World Social Forum: A different world is possible

The Road to India 

By Marijana Ivanova

The World Social Forum, this year held for the fourth time, will gather again thousands of people who oppose the imperialistic processes, including certain globalisation tendencies and on the other hand, strive for a world that will not be under domination of “its majesty the dollar” and the neo-liberalism led by materialistic interests.

Under the motto “Another World is Possible! Let’s Build It!”, the road from Porto Allegre in Brazil, where the Forum took place last year, is leading to Mombai in India, where from 16 to 21 January 2004, people who believe that the civic potential can realise that message are going to meet.

Indian process

The preparations for the Fourth World Social Forum started long ago – actually straight after the Third Forum had ended (held from 23 to 28 January, in Porto Allegre in the southern Brazilian state Rio Grande near Sul). The Indian process, which covers the preparations and organization of the Forum, has already chosen to focus on: Imperialistic globalisation; Patriarchy; Military and peace; Communism (religious sectarianism and fundamentalism); and Caste and racism, (resistance, excluding and discrimination based on the origin and work). On the basis of these focuses, 10 main, quite provocative subjects have been formulated (with 15 more sub-subjects for each of them): 1. Militarism, war and peace; 2. Media, information, knowledge and culture; 3. Democracy, environmental and economic security; 4. Sustainable and democratic development; 5. Labour and work in the production and social reproduction; 6. Social sectors: food, education, health and social security; 7. Exclusion, discrimination, dignity, rights and equality; 8. Caste, racism and other forms of excluding on the basis of the origin and work; 9. Religion, culture and identities; 10. Patriarchy, gender issues and sexuality.

Opposition to the World Economic Forum The World Social Forum started as a response to the increasing neo-liberalism and imperialism in the world. It was first held in Porto Allegre, Brazil, in January 2001, as an opposition to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Brazil was chosen as a country strongly affected by the neo-liberal tendencies, and Porto Allegre and the southern Brazilian state Rio Grande near Sul because of its left-winger oriented mayor and government. The World Social Forum is neither an organization nor a united platform, but “an open meeting place for democratic debates and exchange of ideas, linking civic groups and movements which are opposed to neo-liberalism and domination in a form of imperialism and which are committed to building a planetary society centred on the human person”.

The format of the Forum has been organized to provide a bigger space of self-initiatively organized activities. It has been estimated that 150,000 people will take part in the Forum in India. They will take part at about 200 seminars and workshops, apart from discussions, plenary sessions, various concerts, projections, cultural and other events...

Full Sails Ahead From Brazil

Organizers of the World Social Forum – India 2004 have published a Statement of Solidarity with the Brazilian secretariat of the Forum, and it says that: “Today the World Social Forum sets sail from Latin America and will anchor in the heart of Asia”.

 This year the World Social Forum is actually moving from South America for the first time. The three so far Forums have been organized by Brazilian associations. They were strongly supported by international foundations and other donators and the whole process, starting with 20,000 participants, reached a participation of 125,000 people this year in Porto Allegre. The last Forum was followed by over 4,000 journalists all over the world.

At the Forum that was held at the beginning of this year in Porto Allegre in Brazil, the MCIC director, Mr. Saso Klekovski, was the first representative from Macedonia to be involved in this world process. He talked about his experiences in the February edition of The Civic World, expressing hope that in future, Macedonian civic associations will be more interested and will directly or indirectly follow these events. The aim of this article is exactly that – to provoke interest not only about the Forum which as an event lasts for a few days with focused activities, but also about the whole process which continually lasts from one to another Forum – that is, continuously. Information on the following, Indian forum, but also on all previous ones can be found on the web-site: www.wsfindia.org. On this web-site you can follow all the future events and make your contribution for a different, better world which is possible.