TESTING  THE DOCUMENTATION  POSSIBLITIES

WORKSHOP PRESENTATION AUGUST 27, 2023 UEMSS.org  see :https://join.wsforum.net/activities/11433  WORKSHOP PRESENTATION AUGUST 27, 2023 UEMSS.org- http://bit.ly/465CaIq

THE WSF: 1/ WHAT IS IT - 2/ HOW IS IT IMPLEMENTED? - 3/HOW TO GET INSPIRED FROM IT?

1/ THE WSF: WHAT IS IT 4 structuring principles

WSF principles document written after the success of the first event in 2001 in Porto Alegre – 14 principles  http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-methodology/charter-fsm-wsf-en

The principles speak of WHAT ( A space where a process of meetings unfolds) of WHO (organizations that recognize themselves in the participants' description of their values, goals and actions which is in the charter of principles (40% of the text) and FOR WHAT (with a view to 5 goals/functions Principles  don't talk about the HOW
(see part 2 below) We focus here on 4 structuring principles 1 2 6 7

PRINCIPLE 1/The WSF is an open SPACE of encounters – for 5 functions/goals between organizations which oppose neoliberalism and the domination of the world by capital and all forms of imperialism, and which work to build a human-centered global society -the 5 functions of the WSF and generic goals of the participants in WSF: deepen reflection, debate ideas, formulate proposals, exchange experiences, articulate with a view to effective actions – for another possible world

PRINCIPLE 2/ From now on, with the certainty proclaimed in Porto Alegre that "another world is possible", the WSF becomes a PERMANENT PROCESS of research and development of alternatives which is not reduced to the manifestations on which it is based. (the WSF event as a manifestation of the WSF process)

PRINCIPLE 6/ The encounters [activity and events] of the World Social Forum do not have a DELIBERATIVE character AS A WSF as a World Social Forum…(…..).. The WSF therefore does not constitute a locus of power that those who participate in these encounters can argue about, nor does it claim to constitute the only alternative for articulation and action of the organizations and movements which are participants in it .

PRINCIPLE 7/ The facilitators of the World Social Forum undertake to widely disseminate the DECISIONS of the participants made during the meetings by the means within their reach.

The principles provide clarity: acts of participation in the space and the process are voluntary, the autonomy of each collective is respected. There is a guarantee that no one speaks on behalf of the WSF in the WSF process

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2/ THE WSF: HOW IT IS IMPLEMENTED – Four practical notions and two approaches

Notion of FACILITATION - Facilitation collective - facilitating is contributing to building forms and moments of implementation of the WSF and inviting participation in it , while remaining a participating organization like the others, and not a producer of content in the name of the forum.

Notion of Participant in a PROACTIVE role (who propose activities and announce initiatives and/or in a  REACTIVE  role (who react to invitations  shared from proactive organizations). These roles can be combined.

Notion  of MUTUAL VISIBILITY - implemented through mutual visibility platform – WHO is there in the WSF space? who proposes / announces WHAT with WHO?

Event based approach: An organizing collective facilitates a social forum event concentrated over a few days, even if prepared for months. This is the case of the NOC Nepal organizing committee -see the website wsf2024nepal.org 

Process based  approach : A collective which stimulates the intercommunication process for a period of time, without an event example:

Site asiasocialforum.net which invites people to come to the APSF process without offering an APSF event see the website asiasocialforum.net

and also The site JOIN.WSFORUM.NET existing for two and a half years which “displays” the WSF as a permanent process see the PURPLE menu “WSF PROCESS” in the site :-2000 organizations present, 1200 cumulative activities/meetings, including 200 outside of days of WSF 2021 and WSF 2022 events,(WSF principle 2) - 150 INITIATIVES describing decisions action plans declarations (WSF principle 7) - The sitepurple menu WSF PROCESS  shows a permanent” activity calendar” and a “calendar of public action dates” for the initiatives described, directly constituted from the actions description  of the participants

The concrete implementation of the permanent WSF process is now possible thanks to the widely distributed practice of online means of collective intercommunication (assimilated by organizations)

Complementary event website - process website : Concretely an organization can use the Join.wsforum site to show what it is doing in the process during the 5 months which come before the event in Nepal - There is an informal collective, (join collective), which takes care of this site, with the presence of organizations like Attac, Caritas, Ciranda, Mayfirst see the documentation here:
Join.wsforum.net- 2 page presentation for the UEMSS  http://bit.ly/45sILNb  //    Join.wsforum.net presentación 2 paginas para la UEMSS -bit.ly/3qHV21a    //     Recto-verso de presentation join.wsforum.net pour UEMSS - https://bit.ly/3OlLKQc

