Khawaldeh, Lina Lefstad, Sastro Ma’ruf.

Group 2 (Spanish): Carlos Tornel, Martha, Matías Vaccarezza, Mauricio del Villar, Juan Silvano, Roberto de la Rosa, Belén Díaz.

Group 3 (English): Melanie Bush, Sehjo Singh, Seno Tsuhah, Vasna Ramasar.

Group 4 (Spanish): José Luis, Juana Osorio, Reyna Angélica Guzmán Palacios, Vera Kozak, Xóchitl Leyva Solano, Friede, Deissy Perilla, Franco Augusto.

Group 5 (English): Hannah Bickel, Madhuresh Kumar, Matt Burke, Ryan Martínez.

• Facilitator: Ashish Kothari

Main contributions:

• Group 3 (Vasna): Emphasized the importance of paying attention to what is happening in Gaza and northern India, as well as to feminist organizing in northeast Asia (mentioned by Seno). They also highlighted the need to support women’s leadership within movements.
• Group 2 (Carlos): Shared the situation in Zacatecas, where mining operates as an ecocidal industry, presented under the discourse of “green extractivism” but in reality a form of dispossession. They spoke about megaprojects such as the Tren Maya and the construction of the Palenque highway, linked to drug trafficking. In relation to Gaza, they reflected on how capitalism does not offer solutions and stressed the urgency of building alternative forms of organization. Community experiences in Oaxaca, especially around water, were highlighted as examples of resistance and re-existence. They also underlined the importance of caring for networks as a vital instinct for defending nature.
• Group 5 (Hannah): Expressed inspiration from the processes of the Weavers and the GTAGlobal Tapestry of Alternatives. They considered it valuable to experiment with collective decision-making between Weavers and the Facilitation Team, to strengthen connection and mutual learning.
• Group 1 (Lina and Ashish): Reflected on how to connect with more organizations and ensure that alternatives are accessible and visible. They agreed that education is a key theme in contrast to liberalism and the market. They shared stories of successful experiences that should be disseminated. Khalid presented the organizing experience in Jordan around ecological conservation. Ashish added the proposal of an economic solidarity group as a space to think about concrete collaborations, suggesting a conversation with Khalid to explore possibilities.
• Group 4 (Reyna): Highlighted the challenges of listening to and understanding what happens in territories facing severe problems, where sometimes information or empathy is lacking. They spoke about the territorial base of youth and women, and the importance of these spaces to share experiences and bring learnings back to communities. They emphasized the need for solidarity and listening. Xóchitl shared organizational experiences in Oaxaca, while José Luis mentioned examples from northern Mexico.

General learnings: Carlos: Go slow because there is never enough time.

• Facilitator: Ashish Kothari
• Reminder of the activities report and upcoming events.
• Recognition that both Weavers and EndorsersThey are organizations, collectives or thematic networks that publicly expresses its support to the GTA process and it's approved by it. Examples: [[endorsements:index|Full list of current Endorsers]] are weaving more networks and connections.
• Invitation for participants to join the Facilitation Team (names were requested in the chat).

COP – People’s Summit: upcoming economic alliances and associations; next meeting on radical democracy.

Assembly in Nepal: Proposed dates: April 12–17, 2026 (Assembly), April 18–20, 2026 (Facilitation Team Meeting) Host organization: Digo Bikash Institute, Nepal

Conclusion:

• Invitation to stay tuned for announcements.
• Encouragement to use the open Assembly mailing list to share information.

Facilitation Team - Global TapestryThe weaving of networks of Alternatives of AlternativesAre activities and initiatives, concepts, worldviews, or action proposals by collectives, groups, organizations, communities, or social movements challenging and replacing the dominant system that perpetuates inequality, exploitation, and unsustainabiity. In the GTA we focus primarily on what we call "radical or transformative alternatives", which we define as initiatives that are attempting to break with the dominant system and take paths towards direct and radical forms of political and economic democracy, localised self-reliance, social justice and equity, cultural and knowledge diversity, and ecological resilience. Their locus is neither the State nor the capitalist economy. They are advancing in the process of dismantling most forms of hierarchies, assuming the principles of sufficiency, autonomy, non-violence, justice and equality, solidarity, and the caring of life and the Earth. They do this in an integral way, not limited to a single aspect of life. Although such initiatives may have some kind of link with capitalist markets and the State, they prioritize their autonomy to avoid significant dependency on them and tend to reduce, as much as possible, any relationship with them. (GTA)

