World Social Forum 2006

WSF Polycentric 2006, International Council (IC) Commissions and facilitating group in charge of WSF office (Brazil and India)

Bamako, Mali – September 30 to October 3, 2005

GENERAL REPORT

 

Summary

During the last days, another important step was taken in order to make successful the proposal of having a Polycentric WSF in 2006. Members of the Organizing Committees of each polycentric WSF met in Bamako (Mali) with members from the IC and the facilitating collective (Brazil and India). Members from the Maghrebian Social Forum and from Malian social organizations also took part of the meeting.  

The main objective of this meeting was to promote the exchange of information and experiences on the preparation of the three venues and give the 2006 event an integrated characteristic, avoiding them to be isolated from each other. The reports are attached. Below you will find a brief summary: 

September 30th

Information about the preparation of the World Social Forum 2006 in Bamako, Caracas and Karachi. Read attachment 1 

October 1st

- Political debate about the content of the WSF 2006’s thematic terrains in its three venues.

- It was remarked that the organizing committees from the three 2006 venues have come up with new terrains, having the 11 2005 thematic terrains as point of departure. Their new terrains are different among themselves and have changed if compared to 2005.

- Those differences reflect and enhance WSF diversity. The thematic terrains are a geography of the themes and struggles that are present at the Forums. It is natural that in each event of particular actions coming from civil society and social movements emerge in the search of alternatives for a new world

- The thematic terrains cannot limit the registration of activities. They are not a list of themes, but a geography – where all the proposed activities that are in accordance with the charter of principles can be placed. They aim to bring close to each other the activities that have a thematic identity, and favours the dialogue among them.

- Description of the thematic terrains for Bamako, Caracas and Pakistan is in attachment 2

- Departing from these thematic terrains, members of the Organizing Committees have prepared a document which links the themes that have been identified up to this point as common themes for the three Forums. (attachment 3)

- In principle, WSF 2006 dates were reaffirmed: January 19 to 23 (in Bamako, decision maed by Mali Organizing Committee and African Social Forum Council); January 24 to 29 (Caracas and Karachi, according decision made at the International Council) BUT this decision still can suffer some modification, due to the recognized importance for all of having at least one common day for the 03 events.

- The strategic importance of having a common day in which simultaneously activities would be carried out in the three venues was debated. Caracas and Karachi will do consultations in order to see the possibility of anticipating the beginning of WSF for January 23 2006. Bamako will verify if there are conditions of extending their event until January 24 2006 (attachment 4)

- The members of each Organizing Committee present to the meeting will make consults to its other members until October 10. The results will be informed by them to the IC discussion list. The final proposal of activities for this day will be made on the next meeting among OCs and commissions, which is scheduled for November 14 and 15, in Karachi.   

October 2nd

- Polycentric Organizing Committees have presented information on each WSF event and its logistics

- It was reaffirmed the celebrative character of opening and closing ceremonies. Activities must be conceived for valorizing cultural and artistic expressions of the struggle for another world. It is necessary also to keep diversity, in a way that all political and cultural sensitivities present in the WSF feel comfortable and engaged on the celebrations

- It was reaffirmed that WSF 2006 program must give priority to self-organised activities. As it was decided in Barcelona, Organizing Committees will be able to register activities if they wish. However, this only will occur in case self-organised activities registration reveals thematic gaps.

- As what happened in the last WSF 2005, the agenda of next World Social Forum must preview a special time (shift) to organize meetings during the event itself, for interlinking among participants. No previous registration was accepted for that special shift, whose time must be decided by each Organizing Committee (7 to 9 pm, in 2005),  

 
October 2nd – Working Groups

In the afternoon of October 2nd, participants at the meeting were divided into 03 groups: windows events (in which there will be live exchanges/dialogues among participants from two or more events), memory/ mural of proposals / survey on participants andregistration website. A plenary has approved group decisions, reported on attachments 5 (windows events), 6 (website) and 7 (mural of proposals).

October 3rd – Working groups

On the morning of October 3rd, two new groups were formed. They have debated Communication (highlighting media shared coverage like “Ciranda”, and support to the work of journalists) and Resources (where principles and ideas for WSF 2006 fundraising were discussed). Debates held subsequently in plenary have enriched the conclusions, which are reported on the attachments 7 (Communication) and 8 (Resources).

October 3rd – Final plenary

The last plenary, held on October 3rd, has decided the final initiatives related to WSF 2006 preparation. They refer to, among other issues, sharing database information on participants from previous WSF, languages for translation in 2006, budgets for the 03 events, credit card registration payment. Dates for the next 02 meetings among the Organizing Committees were also decided: they will be held in Karachi (November 14-15) and Caracas (December 5-6). Last plenary report is in the attachment 10.