dear all,

here the revised version of the plan proposal to present to ic.

this work has been done taking in account all contribution and all discussion raised around comcom group and work.

we hope we have include all groups and scope. If you have any questions, comments, proposals, please send back to the comcom mailing list (if notes directly on the plan, please do in a different color and not on the attached version).

In solidarity

Bettina, Antonio

2010 process project proposal

Plano de Comunicação 2010

Background

The Communication Commission is among the 6 commissions established in 2003 in the International Council meeting in Miami. The Commission has been active with 4 «communication projects» in Porto Alegre 2005 and Nairobi 2007, and with 6 more structured projects in Belem 2009; it has taken care of communication and information support for the Global Day of Action in 2008.

The Communication Commission has a working plan based on 8 working groups, reviewed in the Berlin (2007), Abuja (2008) and Rabat (2009) IC meetings, addressing media (both indipendent and mainstream), intercommunication (among participants) and online participation, internal communication, memory, visual identity and “other languages” (both in terms of translation and of different communication means, including artistic expression).

The Commission's plan has been updated and presented at every IC meeting, approved and its mandate reconfirmed each time. The working groups are open to observers and volunteers who are involved in communication activities and want to help te WSF process. There are some reference text (Guidelines, How we take decisions online, communication plans, reports from meetings, etc.) in the Commission's space on Openfsm: http://openfsm.net/projects/communication-commission/project-home

The Commission operates in coordination with the S.Paulo office staff and is trying to activate number of interns/dedicated staff from IC member organisations for the general communication tasks (in order to have inputs and translations in different regions of the world).

As of September 2009, the Comcom's space in Openfsm.net has 80+ participants (of which 15-20 more regular contributors) and various mailing lists for the working groups.

Context

It is ten years that in the WSF new counter-hegemonic communication shared practices are developing. The experience accumulated in these years has allowed to better define the scope and concrete possibilities of communication and information activities, which are becoming key practices for the progress of the WSF process. The latter is taking the form of a variety of events and dates, spread over the next two years and culminating in the WSF 2011 in Dakar. It is moving from «yearly events», owned by regional organisation committees (with exception of GDA) to a «WSF calendar» with a succession and diversity of events locally owned, and of dates (mobilisations) promoted by thematic networks and assemblies within the WSF dynamics.

The challenge is now to help stimulate inter-communication processes between committees and participants, make the linkage of these dates and events felt in a common process, and make this common process visible to media and public opinion in general. The form adopted for 2009-2011 (including moments/days dedicated to a common issue – such as “another exit from the crisis is possible”) leads us to explore novel ways in communication capable of enabling massive inclusion of new actors in the process.

The involvement of IC member organizations in the communicational process is the main condition for the success of these proposals, as well as the active participation of and synergy with the organising committee of the WSF 2011 in Dakar.

Working Plan :

1 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK FOR PARTECIPATION

2 COMUNICATION FOR EVENTS/COVERAGE FOR INTERNAL/EXTERNAL

DIFFUSION

3 DOCUMENTATION AND MEMORY OF THE PROCESS EVENTS

4 INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

IN DETAIL

1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK FOR PARTECIPATION

Processes of intercommunication between the participants,organizations and individuals through Internet or direct, Information processing / sharing between groups facilitators / organizers and participants

objectives:

1• Information on WSF process :

Improve and send the newsletter/bulletin and link it to the WSF participants

2• Communication web strategy

Redefine the general “institutional” website (forumsocialmundial.org.br) together with the S.Paulo Office more as a portal, linking to the WSF “universe” (events, process and participation, registration, online donation, memory, multimedia [video,radio, other media], media center...]and sharing a multi-event site (MAP) with participants registration form and online payment system.(*see infrastructure and technology)

3• Communication tools and partecipation working groups

An easy to use tool for wsf related working groups to communicate and intercommunicate. Define the essential tools to facilitate participation of organisations and individuals. One website (taking in account what already exist) used as a reference point for all groups. (*see infrastructure and technology)

4• Expanding WSF events

Expanded is a whole organizing/ mobilizing and participatory approach allowing to break the travel cost barrier and include many new participants in the dynamics of a forum event

5. Online donations and campaign

Develop a global campaign for self-sustainability of WSF (based on the organisations' and

participants ownership of the wsf process - in terms of both inkind and economic

resources) and promote the online donation system on all wsf websites and in connection

with the participants' database.

6• Commission Strategy seminar

A few days meeting to discuss in depth communication strategy issues related to the mid- and long- term WSF process, networking, promotion as well as to the work on the detailed plan for 2010 and 2011. This meeting could involve Methodology commission members as well as the ad hoc 2010 IC working group. Date to be defined (depending also on resources), possibly by January 2010.

