Background
The Coordinating Committee of the World Poetry Movement (WPM) convened its 1st Congress, at the Caracas meeting in November 2022, to project the Movement as a more visible global poetic force, mobilizing contemporary society and individual and collective consciousness in the present time. To make this possible, WPM has a clear mission, objectives and proposals; its organization must be solid, coordinated and participatory, and must rely on effective internal and external channels of communication.
The 1st WPM Congress will be held in Medellín from July 13 to 15, and in Caracas from July 17 to 20, 2023. It will be attended by 60 poets, full delegates elected by four continental preparatory congresses, and an undetermined number of observer poets.
The Congress will generate a strategic plan for WPM for 2023-2028, elect a coordinating committee (CC) and an executive committee (EC), which will carry out the necessary actions to fulfill the designs of the Congress; and define the basic lines of development and operation, and the characteristics and functions of the CC, the continental coordinators and national coordinators.
CONTINENTAL PREPARATORY CONGRESSES
Africa
In the crucial quest for the unity of the poetic forces of each continent and to make much more visible the immense contribution of poetry from each region of the world, continental preparatory congresses will be held to discuss the realities and challenges of each region, select 15 delegates to the 1st WPM Congress and appoint their continental coordinations.
The first meeting was the virtual Congress of WPM Africa, which was held on January 21-22, 2023, with the participation of 30 poets and national coordinators from 17 countries of that continent. It was moderated by poets Ayo Ayoola-Amale (Ghana), Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Egypt), Siphiwe Nzima (Lesotho) and Ismaël Diadié Haïdara (Mali). Also in attendance were national coordinators Achour Fenni (Algeria), Mpesse Geraldin (Cameroon), Nimrod (Chad), Recaredo Silebo Boturu (Equatorial Guinea), Amosse Mucavele (Mozambique), Paul Sezzie (Malawi), Keamogetsi Joseph Molapong (Namibia), Salay Boubé Bali (Niger), Paul Liam (Nigeria), Oumar Farouk Sesay (Sierra Leone), Zolani Mkiva (South Africa), Patron Henekou (Togo) and Möez Majed (Tunisia). Several members of the WPM Coordinating Committee and other international poets also participated.
The delegates presented reports on what has been done in each country and on the continent, a description of the groups they work with, comments and ideas for the development of the Movement and for its strategic plan. In this link you can read several reports, watch the transmission and other relevant information about this virtual WPM Africa Congress.
The congress selected 15 delegates from Africa for the 1st WPM Congress, they are: Ayo Ayoola-Amale from Ghana, Ashraf Abuul-Yazid from Egypt, Zolani Mikiva from South Africa, Siphiwe Nzima from Lesotho, Vera Duarte Pina from Cape Verde, Mpesse Géraldin from Cameroon, Ismaël Diadié Haïdara from Mali, Khalid Raissouni of Morocco, Saley Boubé Bali of Niger, Omar Farouk Sesay of Sierra Leone, Achour Fenni of Algeria, Etanat Awol of Ethiopia, Paul Liam of Nigeria, Recaredo Silebo Boturu of Equatorial Guinea and Tarek Eltayeb of Sudan.
Asia
The second congress was that of the Asian continent, held on February 25 and 26, with the participation of almost 30 national delegates and 20 observers. On this occasion, the moderators were: Rati Saxena (India) -continental coordinator-, Keshab Sigdel (Nepal), Kamran Mir Hazar (Hazaristan) and Sue Zhu (China). The national coordinators who attended are: Nigar Hasan-Zadeh (Azerbaijan), Quamruzzaman Swapan (Bangladesh), Gopilal Acharya (Bhutan), Jidi Majia (China), Neşe Yaşın (Cyprus), Nahid Kabiri (Iran), Ali Al Ameri (Jordan), Dauren Kassenov (Kazakhstan), Altynai Temirova (Kyrgyzstan), Antoine Boulad (Lebanon), Shivani Sivagurunathan (Malaysia), Imdad Aakash (Pakistan), Hanan Awwad (Palestine), Shirani Rajapakse (Sri Lanka), Kosimov Abdukakhor (Tajikistan), Adel Khosam (United Arab Emirates), Khosyat Rustam (Uzbekistan), Mohammed Al-Lawzi (Yemen) and Huu Viet (Vietnam).
The Asian delegates to the Medellin and Caracas meeting are: Rati Saxena (India); Vadim Terekhin (Russia), Adel Khozam (United Arab Emirates), Ali Al Ameri (Jordan/Palestine), Hanan Awwad (Palestine), Imdad Aakash (Pakistan), Keshab Sigdel (Nepal), Khosiyat Rustamova (Uzbekistan), Saleh Zamanan (Saudi Arabia), Sue Zhu (People’s Republic of China), Nigar Hasan Zadeh (Azerbaijan), Neşe Yaşın (Cyprus), Shivni Sivagurunathan (Malaysia), Altynai Temirova (Kyrgyzstan) and Huu Viet (Vietnam).
Europe
This was followed by the Europe congress on March 25 and 26, with 40 poets from 25 countries and regions of Europe or linked to Europe participating directly. In addition, there were a dozen guests. The two-day debate was serious and rich. Above all, it showed a common passion for poetry and linked the attendees to the ideas that the World Poetry Movement formulated also at the African and Asian congresses: the importance of the presence of poetry in primary schools and for the emotional development of children, the importance of respect for nature that goes hand in hand with the poetic habitat. An action plan was also welcomed and delegates to the face-to-face congress were elected. They are: Ataol Behramoglu (Turkiye), Francis Combes (France), Luis Filipe Sarmento (Portugal), Barbara Pogacnik (Slovenia), Alexis Bernaut (France), Gerry Loose (Scotland), Anna Lombardo (Italy), Sándor Halmosi (Hungary), Claus Ankersen (Denmark), Luis Luna (Spain), Bengt Berg (Sweden), Nurduran Duman (Turkey), Sotirios Pastakas (Greece), Sonja Manojlovic (Croatia), Alexandra Cretté (Guyana).
America
52 WPM poets, including delegates from Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Monserrat, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela met virtually on April 22 and 23, starting at 15:00 GMT, at the WPM America Congress.
This congress closed the cycle of virtual congresses preparatory to the 1st WPM Congress to be held in Medellin and Caracas next July.
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This process is organized by the World Poetry Movement – WPM- Movimiento Poético Mundial, the International Poetry Festival of Medellín and the Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information. It is supported by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the Mayor’s Office of Medellin and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, among other entities.
