Report on Methodology Meeting towards WSF 2009 [DRAFT]

- Local Facilitation Group (Belém) + IC Methodology Commission members -
- July 10th to 12th 2008 -

ÍNDEX AND DECISIONS

1) Pan-Amazon Day

- Belem's WG will finish the document until the beginning of August, containing the definite proposal for the Pan-Amazon day, based on the contributions that the debate brought.

2) Resources

- The budget must be in the Forum's website, including the administration fee charged by the fund raising entities.
- Stimulate some activities (such as the fluvial caravans) to be self-organized financially, activating local actors and donors.
- Agencies will be encouraged to finance the set of WSF projects and not one specific project inside the WSF 2009. All resource must go to the common fund (the only exception being the possibility of the agency choosing the event or the process).

3) Action objectives for WSF 2009 participants

- The final list of objectives of action for the WSF 2009 participants was defined

4) Logistic and territory

- The WG started mapping the necessity for conventional hotels in order to have an overview on the final IC demand for it.
- Two types of accommodation, besides the conventional (hotels), are being organized by the local Tourism WG, in a partnership with the state’s government: family and alternative accommodation.

5) Presence of governments during WSF 2009

- Preliminary proposal was presented. Debate will be held during the next IC meeting.
- The activities proposed by them wouldn’t be common activities; therefore they need some organization rules

6) Culture

- Holding a seminar on the second semester of 2008, where Mumbai, Porto Alegre and other experiences can be exchanged. The seminar's objective is also to debate and formulate a Culture project for the WSF 2009

- To avoid the separation of culture and politics

7) Convergence activities and the sixth day

- A Working Group in the Methodology Commission was preliminary formed. It should discuss and finish the proposal for the WSF sixth day.
- Facilitators might be chosen in the next IC, in Copenhagen. They should aid the convergence activities.
- Calendar for convergence activities: (august 4th: registration opening / october 15th: registration end and start of the convergence process)

8) Originary and indigenous peoples

- Creation of a Working Group on political and social expression of originary and indigenous peoples, solidarity fund issues, preparation, debates and spaces of WSF 2009.

9) Communication and mobilization

- Creation of a working group on interconection activities between Belem and other places.

10) Thematic spaces

- canceling of 'Casa das Mulheres / Women's House'
- renaming of 'Casa do índio / Indigenous House' to 'Originary and indigenous house)'

11) Translation and interpreation

- Possibilities was presented. Belem Facilitation Group is responsible for the final decision on this theme, having the debate as an starting point.

1) PAN-AMAZONIC DAY

The second day of WSF 2009 will be dedicated to the Pan-Amazonic region. During Belem's Methodology meeting, the local WG presented a preliminar proposal for the second day. The debate brought new suggestions and issues and the local Facilitation Group will make the final proposal for the Pan-Amazonic Day by the beginning of August.

2) RESOURCES

- The budget for the period between May 2008 and April 2009 was divided in 2 parts: WSF 2009 event and WSF process.

- The event budget is 10.970.000 euros, divided between governments (7,5 million) and civil society (3,9 million), related to the following points:

• executive secretariat-office – 235 thousand euros

• pan-amazonic mobilization (includes 'borderless meetings' and others) – 212 thousand euros

• solidarity fund – 1.436.000 euros (not to host 'celebrities' workshops, but to really support who's not able to come) – half destined to the region where the event is held, and half to the rest of the world.

• Communication technology and training – 991.000 euros

• logistic – 6.600 milhões

• planing and organization – 300 thousand

- Process budget:

• Liaison Group + office: 155 thousand euros

• Expansion – 30 thousand euros

• Methodology – 34.200

• Strategies – 17 thousand euros

• Communication – 145 thousand

• Mobilization and Resources – 82 thousand euros

- By the date of the present meeting, the proposals has been submitted essentially to some european agencies.

Some decisions has been remembered during the discussion:

1) The WSF doesn't accept money from private companies

2) Resource Commission is responsible for the WSF process budget. The event budget has a shared responsibility by Resource Commission and Local Facitation Group.

3) Transparency: WSF budget should be available on the WSF website, including the resources administration taxes charged by the managing entities.

4) Try to stimulate the self-managment of some activities (as the river caravans), activating local actors and finding possible local funders.

5) Agencies will be stimulated to finance the whole FSM projects, and not only specific activities/projects. The available resource should go to a common WSF fund. Nevertheless, agencies can choose between Event and Process.

6) The presented budget will be destined mostly to the Pan-Amazonic region; other regions/countries will be stimulated to use self resources.

7) A proposal that a part of the money from the registering process should be destined to cover 2005 WSF debt was presented.

8) The main guideline is not have debt left from the 2009 event.

3) ACTION OBJECTIVES FOR THE WSF 2009 PARTICIPANTS

Considering that 61% of the answers received on the consultation were not against any of the previous action objectives, the Nairobi list of action objectives has been added with some words and one item.

Bellow goes the final list of action objectives for WSF 2009 participants.