Context

The 17th Assembly of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA), held on September 19, 2025, brought together weavers and endorsers from diverse territories to share experiences, reflect on ongoing struggles, and identify pathways for collective action. This document gathers key reflections and follow-up contributions from that session to guide preparations for the upcoming Assembly (#18, December 2025). It aims not to replicate the official minutes, but to highlight the main lessons, tensions, and proposals that can inform collective planning, coordination, and governance within the GTA.

Key Reflections from Weavers’ Presentations

The Assembly featured updates from Vikalp Sangam (India), Crianza Mutua México (Mexico), and MASSA (Asia) – each illustrating distinct approaches to weaving alternatives in their regions.

• Vikalp Sangam shared their ongoing work connecting diverse alternatives, their organizational dynamics, and key activities from the past year.
• Crianza Mutua México presented the evolution of their collective process, emphasizing community defense against megaprojects and grassroots organizing through the International Gatherings in Defense of Life.
• MASSA reflected on the complexity of organizing regional alternatives in postcolonial contexts and the importance of building solidarity across Asia and beyond.

Across these interventions, several threads emerged: the political depth of relational and territorial weaving; the link between community defense and global solidarity; and the ongoing challenge of sustaining coordination across contexts of repression and ecological crisis.

Thematic Synthesis from Working Groups

Participants discussed how the weavers’ presentations relate to their own territories and practices. Five working groups (three in English, two in Spanish) identified recurring themes: Interconnectedness and visibility: Strengthening connections among weavers, endorsers, and communities, and making alternatives more visible across regions.

• Learning and education: Recognized as a transversal field for transformation – countering neoliberal logics, sharing knowledge, and nurturing alliances, through alternative pedagogies and methods.
• Feminist and gendered perspectives: Emphasized women’s leadership and the importance of relational care and listening as political practices.
• Territorial defense and ecological care: From across the world, participants reaffirmed the centrality of defending water, land, and community life.
• Listening and empathy: Acknowledged as essential to overcome fragmentation and sustain intercultural understanding.
• Time and process: Reiterated that systemic change is gradual – as one participant put it, “Go slow because there is never enough time.”

Collective Learnings and Governance Reflections

Several discussions pointed to the need for deeper collaboration between Weavers and the Facilitation Team, especially regarding decision-making and coordination.

Reflections from the Learning and Education group added:

• Weaving is relational and time-intensive work, built on trust and confidence.
• The GTA could explore coordination mechanisms to support weaving processes and decision-making.
• Governance experiments like sociocracy, or methods used by Indigenous peoples, were mentioned as possible ways to make participation and decision-making more inclusive, especially for newcomers.
• Greater clarity is needed on how to mobilize and allocate resources (e.g., for upcoming gatherings such as the 2026 Assembly in Nepal).

Directions for the December 2025 Assembly

Based on the September discussions and subsequent inputs, the following threads are proposed as axes for reflection and decision at the next Assembly:

• Interweaving Decision-Making Strengthen shared governance between weavers, endorsers, and the Facilitation Team; clarify roles and collective planning mechanisms.
• Learning and Education Deepen this transversal theme – develop collaborative tools, spaces of exchange, and documentation of alternative pedagogical practices.
• Mapping and Solidarity Continue mapping struggles and alternatives, connecting local resistances to global processes (e.g. against extractivism) with constructive alternatives (e.g. feminist organizing, solidarity economies, radical democracy).
• Empathy and Care Build concrete practices of listening, translation, and interregional care to sustain trust and mutual understanding.
• Solidarity Economy and Collaboration Advance practical exchanges –such as GTA’s solidarity economy group– to materialize cooperation between territories.
• Coordination and Support Structures Consider the creation of geographic and thematic focal points or coordination roles to strengthen communication and weaving processes within the GTA.