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By Anita Anand In the first two weeks of 2004, thousands of activists, academics, politicians, young and old women and men will take trains, aeroplanes and other modes of transport to attend the largest global gathering of alternatives -- the World Social Forum (WSF) in Mumbai , India . WSF, an annual event since 2001, brings together individuals, organisations and social movements from many parts of the world. With the slogan, 'Another World is Possible', WSF attempts to counter the powerful World Economic Forum (WEF) and challenge the capitalist-led globalisation and economic policies pursued by most countries. The organisers of WSF are people interested and involved in social, economic and political realities outside the current phase of globalisation. Porto Alegre ( Brazil ), the first venue of WSF, was a great choice. The local people there had recently voted on the budget and the venue attracted trade unions, political parties, anarchists, Marxists, feminists, ecologists, old and new leftists and young people. The theme was Diversity, Democratic Organising and Thinking. A Charter of Principles was adopted that would guide the work of WSF. Is WSF an anti-globalisation movement? If the slogan is Another World is Possible, what is this world? Organisers and representatives of WSF do not see themselves as anti-globalists. They are only seeking other forms of globalisation that are more humane and sustainable, local focused and people oriented. In a way, WSF is a gathering point -- of social movements of the last four decades worldwide. While movements of the 1960s were parallel to each other, they didn't have the gift of cyberspace. Now, a group in the South Pacific is linked (virtually) to groups in Africa and Latin America and vice versa. The internet, an invention of the dominant culture of globalisation, is being utilised by the social movements of the world, to propose and build other alternatives. The steady growth in numbers attending the world event -- from 25-30,000 at the first, 50-60,000 at the second, to 100,000 at the third -- attest to the relevance of the forum to people all over the world who are concerned with economic globalisation, militarisation, and interrelated issues, says Jai Sen, a WSF watcher and participant. But it is not numbers alone that count, he says. The annual world event has evolved over the years. The first meeting in 2001 was predominantly a challenge to WEF, as a symbol of globalisation, and through that to economic globalisation itself. In 2002, it moved to being a meeting that made a call for alternatives -- Another World Is Possible! The third meeting in January 2003, while centred on illuminating steps towards concrete alternatives, was also marked by critical self-reflection on WSF itself -- both on its structure and process. WSF 2004 ((January 16-21) will focus on five key issues -- imperialist globalisation, militarism and peace, communalism, religious sectarianism and fundamentalism, racism and casteism, labour and the world of work, exclusions and discrimination, and patriarchy. At the Mumbai meeting, over 75,000 people are expected and the largest representation will be from India , South Asia and Asia . The decision to hold WSF 2004 in India was prompted by the thinking that the venue should be closer to Asia and Africa where more than two-thirds of the world's people live. India was chosen also because it is the largest democracy with a healthy history of struggles. The week-long activities will include plenary sessions, debates, sharing of personal histories of individuals and their actions in defence of liberty and human dignity, cultural events, a youth camp and film festivals. A great exchange -- of ideas, emails, addresses, experiences -- will inevitably take place. But WSF, say its organisers, is not just an annual event; it is a process of coalition building across the world. According to sociologist Peter Waterman, WSF -- promoted by a group of Brazilian, French and other NGOs, trade unions and individuals -- is organically linked to a more general movement. It is a front for many social movements in search of a voice. Thinkers and followers of the WSF trace its recent history to the 1994 Zapatista uprising in the Chiapas , Mexico . Two years later, there was a call for a global social movement, which eventually led to the birth of the Global Justice and Solidarity Movement (GJ&SM). GJ&SM was the name proposed for the general wave of protest against corporate-dominated globalisation, against US-sponsored neo-liberalism/neo-conservatism and war. This 'movement of movements' is marked by its networking form and communication activity, a matter recognised by friends and enemies alike, says Waterman. Following the 1996 call for social movements to come together, the most memorable events were protests at the WTO meet in Seattle (USA), World Bank and IMF meetings in Canada, Italy, Washington DC, and most recently in Cancun (Mexico) and Florida (USA). While protests are the easiest way to attract the media, movement critics say that the media doesn't have the attention span to understand their concerns, issues and strategies. Protests are a short-term strategy. Social change is the long-term goal. Over the last few years, organisations in the North and South have proposed (working within the WSF) various alternatives to globalisation. Some of these are local, regional and international solutions. Like all movements, there are issues of concern in the WSF about its decision-making structures, the need for transparency, lack of adequate communication in and between networks, and the power struggle between established activists and their relatively unknown grassroots counterparts. There is a concern for more representation of women, people of colour and minority communities. There has also been a call for less focus on the annual event and more on smaller, thematic and local events. But beyond the criticism and hype of WSF, there is one truth. Today, it is the single largest 'movement of movements' which is open and willing to absorb concerns of the last century and the current one. It holds the greatest promise of success. Its strength and its future lie in its ability to serve as the meeting ground of not just one, but many possible worlds. Women's Feature Service, January 2004
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