22.11.2004
On the home stretch towards Porto Alegre

The city that will hold next World Social Forum (WSF), from January 26 to 31, 2005, has already had a small sample of the event last weekend. From November 13 to 15, in Porto Alegre, the Forum’s International Council Methodology and Contents Commissions have gathered. Brazilian Organizing Committee (BOC) members, as well as from other IC commissions and the International Secretariat – which has Brazilian and Indian organizations – have also taken part.

In the agenda, na overview of over 1.800 registered events for WSF 2005, until last week. It was the first time that IC analyzed the event’s programme previously. Over 80 people that took part in the meeting looked closely at registered events. Work has been divided in 11 groups, each one analyzing one of the WSF 2005 11 Thematic Terrains. Through this analysis, some themes, countries, or kinds of organization that still haven´t been registered for WSF 2005 have been identified. This work’s report will be sent to the 11 Facilitating Groups (FGs), which are in charge of interlinking events proposals in each theme.

100% self-organized

The meeting’s main decision was intensifying WSF participative character: for the first time in its five editions the meeting will be completely self-organized. This means that Brazilian Organizing Committee (BOC) won´t hold any round table. All discussions are to be proposed and organized by entities that register for WSF. Until this year, the greatest self-organization experience had happened in India – where the Indian Organizing Committee (IOC) held only 13 out of the 1.182 events.

Concentrated Territory

An IC indication to WSF Brazilian organizers is that of concentrating to the most the area where the Forum is to be held. The current map of World Social Territory – as WSF area has been called – included some parts of Porto Alegre’s downtown. IC has suggested that the Territory sticks to Guaíba’s outskirts.

New transversal axle

Another significant decision was the creation of a new transversal axle – still to be named - which is to deal with gender issues. The new axle will be added to the three existent ones: “Social emancipation and the political dimension of struggles”, “Fight against capitalism and patriarchy” and “Struggle against racism”. Transversal axles are themes that are to be present at all WSF debates.