Here is another set of random notes on another session on where the Forum is going. More formal reports later (hopefully).



Facing the Future : The World Social Forum, the Global Justice Movement, and Beyond
January 30, 15:30 - 18:30 :
Location : UFPA Professional University, LP Pavilion, Room FP-04
Co-organised by AFM - Articulación Feminista Marco Sur; CACIM, India; Democracy and Social Movement Institute, Sungkonhoe University, South Korea; and ARENA - Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives

Jai Sen: how is forum looking ahead to the challenges of the future? Some fear that it is drying up.
1. calls to change WSF, to make it more political.
2. many different concepts of justice, inc. indigenous ones. different cosmologies. how is WSF going to change to adopt to those. how to relate to muslim world? longer history of muslim justice movement, and we need to talk to them.

Brazil woman:

Balkan man (Andre?): anarchist. systemic crisis of capitalism. important presence of IPs.
end of WSF? Need global movements more than ever before.
paradox of failure of success – lost traction right when gained victories.
3 trends:
1. ?
2. advocacy approach
3. state approach
innovative approach to include parts of all 3
need to take power of state to construct new future
JCM: popular redistribution of power, socialization of power
ongoing process
Marcos & Chavez: Mandar obedieciendo, govering from bellow. hold people accountable.
we need to do 2 things to get rid of euro-centric left:
1. metaphysics of representation
2. state as center of change
WSF important of we change these issues.
in favor of global representation

Quebec woman: following WSF, but first attending. converging or open space movement. whole innovative process. accomplishment of spaces linked to WSF.
reappropriation of a lot of forces attracted to building global justice movement.
Guate forum interesting cuz mostly Indigenous & female.
smaller, people waiting for WSF, but for Americas what happened there is important: reflects grassroots organization. networks & exchanges are important, but org is key. space of WSF is key, move beyond poli parties & labor unions. Now just going & seeing who can be our allies. create spaces w/o labels so we can see who we can work with.
space created has been innovative
recognizing relevance of battles of others

Portuguese woman:
Indigenous challenges to hydroelectric damns



Chico Whittaker: 3 impressions on future.
1. if we begin talking about future we think about present & past
2. influences, representations. best ways to continue.
3. decide by consensus is dificult
logistical difficult
Indigenous proposal for thematic forum on crisis of civilization
Mexico proposal for one on immigration
2011 WSF in US?

Don't need to change charter for Indigenous peoples to come. Participants are owners, they decide agenda. Different Indigenous approaches to politics.

Michael Hardt says that the forum is as strong as its movements

man: forum as process has shown its ability to evolve
Social, economic, ecological crisis
Question of social movements in Latin America
New kinds of social alliances
Living reality of new social alliances
problem is articulation of alliances



French man:
Think beyond nation-state/modernity
WSF is moment in history
is this still the right vehicle for the moment?
a second generation forum?
topics:
exclusion
environmental cost
avoid ritualization
what do we do w/ organized power? victory? been used? relation to social movements
How to accept different forms of movement beyond traditional expressions
use technology to interact
how to pick up conversation after breaks
day-to-day practices; how to continue after forum?

Asian man
Teivo

Ruth proposal for how to organize forum.
problems of translation: return to Babel? Esperanto?

Torbjorn: no parties and armed groups, but now presidents come but no Zapatistas

Via campesina invited presidents; met outside territory, and tried to plan it so as not to clash with main meetings (at nite).