[URBANTH-L]ANN: World Social Forum 10-Year Anniversary

[Angela Jancius]

The World Social Forum's 10-Year Anniversary
Celebrations Will Start in Porto Alegre

World Social Forum
September 4, 2009

http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/

The World Social Forum's 10-year anniversary
celebrations will start in the city where everything
began: Porto Alegre. The capital of the state of Rio
Grande do Sul along with its metropolitan area are
going to hold the Greater Porto Alegre 10 years Social
Forum, from January the 25th until the 29th 2010. But
this will only be the first of several events already
scheduled for next year, as the 2010 WSF will have a
decentralized and permanent format, with events to be
held across the world sharing the global crisis as a
common theme.

For more information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=12_1&cd_language=2

Among the already programmed activities for the Greater
Porto Alegre event, there will be a 10 years World
Social Forum Seminar, organized by the Support Group to
the World Social Forum. This event will gather guests
from several parts of the world in debates on
evaluations and perspectives of the WSF process. Aimed
at social networks and movements' leaderships,
delegates of the forums' organizing committees and
intellectuals which identify themselves with the space,
this activity intends to contribute to the definition
of the course to be taken by the process. It is going
to be a space of reflection, not only on the past
experiences of the WSF, but mainly on its future.

Since its birth in 2001, in opposition to the World
Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland, the
World Social Forum was constituted as an important
initiative of mobilization and articulation of the
global civil society. From then on it has maintained a
central role against "single thought", keeping dialog
with the incipient anti-globalization movement and
offering a rich space for sharing experiences, drawing
up campaigns and for debates on alternatives to social
problems at global level.

Through these 10 years, the WSF stopped being ju
mauricruz @ camp.org.br st an event and became a global
process. Apart from the world meetings, which since
2004 (Mumbai, India) reached other countries and
continents, there are several local, national and
thematic events that are today part of the process. As
first event of the celebration of its first decade, the
Greater Porto Alegre 10 years Social Forum will fulfill
an important role of stimulating and boosting the 2010
WSF across the world.

The event is being organized by civil society
organizations of Rio Grande do Sul, with support of
local governments of the seven cities hosting
activities (Porto Alegre, Canoas, Sapucaia do Sul, Sao
Leopoldo, Novo Hamburgo, Campo Bom and Sapirange).

For more information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/Eventos200EN.pdf

2011 Africa WSF: next edition of the world event will
be held in Dakar, Senegal

The last WSF International Meeting, in May, approved to
hold the next World Social Forum in Dakar, in Senegal
in 2011. According to the African Social Forum
organizers, the Dakar proposal is supported by several
social movements in the region, such as feminist
organizations and trade unions. For more information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2568&cd_language=2

The US Social Forum will be held in Detroit, Michigan
June 22-26.

Another World Is Possible! Another US is Necessary!

Detroit to Host 20,000 Activists

Union member holding sigh "Big Business Beware - when
we're screwed we multiply!" The USSF will take place
June 22-26, 2010 at Cobo Hall and Hart Plaza in
downtown Detroit. Other workshops and community art and
culture programs will take place across the city. The
USSF will convene social movements from across the
United States and globally. Organizers are reaching out
to young people, people of color, unionists, laid off
and unorganized workers, welfare recipients, veterans,
persons with disabilities, indigenous people, freedom
fighters, collectives, and many others. Why a social
forum?

"This is a large scale and unique opportunity to learn
from each other's experiences, shed light on social
injustices, and build on community efforts to create
real change," says William Copeland, a USSF staff
organizer and member of the East Michigan Environmental
Action Council (EMEAC).

Key aims are to create an open space and a process for
creating movement convergence and coordination, raise
awareness of social justice issues, provide
opportunities to share experiences, and discuss
strategies that create social change and solutions to
the problems facing people across our many struggles,
sectors, regions, and diversity. Why Detroit?

"Detroit is ground zero for the economic
crisis facing millions of people, not only here in
Michigan, but across the nation," says Maureen Taylor,
a USSF staff organizer and Chair of the Michigan
Welfare Rights Organization (MWRO). "We are really
pleased to host this historic event and we're sure that
what happens in Detroit will have a huge impact not
only here but elsewhere." How do we do it?

The US Social Forum is organized by thousands of social
movement and grassroots volunteers in all sectors and
regions. The planning is underway and open to everyone
who wants to see a movement for real change succeed.
Working Groups are being formed and, using Internet
tools like wikis, you can participate and share ideas,
no matter where you are. Look at the list to the right
for ways to get involved and stay informed.

Read more: http://ussf2010.org/node/7

Other world forum events:

a) The city of Amed (Diyarbakir), in kurdish Turkey,
hosts the Mesopotamian Social Forum, from September
28th to 30th

September will be a month full of activities in the
city of Amed (Diyarbakir), in the Kurdish region of
Turkey. From the 28th to the 30th, the Mesopotamian
Social Forum (MSF) will be held . Before the event it
will also be held from the 25th to the 27th the
Preparatory Assembly for the 2010 European Social
Forum. For more information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2590&cd_language=2
Event website:
http://www.international-amed-camp.org

b) More than 6 thousand are expected to participate at
the 2nd Quebec Social Forum, to be held from October
9th to 12th, in Montreal, Canada

After its first edition in 2007, the Quebec Social
Forum (FSQ) is back on October the 8th to the 12th
2009. The organizers expect more than 6.000
participants, imagining the future of Quebec together.
Also, during the three days before the FSQ there will
be held a WSF International Council Meeting. For more
information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2591&cd_language=2
Event website:
http://www.forumsocialquebecois.org

c) From October 10th to 12th, it will be held in
Sevilla the 2009 Spanish Thematic Social Forum

With the theme "Spirituality and Ethics to another
Better World Possible", will take place at the Palace
of Congresses and Exhibitions de Sevilla (Fibes), the
Spanish Thematic Social Forum 2009. Organizers expect
the participation of about 1,500 people, who will
discuss the principles and values to build "a better
world, necessary, urgent and possible" during the three
day event. For more information:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/noticias_01.php?cd_news=2592&cd_language=2
Event website:
http://www.forosocialte2009.org

d) Check out the complete calendar of the actions and
events of 2009: click here:

http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=12_1&cd_language=2