World Social Forum

The World Social Forum (WSF) is an annual meeting held by members of the alternative globalization movement to coordinate world campaigns, share and refine organizing strategies, and inform each other about movements from around the world and their issues. It tends to meet in January when its "great capitalist rival", the World Economic Forum is meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Related Topics:
Alternative globalization movement - World Economic Forum - Davos - Switzerland

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The first WSF was held from 25 January to 30 January, 2001 in Porto Alegre, organized by many groups involved in the alternative globalization movement, including the French Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizens (ATTAC). The WSF was sponsored, in part, by the Porto Alegre government, led by Brazilian Worker's Party (PT). The town was experimenting with an innovative model for the local government which combined the traditional representative institutions with the participation of open assemblies of the people. 12,000 people attended from around the world. At the time, Brasil was also in a moment of transformation that later would lead to the electoral victory of the PT candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Related Topics:
25 January - 30 January - 2001 - Porto Alegre - ATTAC - Brazilian Worker's Party - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

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The second WSF, also held in Porto Alegre from 31 January to 5 February, 2002, had over 12,000 official delegates representing people from 123 countries, 60,000 attendees, 652 workshops, and 27 talks. One famous speaker was famed American author and self-proclaimed dissident Noam Chomsky.

Related Topics:
Porto Alegre - 31 January - 5 February - 2002 - Noam Chomsky

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The third WSF was again held in Porto Alegre, in January 2003. There were many parallel workshops, including, for example the Life After Capitalism workshop, which proposed focussed discussion on non-communist, non-capitalist, participative possibilities for different aspects of social, political, economic, communication structures http://www.zmag.org/lacsite.htm.

Related Topics:
2003 - Communist - Capitalist

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The fourth WSF was held in Mumbai, India, from 16-21 January 2004. The attendance was expected to be 75,000 and it shot over by thousands. The cultural diversity was one notable aspect of the forum. The other notable decision that was taken was the stand on Free Software. One of the key speakers at the WSF 2004 was Joseph Stiglitz.

Related Topics:
Mumbai - 21 January - 2004 - Free Software - Joseph Stiglitz

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The fifth World Social Forum for 2005 was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil between 26 January-31. A number of participants in the forum released the Porto Alegre Manifesto.

Related Topics:
2005 - 26 January - Porto Alegre Manifesto

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In 2006 the forum will be held simultaneously in different cities around the world.

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The WSF has prompted the organising of many regional social forums, including the European Social Forum, the Asian Social Forum and the Boston Social Forum. All social forums adhere to the drawn up by the World Social Forum.

Related Topics:
Social forum - European Social Forum - Asian Social Forum - Boston Social Forum

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