The World Social Forum: An alternative worth trying?

                                                                                           Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande de Sul, Brazil, was the home to the 2nd World Social Forum (WSF), 31 Jan -5 Feb, 2002, the space  where the critics of globalisation defined and refined their ideas under the rallying call ‘Another World is Possible’. The Forum was best described as a ‘convergence’, a meeting place of hope, ideas and activism, against a backdrop of a world warring against terrorism, reeling from Enron scandals and tentatively ignoring the economic and social developments in Argentina's ongoing crisis. As one participant put it ‘ it’s a beacon of hope.’

The WSF in numbers: 5 times more people took part this year than last, 51,000 participants from 119 countries. 15,230 of these were delegates representing 4,909 organisations. 11,000 were involved in the youth camp. 2,800 represented worker's trade unions. 2,900 were press. The programme listed over 700 workshops, 100 seminars, a daily choice of around 8 different plenary sessions, demonstrations, occupations and cultural activities from progressive film shows to capoiera.

But it's not 'bums on seats' that made the forum so essential, it's what it attempts to achieve by striking a balance between maximum participation and unity around common aims. The WSF Charter of Principles lays out the groundwork for the Forum process, open to those committed to building a world based on principles of solidarity and social, environmental and economic justice. From this it follows that the Forum takes an oppositional stance to neo-liberal economic theory - profit over people, at the cost of global stability and environmental and social sustainability, if need be. It stresses pluralism and distances itself from violence as a tool for change. And it is clearly internationalist, a point which to some this may seem contradictory – internationalism and anti globalisation don’t at first sight seem reconcilable.

Although still unpopular in CEE due to the painful associations with the communist propaganda cliches from the past, the messages of equity, solidarity, sharing of resources, sound powerful in Europe. They are the bedrock of the process towards the  European Social Forum,  a process which, as Italian co-ordinator Rapaelle Bolini stated at the Vienna planning meeting in May, ‘must involve the countries if the CEE and Balkans. Western Europe cannot help build a new world without the involvement of the East.’
This was the first time when activists, movements and NGOs from the former communist states were present in any numbers. Here they were able to organise themselves to get issues specific to the CEE and the Balkans on the agenda for the European Social Forum, due to take place in Florence, Italy at the end of October.
In respect of the region’s unique experience, here there will be one major conference organised on CEE/Balkans, and all other conferences from racism and migration, peace and war, the rise of the far right to alternative economic solutions, should include at least one speaker from the region.
Organisations from Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Czech, Serbia and Russia, to name only half, have already got involved; the wealth of experience held in these countries needs to be added to the global debate.
For movements and organisations in the region the onus is now on us to think globally, and on the European level we have the opportunity to link into a movement which is capable of stealing back the agenda from narrow business and elitist interests, which will otherwise determine Europe’s future. The movement has the fluidity to include all progressive ideas, and it is open to environmental issues, placing them within the context of ‘social goods’ and environmental justice. The question is whether we can organise ourselves and enter into the dialogue and, to solve the practicalities ‘uniting Europe’ involves, join the networking and organisational workgroups. As the Hungarian ESF working Group stated ‘ we are working towards a Europe that is peaceful and peaceable and where our basic rights are protected.’ There is widespread recognition that the movements in the region are nowhere near as strong as their counterparts on the West, but working together will give a crucial new perspective and encouragement to us all.

join the debate and participate in organising on the esfeast@yahoogroups.com list
read about the world social forum on  www.worldsocialforum.org
 for more info about Hungarian mobilisation, contact – tracey@energiaklub.hu

While there is no final program as yet, the following program is, as of July 2002, the latest information. This only covers the main conference issues, other issues will be taken up in the workshops, seminars and cultural events.

- the creation of a Citizen's Charter for Europe in opposition to the constitutional models forwarded by the EU;
- an agenda of mobilisations against war, militarisation of politics and the production and trade of weapons in the EU;
- Europe's role in the world with particular attention to CEE, and the Mediterranean area;
- organisation of cultural events and mass demonstrations in new forms.

NEOLIBERALISM / GLOBALISATION
Food Sovereignty
WTO and financial economy; multinationals policies and what answers
Welfare's Europe against public services privatization
Work's structures and cultures; fighting for rights and social change
Common goods (air, earth, water)
WAR AND DISARMAMENT
Wars, new conflicts, new alliances,armies, oil and power
Militarisation, weapons production and trade, military expenses and public budgets; reconverting military productions
Police role in the repressive policies
Media and war
Peace cultures and practices; disobey to war; pacifism and conflicts prevention.
DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP
Europe's Nationalisms, the "other" as an enemy
Constitution and fundamental rights Chart
Information freedom and access to technologies
Different "Europes", the Europe of excluded
Bioethics, autodetermination and science