Panel discussion on the directions and facilitation of the World Social Forum.

In continuation of atradition started by the Network Institute for Global Democratisation et al in 2002.

As a result of this event, activity 140, the following statement was produced to which signatures were collected at the "Square of Statements" of WSF, Kathmandu on Februaru 19th, 2024. The signatures are also included below:

STATEMENT S140: Towards a space of dialogues about the WSF process, its functions, its facilitation and ways of development and improvement

We intend to work together for dialogues about the importance and function of the WSF process and about how it can be developed and imoproved.

To achieve this we will try to develop a "space" for our cooperation. By this we mean that we will seek- ways of staying in touch for sharing experiences and ideas, analysis and critique and also, initiatives and proposals for developing and strengthening the WSF process.

We will do our best to make our space for cooperation transparent and easily accessible for all who may be interested.

The persons who take this initiative have in common that we  have some experience of contributing to the WSF process at different levels. We consider this participation as a part of our  political and cultural identity.

We are active in organizations that have contributed to the WSF, but this is not an initiative that comes from the organizations.

The first signatories of this statement intend to interact with english as working language on line to define some practical ways to develop this space 

First signatories in personal capacity with mention of an organization they are active in collected during Square of statements session 19th Feb

1. Thomas wallgreen  ( with VK https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1756) 
2. Pierre George ( with Caritas International https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1329)
3. Manoj sinal  ( with VK https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1756) 
4. Ashok Bharti ( with Nacdaor  https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1702) 
5. Anil Mishra  ( with  Rajendra Prasad foundation for asian democracy ) 
6. Vinod Shetty ( with accorn  https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/317 and WPC   https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/449 ) 
7. Anselmo Lee  ( with APSD    https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/169)
8. Mahendra Yadav (with KNM  https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1945)
9. Shail Shresta  (with Digo Bikas institute https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/69)
10. Uddhab Pyakurel (with SADED  https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/3741)
11. Uma Shankari  (with  VK  https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1756) 
12. Raphael Canet (with Rise https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/567)
13. Alex Vensen (with local futures, https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/1435)
14. Abhishek Adhikari (with ?   ( in progress through mail) 
15. Isabel Ortiz (with  global social justice https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/976)
16. Sunita Mainali (with worec https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/326)
17. Amanda Anderson Brazil  ( with ? (in progress  through mail) 
18. Claudia Caballero  with  multitrueke Mixhuca   https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization-registered-in-wsf/2995

Saurabh Kumar  with ? (did not leave email) 

 Dr sunilam   with ? (did not leave email)   Farmer leader, Dr. Sunilam of Samyukta Kisan Morcha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samyukt_Kisan_Morcha and National Alliance of Peoples Movements,

For background, some documents to revisit:

2004 Immanuel Wallerstein: Future of the WSF https://iwallerstein.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/WSFISSJ.PDF

2022 Wallgren, Pyakurel et al Challenging Authoritarian Capitalism The Transformative Power of the World Social Forum https://www.routledge.com/Challenging-Authoritarian-Capitalism-The-Transformative-Power-of-the-World/Wallgren-Pyakurel-Pardo-Teivainen/p/book/9781032352152

A contribution by Ole Pedersen / Norwegian Social Forum below:

The future of the WSF

The world of today is facing multiple crises from the climate and biodiversity crisis to militarisation, shrinking spaces for democratic practices and increasing global inequality, to name a few. We can see another world taking shape in front of us, but quite opposite from what we collectively imagine with the slogan of another world is possible. 

The World Social Forum (WSF) was once understood to be the last counterpower to the global capitalist and neoliberal hegemony. Today the WSF has lost much of its gravity and is no longer a prioritized space for many social movements.

Yet the WSF is still unique as an open space and continuous process linked through global events where activists, civil society organizations and social movements come together across thematics, and from all over the world, on equal footing in common struggles. 

The proposal for the WSF is to create an open meeting space for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and interlinking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neoliberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a planetary society directed towards fruitful relationships among humankind and between it and the earth. 

For the WSF to continue to be meaningful we must strive to succeed in building the other world possible. Even if, or perhaps especially when, both the present and the future appear gloomy.

We therefore invite to a shared reflection on what it will take to rebuild the WSF as a space, from where struggles, initiatives and actions can have a sustainable impact on a planetary level, towards the other world possible we strive for.