World Social Forum

The World Social Forum is a counter-event to the tops of the World Trade Organization ( WTO), the Davos World Economic Forum and the annual world economic summits of the leaders of the G8 countries.

The first event was held in 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and instead became a symbol for the movement of the critics of globalization.

• 4.1 National Social Forums
• 4.2 Local social forums

Objectives and participants

The meeting under the headline:

" To outro mundo é possivel. "

"Another world is possible."

The movement was created by the initiative of several international organizations, which in turn emerged from the survey of the Zapatistas in Chiapas (Mexico) in 1994. Indigenous inhabitants of the region rebelled against new forms of oppression that were associated with globalization. New organizations and movements (such as Peoples Global Action ) wanted to continue the struggle of the Zapatistas and bring their demands to the international language.

With the global gathering is intended, among other things, to offer alternatives to the dominant in the media conceptual model of the global neo-liberalism and to promote their elaboration. At the level of symbolic politics, it is intended to express that there is also a different kind of globalization, which moves away from the WTO and G8 summits. The cross-linking socially committed individuals and organizations should establish also expressed that a globalization - can also be responsible thinking and acting for the good of the whole world mean - instead of deregulation to the advantage of the stronger. The World Social Forum is dominated by people of different worldviews. For example, Franciscans involved since the beginning of the World Social Forum and posted each worldwide Franciscan delegations as a sign of solidarity and common struggle.

The World Social Forum is to resolve less concrete measures or adopt resolutions, but are rather the coordination and exchange of experience. The wide range of different groups opens to the opinion of the organizers the chance of different angles and wide interests. Many of the participants, especially from the so-called developing countries, not interested in ideological battles grave, but rather a call for pragmatic politics. So many well support a global market opening, but criticize distortions of competition, for example through subsidies in the industrialized countries. For these participants represent more neoliberal positions.

The Charter of Principles of 2001 defines the identity of the World Social Forum (WSF ):

" 1 The World Social Forum is an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and interlinking for effective action, by and by groups and movements of civil society, the neo-liberalism and domination of the world by capital and oppose any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a planetary society directed towards fruitful relationships within the human and between it and the Earth. "

In its declaration of the meeting of 2009, the social movements and organizations take the view that the global crisis is no longer cope with the means of capitalism. The measures taken so far would have only a socialization of losses. They speak against it from without compensation for nationalization of the banking sector and reductions in working time without wage cuts. Public, cooperative, communal and collective forms of ownership are promoting.

Venues

From 2001 to 2003 and 2005, the World Social Forum was held in Porto Alegre, 2004 in Mumbai (India). While it took place simultaneously in Africa, Asia and Latin America in 2006, in 2007 there was again a key World Social Forum in Kenya. In 2008, the Forum was held in the form of a global day of action, 2009, it was organized in Belém.

Third World Social Forum

The 3rd World Social Forum took place from 23 to 28 January 2003, Porto Alegre instead. More than 100,000 people took part, including 5,717 delegates from different organizations. Various regional forums was preceded in August 2002, the Argentine Social Forum in Buenos Aires, in November 2002, the European Social Forum in Florence in December 2002, the African Social Forum in Ethiopia, in January 2003, the Asian Social Forum in India and the Pan -Amazonian Social Forum in Belém / Pará ( Brazil). A variety of other regional, local and thematic forums followed. Thematically focused on little later realized threat from the United States in the foreground, to occupy Iraqi territory in 2003. The forum was the starting point for the largest mass demonstrations in human history in favor of peace.

Fourth World Social Forum

At the 4th World Social Forum from 16 to 21 January 2004, Bombay 80000-100000 globalization critics were present. Among the many events and issues that traditionally take place on the forum, presented the discussion of the discriminatory function of the Indian caste system, a special focus dar.

At the same time the event was held in Mumbai Mumbai Resistance. Your organizers accuse the World Social Forum that this was not aligned concrete enough on resistance activities.

