*(Versión en Castellano sigue pronto)
*

*Fist public version of WSF IC call to 2010 social forum events organisers.
**
If you know other people involved in social forum events for 2010, please
forward this message to the.*

Dear friends,

We understand that you will be organising a Social Forum in 2010.

We are writing to you as a follow up to decisions taken at the International
Council meeting of the WSF held in Rabat, Morocco, in May 2009. The IC
meeting noted the profound impact of the emerging global crisis in the
economic and ecological spheres on peoples’ lives.

The meeting also stressed that it is crucial for the WSF to collectively
develop a process of working in 2010 that is in synchrony *with the rhythm
of development of the effects of this crisis and the diverse emerging
responses by movements across the globe. *

It noted that a series of social forum events were being organized
throughout 2010, which is an indicator of the vitality of the WSF process
worldwide, as a potentially powerful space for action towards another world
radically distinct from the one shaped by neoliberal globalization and
entering now in a global crisis.

The IC proposed that *these events could constitute a 2010 year round nearly
continuously active “WSF 2010 calendar”,* *with one overall common identity,
* giving momentum to activities and actions related to the crisis, and
allowing a great flexibility of participation for global networks and
smaller organisations alike.

It thus deliberated on *ways in which the conjunction of those 2010 events
could be seen as a inclusive process with a global identity by organizations
liable to participate in them*, where to express both the impact of the
global crisis on people across the world and where to formulate the ways in
which attempts by the global elite to pass on to the common people the
negative impact of the crisis are being resisted and ways in which new
paradigms are being implemented.

This continuous possibility of participation in a succession of social forum
events, by physical presence in such events or from a distance (“expanded”
mode), would indeed *start a new phase of development of WSF process*, as a
continuous catalyst for collective reflections and actions, decentralized
and yet *with an overall common identity.*

In this perspective, the IC has proposed that there should be *a global call
with two parts:*

- One call inviting movements and organisations to organize - in the
respective programs of 2010 social forum events being part of WSF process -
*activities for deliberating on the global crisis and also for forging
common struggles in the backdrop of the crisis;*

- One call ( this present message is a first public version of it ) asking
organisers of those 2010 social forums events to *provide a special
moment/place/visibility for self-organized activities linked by their
organizers to the global crisis*, and also to consider accommodating
“expanded” participation to their event in order to give the maximum
inclusiveness to the WSF2010 process.

The IC has also proposed that those “crises related” activities in different
forums be linked to each other through *a common slogan and a common logo*.

*A Working Group has been constituted by the IC:*  *(*see:
http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic-wg2010/project-home*)*

The group is working on different *methodologies allowing organizers of
crisis related activities to express solidarity between them, coordinate
them, and link them*. It shall place a detailed plan before the next IC
meeting in Montreal in October (6-8) 2009*.*

One possible methodology is *giving global visibility to those activities in
a common global worldwide virtual space, in parallel to, or in consequence
to their registration in an event* appearing in the WSF2010 calendar. Some
linkage agreed between those activities could be made visible, (more
information on this will be sent very soon).

Another possible methodology is to *promote “expansion” of the events and
thus allow organisations that cannot have a relevant number of delegates
present in an event to hold expanded activities in their local
town*relating them to an existing 2010 event and to the crisis. This
would expand
the wsf2010 process significantly and demonstrate it inclusiveness beyond
time availability and travel cost barriers (more information on expansion of
social forum events is available at:
http://openfsm.net/projects/sfexintercom/project-home)

*Now getting to concrete matter!*

As per the WSF Charter, the IC (or any other entity) has no mandate to
dictate the methodology or content of a particular forum. However, given the
urgency of the situation and the necessity to work together *to offer to
organisations throughout the world a relevant common space where to face the
present global crisis*, we would encourage you as organizer of an
event to *give
a specific visibility to self organized activities in your forum that link
with this global call in 2010*. and to consider “expanding” your forum ,
i.e. *allowing registration of “expanded” activities away from the centric
event place.*

We would also request you to share with us how you would like to do so.

For example, the USSF to be held in mid 2010 has deliberated on the
possibility of setting aside a special day, inside the Forum, dedicated to
the global crisis.

You are warmly invited to share your ideas regarding how the *linkages
between crisis related activities held in different events* can be built.

We also request you to confirm, if possible at this stage, the *dates and
venue of your forum and who are the contact people who can participate in
the international WSF2010 coordinating working group.** *Please include all
contact details, so we can start sharing ideas and decisions regarding the
global call.

Such information would be invaluable to us in publicizing a global
continuous calendar of events for 2010.

*The current updated list of social forum events scheduled for 2010 is
available here* :
http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic-wg2010/list-of~xa0events-planned-for-2010<http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic-wg2010/list-of%7Exa0events-planned-for-2010>.
Please answer this message to fsmci @ forumsocialmundial.org.br


In Solidarity

WSF IC 2010 Working Group.

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