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3/THE WSF: HOW TO GET INSPIRED FROM IT WITH CLARITY - Two types of intercommunication processes between organizations

A/ social forum process type with DIRECT INSPIRATION from the WSF – a social forum process is built - as an open space and exchange process non-deliberative as a whole- One can display the FSM charter of principles as reference document and possibly also present a  complement text detailing the process to which  facilitators invite – EXAMPLE the APSF process in Asia initiated at the end of 2021, and the WSFI process which is at the start of construction place the WSFprinciples as a direct reference

B/ Social Assembly process type: INDIRECT INSPIRATION from the WSF a social assembly process is built as a space and process of intercommunicatin which can  “deliberative as a whole” - a specific charter of principles is crafted for the social assembly process under construction. which mentions the inspiration of the WSF and shows the main modalities on the overall deliberative character Example: A first social assembly process was initiated at the end of 2022 World Assembly of Struggles and Resistance of the WSFwith the website worldsocialassembly.org showing its charter.

C/ COEXISTENCE AND MUTUAL RESPECT BETWEEN WSF INSPIRED PROCESSES Possibility for a same organization to participate simultaneously and with clarity in different processes, as a participant or as a facilitating participant.

Discussions on the future of the WSF in 2022 allowed to establish a consensus formulation on a vision “of the Global WSF process” corresponding to all of these processes inspired by the WSF, social forum processes (the WSF remaining the largest of them) or social assembly processes, autonomous and in interaction with each other via cross-participations ;The common understanding of what the Global WSF process is leads everyone to respect in their acts of participation in a given process the formats and characteristics of other processes Example not attributing a “WSF” character to a decision made in a social assembly process  (respect for the characteristic of open space of the WSF process).

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SQUARE OF STATEMENTS SQS FEB19TH WORK IN PROGRESS  VERSION 7TH FEB  IN SQS TEAM

WHAT IS SQS ?

A final moment  in wsf  where principle 7 of wsf is implemented 
"organizations or groups of organizations that participate in the Forums meetings must be assured the right, during such meetings, to deliberate on declarations or actions they may decide on, whether singly or in coordination with other participants. The World Social Forum facilitating group  undertakes to circulate such decisions widely by the means at its disposal, without directing, hierarchizing, censuring or restricting them, but as deliberations of the organizations or groups of organizations that made the decisions.

WHAT IS SQS  FOR ? 

Square of statements moment of 4 hours is to Allow a maximum number of voluntary interactions between WSF participants around the statements and concrete involvement possibilities around them in the coming months , 

WHO IS SQS  FOR?

Statement promoters are invited to present their statements and the possibilities for involvement around those 

Participants in WSF2024 are invited to come and meet with the promoter of the statements that interest them

Statement promoters are invited to come and meet with some other statement promoters and explore convergence alliances with them.

These interactions take place simultaneously not in sequence

 During the  4 hours of the square of statements, Each organization  present in the Square of statements reviews the list of statements present in the square and defines its own “program of interaction” around the various statements that it is most interested in

 SQS IS PREPARED BY WHO ?  SQS TEAM 

Square of statements is prepared, communicated,  and implemented by  NOC/APSF FC/ IC ,  through “square of statement moment team”  (SSMTeam  or Square Team)  working under guidance of  NOC

Team follows up the declarations of intention of statement by some activities (60? among the 370 activities registered?)   and the appearance of “statement related text”  in the “additional document” section of  the corresponding activity pages

The SSM Team goes updating list of statements  table with links to the activity pages  to which they are related

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WHEN ARE  PREPARATION STEPS TOWARDS SQUARE OF STATEMENTS

1. Dissemination of the intention of statement form : bit.ly/3SyabvU
2. Starting of statement promoters space group
3. Continuous Q&A  in the group  about editing the statement related info in the actifvty pages 

__MORE QUESTIONS  ANSWERS  COMING FROM  FIRST DISCUSSIONS  IN THE SQS TEAM_

around notion of statement 

1/ WHEN WILL THE STATEMENTS BE PREPARED  AND BY WHO ?

Each activity organizing group can  decide early if they want to prepare and propose a statement and work on the content of this statement along the design of the activity before the activity is held

Idea is there is a draft text to be presented  before  on line  or at least during the activity  to participants  - you can prepare paper copies or show the document with a video projector in the activity

 it is always possible to edit the “additional document” section of the activity page and put there the draft document  - 

Having a text and some support to it in this section is the base criteria  requisite to be taken into account as  statement promoter in SQS

SEE THE TEMPLATE : https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization/activity/8 

2/ IS THERE A TEMPLATE FOR  STATEMENT  CONTENT?