Fifth World Social Forum

The 5th World Social Forum took place from 26 until 31 January 2005, in turn, held in Porto Alegre. 120,000 participants discussed topics such as the future of the water or solidarity economy.

Sixth World Social Forum

2006 the WSF of 24 - 29th January at three locations around the world at the same place in Bamako ( Mali / Africa), in Karachi (Pakistan / Asia ) and in Caracas (Venezuela / USA ). An alternative social forum was also held in Caracas.

Seventh World Social Forum

The World Social Forum was organized in 2007 in the form of a global week of action to its final anywhere in the world on Friday, January 26 actions should take place. The local, national groups could choose the topics according to their own desires. A few days earlier, there should be everywhere at the same time press conferences. Strands are as yet Latin America, North America and Europe. However, it should also actions such as enter in India, Korea, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. The actions should be announced on the official website.

Eighth World Social Forum

From 21 to 26 January 2008, the eighth World Social Forum was held - organized as a " Global Week of Action " with a total of over 600 individual events on all continents. All over the world should on Saturday, 26.1. actions take place (in the form of a global day of action ). The local, national groups could choose the topics according to their own desires. A few days earlier, there should be everywhere at the same time press conferences. Strands are as yet Latin America, North America and Europe. But it should be as also actions in India, Korea, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq will provide. The actions should be posted on the official homepage.

Ninth World Social Forum

From 27 January to 1 February 2009 took place the WSF in Belém ( Brazil). The International Council of the World Social Forum 's decision to the Brazilian city in the Amazon delta precipitated the beginning of June 2007 in Berlin. The decisive factor for the selection of species-rich region was the global debate on climate change.

According to organizer information in the forum was attended by over 130,000 visitors from some 142 countries, including delegates from around 4,000 social movements, indigenous peoples, trade unions, churches and non-governmental organizations. Emphasis is focussed on ecology and climate justice, the workplace and human rights, indigenous peoples, and the many places standard practice to try to meet social protests with criminal proceedings. However, the focus of civil society were responses to the global financial and economic crisis.

The official website of the WSF 2009 www.fsm2009amazonia.org.br the address

World Social Forum 2010

The International Council of the WSF has decided at its meeting in May 2009 in Rabat ( Morocco), that the Jubilee year of the World Social Forum 2010 World Social Forum is a permanent. Events and activities are held at different locations around the world throughout the year. From 24 to 28 January, at the event in Porto Alegre (Brazil): instead of 10 years of the World Social Forum. In addition, find, for example, regional forums in Catalonia and Belém place, but also national or continental in Nepal such as the European Social Forum in June 2010 in Istanbul. Particular attention is paid to the U.S. Social Forum II from June 22 to 26, 2010 in Detroit.

Tenth World Social Forum

The Tenth World Social Forum took place from 6 to 11 February 2011 in Dakar ( Senegal) instead. It was attended by about 90,000 people. The main topics were disputes over the rights to natural resources, especially agricultural land.

Eleventh World Social Forum

The Eleventh World Social Forum will take place in Tunis ( Tunisia) from 26 to 30 March 2013 at the University Campus in El Manar in the buildings of the faculties of economics, law and engineering sciences.

Twelfth World Social Forum

The Twelfth World Social Forum will take place again in 2015 in Tunis.

Other continental and regional social forums

Regional Social Forums

There are also regional social forums such as the European Social Forum ( ESF), the Mesoamerican Social Forum or the Social Forum of the Americas.

National Social Forums

In many States and national social forums have developed: the Social Forum in Germany, Austria or Social Forum in the Social Forum in Switzerland. By July 2005, the first Social Forum in Germany was planned, which conducted the "Initiative for a Social Forum in Germany " from 21 to 24 July, 2005 Erfurt. The 2nd Social Forum was held in Cottbus on 18 to 21 October 2007. These events provide the opportunity to discuss a smaller scale of the problems and come up with specific proposals. All regional social forums operate on the basis of the Charter of Principles of the World Social Forum.

Local Social Forums

In many European cities, local social forums are emerging as alliances otherglobalist grassroots groups and committed individuals.