The World Social Forum: Challenging Empires

A committed but critical anthology of essays on the theory and practice of the Forum, with essays by wo/men from many parts of the world, with many different points of view. This online version is abbreviated from the printed original, published by Viveka, New Delhi. This is so that it might provide a taster for the print version (with its extensive Documents and Resources) rather than an alternative to it. Copyright rests first with the Editors and Authors. Further requests for information to Jai Sen, . For copies of the book itself, approach Viveka Foundation: 25-C DDA Flats, Shahpurjat, New Delhi 110 049, India, Tel: 91-11-2649 2473 / 2649 7586, , Editors: Jai Sen, Anita Anand, Arturo Escobar, Peter Waterman.

CONTENT

(The book content is available in Pdf format)

Forewords

• A Fierce Struggle to Re-create the World- Irene Santiago
• The Forum as a Jazz- Hillary Wainwright

Proem

• Challenging Empires: Reading the World Social Forum- Jai Sen

SECTION 1: ANTECEDENTS: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES

Proem- Anita Anand

• For Struggles, Global & National- Samir Amin interviewed by V Sridhar
• Coming: A Re-run of the 1930s?- Walden Bello
• The Road from Genoa- Jeremy Brecher, Tim Costello & Brendan Smith
• Towards a New International?- Michael Löwy
• Transnational Feminism & the Struggle for Global Justice- Johanna Brenner
• Towards Another Anarchism- Andrej Grubacic
• Asian Peace Movements and Empire- Muto Ichiyo
• Confronting Empire- Arundhati Roy
• The Global Justice & Solidarity Movement & the WSF: a Backgrounder- Peter Waterman

WSF Documents

• WSF: Charter of Principles (Original)
• WSF: Charter of Principles (Revised)
• A Tale of Two Charters- Jai Sen

SECTION 2: DIARIES: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE WSF

Proem- Anita Anand

• Another World Is Possible: Globalisation by the People- Theresa Wolfwood
• Globalisation from the Middle? Reflections from a Margin- Peter Waterman

Movement Documents

• Porto Alegre- Call for Mobilisation
• Porto Alegre II- Call for Social Movements- Resistance to Neoliberalism and Militarism: For Peace and Social Justice

SECTION 3: CRITICAL ENGAGEMENTS: THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM

Proem- Anita Anand

• The WSF as Open Space- Chico Whitaker
• The WSF: Arena or Actor?- Teivo Teivainen
• What is the Point of Porto Alegre?- Ezequiel Adamovsky & Susan George
• Another World is Necessary- Nawal El Saadawi
• Bound to Movility? Identity & Purpose at the WSF- Nikhil Anand
• The Secret of Fire- Peter Waterman
• Is it Possible to Put a Human Face on Globalisation & War?- ILC
• World Forum Movement: Abandon or Contaminate?- Linden Farrer
• a Tree in Porto Alegre: Democracy in its Most Radical Sense- Thomas Ponniah & William Fisher
• De-centering the Forum: Is Another Critique of the Forum Possible?- Michal Osterweil
• A Better or Worse World? The Third WSF, Porto Alegre 2003- Jacklyn Cock
• Another (Also Feminist) World is Possible?- Sonia Alvarez, with Nalu Faria & Miriam Nobre
• Another Cameroon is Possible!- Victor Youmbi
• How Open? The Forum as Logo, The Forum as Religion: Scepticism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Will- Jai Sen
• The WSF 3 & Tensions in the Construction of Global Alternative Thinking- Gina Vargas
• 2003 WSF: Perspective of Women- World March of Women
• The WSF: Toward a Counter-Hegemonic Globalisation (Part I)- Boaventura de Sousa Santos
• WSF’s “Many Alternatives” to Globalisation- P J James

WSF Documents

• IC: Nature, Responsibilities, Composition & Functioning- WSF Brazil, OC
• The Directions of the World Social Process- WSF, International Secretariat

SECTION 4: GLOBALISING THE FORUM: THE FORUM IN INDIA

Proem- Anita Anand

• The Global South Joins Hands- WSF 2004, Mumbai- WSF India Org. Comm.
• WSF India Policy Statement- Charter of Principles- WSF India
• Statement of the Asian Social Mass & People’s Movements and Organisations
• People’s Movements- Evolving Our World: End Imperialist Globalisation, Fundamentalism & War- A.P. Vyavasaya, Vruthidarula Union
• Globalising Resistance- Sukumar Muralidharan
• Struggle Against Imperialism is Neither Fun nor Picnic! It is a Life and Death Practice!- Revolutionary Writers’ Association
• Striking Back at The Empire- Devaki Jain
• The Long March to Another World: Reflections of a Member of the WSF India Committee in 2002 on the First year of the WSF Process in India- Jai Sen

Movement Documents

• Another Africa is Possible! Addis Ababa Consensus- African Social Forum
• Building a Social Movements World Network- CUT, ATTAC, etc

SECTION 5: LOOKING BEYOND- POSSIBLE FUTURES, POSSIBLE WORLDS

Proem- Anita Anand

• WSF: Where to Now?- Michael Albert
• The Twilight of Vanguardism- David Graeber
• The WSF: Toward a Counter-Hegemonic Globalisation (Part II)- Boaventura de Sousa Santos
• Draft Criteria for a Proposed Women’s Summit about the State of the World- María Suarez Toro
• Other Worlds Are (Already) Possible: Self-organisation, Complexity, and Post-capitalist Cultures- Arturo Escobar

Movement Documents

• Call of the European Social Movements- Social Movements
• Social Movements Call at WSF 2003- World Network
• Statement of the Arab Social Movements

GLOSSARY

REFERENCES

INDEXES

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