Under the slogan "Another World Is Possible," over the past six years the World Social Forum (WSF) has grown into the world’s largest meeting of civil society struggling to build a better, more just world. This year the WSF is moving to a "Polycentric" format with meetings in Karachi, Pakistan; Bamako, Mali; and Caracas, Venezuela. I am attending the sixth Polycentric World Social Forum in Caracas, Venezuela from January 24-29, 2006 with the Network Institute for Global Democratization. I attended the previous three social forums, and my writing on those are available on my Trip Reports page.
Check out my blog for preliminary reports on the forum (also available as an Atom formatted XML site feed). Here is my report on the forum and an essay Beauty Queens and Empire at the World Social Forum in Caracas; comments and suggestions welcome. Also see my photo gallery (thanks to Mass Global Action).
Marc Becker, "Report from the World Social Forum VI: Civil Society Meets Chavez’s State," Dollars and Sense 264 (March/April 2006): 7-8.
Tuesday, January 24: Photos from the march.
Wednesday, January 25: Photos from the NIGD / Attac Belgium panel "Development, poverty and security: treacherous concepts and alternatives."
Thursday, January 26: Photos from NIGD's panel "Democratic Politics Globally: A Dialogue on political parties and global democratisation."
Friday, January 27: Boston Delegation at the Carlota Airport; United States Social Forum Organzing Workshop; and People's Antiimperialist Struggle: public plenary with president Hugo Chávez.
Saturday, January 28: Launching of book The New Latin American Left and an open discussion sponsored by NIGD on the future of the Forum.
Sunday, January 29. Panel discussion on the U.S. Left and Social Forum processes in the United States.
Monday, January 30: Returning from Caracas to airport.
Websites
- World Social Forum (main website)
- World Social Forum (Venezuela website)
- Americas Social Forum
- Midwest Social Forum (our regional social forum in the United States)
- Boston Delegation to Caracas (I'm staying at Hotel Líder with the Boston Delegation)
- U.S. Left and U.S. Social Forum (our Network Institute for Global Democratization session at the WSF)