No. the statement  content is entirely to initiative of its promoters - 

it does  not have to be necessary a solemn text  -  it can  also in part or totality  be  a short text giving   concrete follow up  perspective  to the discussion  held in the activity  for the next months  and inviting people /organization to express their support fill an online signing form and joining   an online group 

It  needs  to be visible in the “additional document/ other detail section” of the activity page   and  should have an explicit enough title - SEE template about some sections in the https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization/activity/8  ( editing the more detail/additional document part of activity page) 

The map of the square   prepared by  SQS team will give the title and the link to the activity page where the statement is visible 

3/ CAN WE COME IN THE SQUARE OF STATEMENTS WITH ONLY DRAFT TEXTS SUPPORTED BY A FEW  ORGANIZATIONS

Yes, as long as there is by 18ht evening 9 pm nepal  in the additional document/other detail of the activity  a  text  that can be a draft and there are 3 organizations links associated as supportive of that text - this is enough  to be  statement promoter in the square  

4/ WILL IT BE POSSIBLE TO PRINT AND COPY STATEMENT DURING THE SQS?

Principally yes  to be confirmed but in very limited quantity - eg 5 copies for a 1 page statement - 

Otherwise you can go with a USB key and pay for a great number of copies outside the BM venue  it is better you make this in the morning before going to the SQS

printing  in BM venue may be useful if you are finalizing the statement during SQS   or if there is a new statement resulting from a discussion with another 

5/ WHAT IF WE, AS STATEMENT PROMOTERS, WE WANT TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE MERGING BETWEEN TWO STATEMENT DURING THE SSM?

You are welcome to do this , while staying available to receive  people that come to visit you on the basis of your original statement- 

The merging as a draft  implies an agreement between the first 3 signatories of  each of  the previous 2 statements   

depending the conditions  of space  and noise  in SQS  you might be discussing this merging in a small circle of chairs around one of the statement contact table in BM  hall,  or you might look for a quieter place in the open or event  occupy an available smaller room close to the venue - this implies that some series   

SQS  

6/ IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CONTACT TABLE ALLOCATED  TO GROUPS THAT DO NOT HAVE STATEMENTS IN THEIR  ACTIVITY PAGE? 

If there are more contact table than statements the SSM Team see to how these tables can be allocated  to last minute groups willing to promote something  IN RELATION WITH AN ACTIVIT THEY HAVE ORGANIZED  ( criteria) 

7/ IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CONTACT TABLE ALLOCATED  TO GROUPS HAVE NOT ORGANIZED AN  ACTIVITY ?

it is difficult to envision this because those groups have not a place to edit their statement in an accountable way  - unless they use the field mission of their organisation description to do so 

around logistics and  implementation of SQS

8/ HOW WILL BE THE HALLS OF BM VENUE ARRANGED FOR SQS MOMENT

90% of chairs will be folded away and replaced with around 50 /100? ?   tables or couple of tables  and a few chairs  10 for each table  - so  that 

1/  the wsf participants can  circulate easily between  the tables 
2/ each table will have a visible number  put  on it  in logical order, so the participant can find the table according to the number of  the statement that interest them in the list of statement 

3/ the chairs allow to have small meeting 5 to 10 people max around the statement , or discussing a merge between statements

9 / IN WHICH SENSE IS SQS MULTI PARALLEL ?

there are two types of interaction going on 

-participants get information  about the follow up outcome from an activity

- cooperation  alliance   convergence  discussion  between statement prormoters

10 / HOW AND WHEN TO  FIND OR ASK SQS TEAM FOR A MEETING  PLACE OR A ROOM WHERE TO DIRECT PARTICIPANTS INTERESTED BY OUR STATEMENT 

Let us be pragmatic, if it is not raining , groups are welcome to occupy areas in BM  in the open or in tents or  venu corners - some may want to use classrooms across exhibition road ( need to check with logistics may be keep on  college venue open for  such occupation 

Statement promoters  attending at the contact table,  will be directing the visitors to these open meeting area - there wont be a map for those spaces

in those spaces there could be a  paper poster bearing the number of the statement eg  SQS #5    SQS #23 etc plus the title of the statement  - so people understand this is a meeting related to 10 

11 / IS THERE A  PUBLIC SOUND SYSTEM OR STAGE  IN SQS ?

