At the end of January 2003, global civil society directed its gaze towards the south of Brazil and the Third World Social Forum, with its promise that another world is possible. To mark this event, part of the Choike team covered the Forum's workshops, conferences, panels and roundtables direct from Porto Alegre.
For NGOs from the South, the Forum has become a place to make their voices heard and exchange experiences and ideas. This was the main focus of Choike's coverage, in line with its aim of giving visibility to Southern civil societies. The more global happenings, however, also got a look-in, through links to a selection of relevant information published in different electronic media and web sites.
Our site, which aims to reflect the concerns of NGOs in its categories and sub-categories, was entirely dedicated to the Forum for its duration. A special icon identifies the reports and news items relating to Forum issues.
A panel of activists and international lawyers described the process that led to the creation of this permanent, international and independent institution, which came into force on 1 July 2002.
The recently created Afro-Brazilian Observatory is an organization dedicated to producing economic, demographic and social indicators on Brazil’s Black population.
Arundhati Roy closed the last event of the Forum with these words: another world is not only possible, it already exists, it is being born. More than twenty thousand people applauded, embraced and sang in a stadium overflowing with people and hope.
The more than 40,000 demonstrators formed a human column marked by diversity. While some marched in silence, others shouted slogans against the war, against the FTAA, or simply sang and danced to the many drums accompanying the march.
The residents of Porto Alegre presented the delegates from India with a carved stone, symbolically handing over to them the responsibility and honour of being the next hosts. The World Social Forum 2004 is already underway.
The Women's International Coalition for Economic Justice organized a workshop to analyze the effects of trade liberalization, privatizations and cuts in public services spending on gender inequalities.
While international attention is captured by the imminent war against Iraq, other conflicts have been pushed into the background. This is the case with Colombia, a country that for the last 40 years has been torn by a civil war which it seems unable to resolve. From Porto Alegre, civil society leaders and even a Colombian senator have appealed for help.
At this workshop, organized by the Arab NGO Network for Development, members of civil society from Egypt, Morocco and Palestine shared their past experiences and future plans for an Arab Social Forum.
Members of different popular education organizations shared their experiences in the first of five workshops titled "Crisis and Rebellion in Latin America".
This workshop, organized by the network Alliance against the IDB, had as its aim to deconstruct the different myths which the Inter-American Development Bank uses to legitimize its intervention in Latin American economies and politics.
Many worlds are possible. This was shown by the reports from the organizers of the different regional and national social forums, who exchanged experiences in parallel meetings.
The Mexican Network for Action Against Free Trade presented its book "The social and environmental impacts of NAFTA: Grassroots responses to economic integration" at the WSF.
During the 2001 and 2002 World Social Forums, assemblies of social movements adopted resolutions articulating common analyses and committing common mobilizations. During WSF 2003, they propose to discuss the creation of the Social Movements World Network.
A meeting organized by South/South Dialogue LGBT covered issues such as education, the unification of demands, the challenge to social norms, violence, and how to ensure continuity of the struggle after the World Social Forum.
A press release from the parallel Health Forum in Porto Alegre criticizes the failure of the WHO to address the needs of the poor, and the negative effects of World Bank and IMF policies on public health systems in developing countries.
The next ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization will also be the focal point for the next demonstration by civil society organizations against globalization. At the WSF a panel is to be held on 'WTO - the Road to Cancun'.
The huge support for the Brazilian president among WSF participants was evident at the opening day's events. But do people think he was right to decide to go to Davos? Interviews with Susan George and other WSF activists.