2. COMUNICATION FOR EVENTS/COVERAGE FOR INTERNAL/EXTERNAL DIFFUSION

Communication of events to promote partecipation and multimedia coverage of events for contamination and memory

Relevant is the Interaction with the Organizing Committee of events to garantee internal and external communication during event:

¬ within all sf actors and new potential partecipants at the wsf process

¬ with general pubblic to sensibilize and involve toward wsf universe

¬ toward alternative/independent and mainstream media for local and international visibility

It is IMPORTANT to assure that the infrastracture for communication be prioritized and guaranteed in/for the next World Social Forum events.

objectives :

1• Web site strategy

The first visible communication for WSF should be expressed in an interesting to look website, wich must be the gate to all social forum websites. It may have in the homepage a world map ( like for GDA2008) and links to local event sites. (*see infrastructure and technology)

2• Shared collective Communication spaces

Independent/alternative Media (Ciranda)

stimulate the formation of mixed (local and international) teams of shared communication teams that promote coverage of the event in exchange and collaboration policy *See specific projec

Forum de Radio (AMARC) A campaign in 6 languages to promote the Forums and their coverage to radios in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Facilitation of coordinated programming, spots, in different languages. Special involvement of community radios worldwide. *See specific project

Tv and video exchange system (wsftv.net) Facilitate the building of a online video community to promote the coverage of the different sf events around the world; Possibility to open for each forum a specific channel in the website related to and linked with the other forum websites. *See specific project

3• Press and international mainstream media facilitation

Increase the visibility of the WSF in public opinion worldwide.

Virtual media center (website/section/repository) – with all materials for journalists and a complete map of all the events, allowing to join a shared communication.International Press pool (press kits, press releases, informatin of other media actitvities, etc)

Facilitate distribution of the forum tv coverage by satellite and through Eurovision Worldfeed

Translators pool (8 languages: EN, ES, PT, FR, DE, AR, HI, SW)

4• Visual identy and other “languages”

for a coherence in the online tools promoted by the WSF there is the need of having some elements of common visual identity in order to make the connection among the various events visible and immediate.

Promotional common “materials” for the “Forum 2010” (graphics design, logo, banners, general visual identity) in open digital formats to be shared and promoted throughout and adopted by the events, and to be used for virtual communication.

Cultural, artistic and dialogic communication: promoting other “languages” of communication (artistic and cultural dimensions, besides media and internet) emerging from the Forum dynamics and linking the different events.

3. Memory and documentation

Www.forumsocialmudial.org.br is the first and organized depository of the forum process memory.

Other many source of multimedia memory are potentially available but not yet linked and organized for a common consultation.

objectives:

1• Memory available to all partecipants

Allow wsf memory material to be reached by all partecipants through a search engine that can reach all the digitalized exhisting memory material spread in different web sites.*( see infrastructure and technology)

2• Production of memory

Stimulate, train, support the production and digital collection of memory at each event ( text, photo, audio, video) providing when necessary, the proper format for documenting activities and outcomes, and make those contents visible online

3• Memory Archive

Map the multimedia Memory archive in terms of cataloging and uploading all available past multimedia material (text,audio,photo, video) .Consolidate and update the multimedia database

4. Infrastructure and technology:

This is a PREREQUISITES for all the above:

tools to assure global communication!

Past experience with development of WSF websites has lead to try to setup a Technical webteam and a Software support group in order to work with a community of developers worldwide to help find better technical solutions within a “political” context and promoting the use of free software.

We strongly beleive in the need of a very easy, fast to use tool, with only stricktly necessary functions, constructed possibly by professional technicians.

Tasks include: optimizing servers and hosting; data transmission, softwares and databases for different needs of communication.

List of proposals :

A. WSF PORTAL

www. forumsocialmundial.org as WORLD SOCIAL FORUM GATE :

HOME PAGE forumsocialmundial.org.br with world map of events (linked to local web sites) and different links button lead to:

WHAT IS WSF? history, charters of principles, memory of process, organization…

PARTECIPATE : how to partecipate in wsf events and process and instruction of how to; including INTERNAL NETWORK ( for now we have www.open.net and www.process.net) + Online donations and campaign

MEMORY: search anythink you need here (search engine like google) that pics out documents ( altogether or separate text, pictures, video, audio,radio) *see memory serach engine below

MEDIA COMMUNICATION:

1. Alternative Media, Collective and Shared communication (Ciranda, TV Forum, Wsftv, Radio and related networks)

2. Independent Media

3. Mainstream Media- Virtual media center

B. Memory Search Engine * (proposed in memory and documentation)

Create an organized database and /or searching engine for all different types of memory material (audio,video, text+foto) that currently exists and make it available thorough the existing websites ( forumsocialmundial.org.br, ciranda, wsftv, forumradio, wsfprocess.net, openfsm.net,) *we have seen that It is possible to set up a portal that will be used to collect and make searchable the contents residing on other portals that are supported by application of any technologies, as long as they are able to export to RSS or ATOM ( most portals are capable).The portal will be equipped with a very simple interface and accessible without authentication. The interface will present only the disclaimer of the portal and a search form (ei: google). search results will be presented to the User, after sending the request, in the form of a list of content marked with the title, date and a brief description. The title will be clickable. By clicking on it, the user will be routed directly to the place where resides the news.

C. Partecipation/intercommunication Website

Communication tools and partecipation working groups

D. Event site