To be assessed ! 

There should be the minimum noise level to allow easy one to one and small grop conversation in SQS 

Having no stage and no sound system,  avoid  that some group attracted by the stage and sound system   and tries  to capture attention of all participants   

at the same time the  SQS Team may want to use a microphone to give some indications from time to time 

12 / IN WHICH SENSE IS SQS MULTI PARALLEL ?

the  numbered contact tables  associated with a statement are the structure  of the event - and can accommodate under responsibility of each statement promoting group  three type of interaction 

1/  the welcoming of a continuous flux of  wsf participants coming  for a quick exchange to know more about the statement and possible engage in follow up proposed  leaving their contact noting the one line link to the statement  ( the activity page link) - The team can have a paper sheet to collect manually contact 

2/ the welcoming of those interested by a longer conversation in a circle of chairs next to the table or a meeting in  the open  or in some other room

3/ the embassy to  some other statements present in SQS to propose them some relationing  and discussion  

4/ the discussion with other  statement promoters about possible merging alliance convergence - this can take some time  and take place in a circle of chairs by the contact table of one statement   or in any area in the open  chautari or in a room 

This implies that the statement promoter team get organized during SQS to  handle in parallel these 4 interactions - staying in contact through telephone

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STRUCTURE OF SECOND PART OF ACTIVITY PAGE  ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT OTHER DETAIL
This   second part  of activity page  " additional document" /other details  is for putting info related to the statement  presented in an activivity

 see templace  https://wsf2024nepal.org/activity/8

10 steps of action for the SSM Team 

1/ FEBRUARY 5

participants invited to think

2/ from  FEBRUARY 7  is filling the “intention  of statement”  form  https://bit.ly/3H5S0IR

participants invited to fill that form  those who do it are included in the SPS group  -statmeents promoters space

3/ A IN FIRST TEN DAYS OF FEBRUARY  starting the editing by activity organziers  the  "additional document" section of  the activity page  with info related to statement   -  see suggestions in the activity template here : https://wsf2024nepal.org/organization/activity/8 

participants invited to start editing the additional document section of activity page 

4/   FROM FEBRUARY 10TH  TO 18TH Square of statement team  is publishing a "map of square of statements" as a page in wfs2024 website  . It is the list of titles of statement and the list of links to the activity pages where they are visible and a contact table number that can be located  in the big hall of Brikhuti Mandap

participants invited to review the status of the list of statements - this is an incentive  to activity organizers to consider issuing statements

5/  FROM FEBRUARY 1ST TO 18TH there are email messages sent to  participating organizations explaining about the square of statements 

7/  FROM FEBRUARY 15 TO 18 th  there is A VISIBLE BOOTH   by the entrance of BM venue with a banner “ WSF2024 SQUARE OF STATEMENTS 19thFeb” ( the SSTeam can finance the cost and the flyers presenting SSM ( square of statement moment)  where participants can discover the concept and find guidance with volunteers answering their questions -  ( need to make a training session for the volunteers on 13 or 14 or 15 and a whatsapp group where they can stay in touch with the SSTeam)

8/ on 19TH FEBRUARY  the square WITH 50+ CONTACT TABLES is  logistically implemented  by SSTeam  - SSteam is available to  limit sound nuisance  and to allocate rooms  in wsf venue  for the inclusion meetings in the follow up around the statement or in a convergence meeting between two or more statements

9/ FROM MARCH 1ST  to JUNE 1ST   SSTeam  starts a report session  gathering feedback from statement promoters and

10 / FROM MARCH 1ST  to JUNE 1ST SSTeam invites  statement promoters  to describe initiatives based on statement  in the join.wsforum.net website 

https://join.wsforum.net/initiatives   and clarify therein "public action dates" that will be visible through an actions  calendar https://join.wsforum.net/actions-calendar

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WHERE  to  LOOK FOR INFO ABOUT SQUARE OF STATEMENTS 

IN THIS INFORMATIVE ACTIVITY https://wsf2024nepal.org/activity/10  ( title needs to be changed)  

WITH CONTACTS IN THIS ACTIVITY

IN WEBSITE  SEARCH BOX  searching word in search box  "statements search" - distinct from search box  act description search 

this new search box has been asked for in website team

IN THE BOOTH  “SQUARE OF STATEMENT”  IN WSF VENUE 

in BM venue -   looking for the contact table with number associated with  statement title  -  will be  prepared by SQSTeam

in WSF venue - going to a room indicated by contact table people where an inclusion meeting can be organized