1. For the construction of a world of peace, justice, ethics and respect for different spiritualities, free of weapons, especially nuclear ones;

2. For the release of the world domain by capital, multinationals corporations, imperialist, patriarchal, colonial and neo-colonial domination and unequal systems of commerce, by canceling the impoverish countries debt;

3. For universal and sustainable access to the common property of mankind and nature, for the preservation of our planet and its resources, particularly water, forests and renewable energy sources;

4. For the democratization and independence of knowledge, culture and communication and for the creation of a system of shared knowledge and acquirement with the dismantling of Intellectual Property Rights;

5. For the dignity, diversity, ensuring the equality of gender, race, ethnicity, generation, sexual orientation and elimination of all forms of discrimination and caste (discrimination based on descent);

6. For ensurance (during the lifetime use of all people) of the economic, social, human, cultural and environmental rights, particularly the rights to food, health, education, housing, employment and decent work, communication and food security and sovereignty;

7. For the construction of a world order based on sovereignty, self-determination and on people's rights, including minorities and migrants;

8. For the construction of a democratic, emancipator, sustainable and solidary economy, focused on every people and based on ethical and fair trade;

9. For the construction and expansion of truly local, national and global democratic political and economic structures and institutions, with the participation of people in decisions and control of public affairs and resources;

10. For the defense of the environment (amazonic and others ecosystems) as source of life for the planet Earth and for the originary peoples of the world (indigenous, afro-descendent, tribal and riverine), that demand their territories, languages, cultures, identities, environmental justice, spiritually and right to live.



For the WSF 2009 it will be possible to register self-managed activities outside the 10 action objectives, that propose an evaluation or outlook on the anti-globalization movements and the World Social Forum process.

4) LOGISTIC AND TERRITORY

• WSF 2009 territory will be the space of two universities (UFPA e UFRA). There's a uncertain possibility to use two other spaces: Portal e Mangueirão.

• All the resources demanded in the a project submited in may (logistic and infrastructure) has been approved by the Federal Government.

• Two challenges are the main focus for the Para state government: accommodation and transportation.

• 82 thousand people are being expected during the event.

• Two accommodation options are being drawn by the local Tourism WG besides the conventional one (hotels): family and alternative.

→ See Annex 01 – presentation on logistics and WSF territory

5) DIALOGUE AND PRESENCE OF GOVERNMENTS DURING WSF 2009

The dialogue and the presence of Heads of States in WSF 2009 has a preliminary proposal presented and debated during Belem meeting. The issue should be taken to the next IC meeting.

There was a consensus that the activities involving Heads of States couldn't be considered regular ones and some organization rules should be defined for these activities.

→ See Annex 02 – discussion synthesis on the presence of Heads of States.

6) CULTURE

• Culture should be treated as “cultures and politics”.

• Desire of merging communication and cultural activities was also expressed.

• To transform the streets around the WSF 2009 Territory in 'rivers of cultural anticapitalist resistence'.

• A seminar will be held in the second semesters of 2008, to exchange cultural experiences in Mumbai, Porto Alegre and others.

→ See Annex 03 – Proposal on Culture and politics WG

7) CONVERGENCE ACTIVITIES AND SIXTH DAY

- It's necessary to clarify that the convergence activities consists in an opportunity for participants articulation, but it's not mandatory.

- A Working Group on Methodology was formed in a preliminary state to discuss and finalize the proposal for the sixth day of the WSF 2009. Participants on this WG: Rafaella Bolini, Pierre George, Aldalice Oterloo, José Miguel Hernandez, Kátia (IPF), Taoufik, Amit, Tito, Nilma, Chico Whitaker, Patricia, Hildebrando, Gustavo Codas, André

- In order to help the convergence, facilitators will be chosen during the IC meeting in Copenhagen.

- Organizations that want to submit convergence activities should guarantee the gender equity and will be stimulated to assure the presence of originary and indigenous peoples. The respect on this criteria shall be considered on space allocation and translation priority.

- In order to assure the pluralism and equity, it won't be allowed for any organization to register more than 4 shifts of activities.

- Calendar to register convergence activities: August 4th: registration start / October 15th: registration ending and start of the convergence process / November 30th: end of convergence process

→ See Annex 04 for the 'convergence and sixth day' discussion details

8) ORIGINARY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

• It's necessary to merge the originary and indigenous peoples in all the WSF 2009 spaces.

• It was changed the name “Casa do índio (indigenous house)” to “Casa dos povos orignários e indígenas (originary and indigenous house)”

• It's necessary to publicize as soon as possible the estimate solidarity fund to avoid false expectations and frustrations.

• - Creation of a Working Group on political and social expression of originary and indigenous peoples, solidarity fund issues, preparation, debates and spaces of WSF 2009: Moema Miranda, Roberto Espinosa, Matheus Oterloo, Jean Michel, Rodrigo Nobile, Nilma, Célia Maracajá, Papoula

→ See Annex 05 for the report on originary and indigenous peoples working group report

9) COMMUNICATION AND MOBILIZATION

• Mobilization for communication, targeting the WSF process and event, as well as a way to mobilize entities and people to attend to the WSF 2009.

• To stimulate interconnections between Belem and outside participants, based on the 2008 Global Day of Action experience.

• A Working Group about interconnections was created inside the Communication Commission.

• To use the 'Borderless Meetings' as a way to strengthen the participation of participants from other parts of the world.

• To use non-digital tools (beyond internet) in order to print, copy and distribute informative and promotional material (CDs, DVDs, posters, pamphlets, etc).

10) THEMATIC SPACES

- Thematic spaces shouldn't become ghettos.

- It's important: 1) All the methodology building process should consider the convergence and dialogue between differences and it should be considered by local Facilitation Group, 2) The criteria to allocate those spaces should be transparent, 3) The Facilitation Group should define a schedule to receive thematic spaces demands (and the space doesn't have to be a campain tent, but a room).

- Think about other initiatives of Thematic Spaces (I.E: House of Cuba or Palestine).

- There was an agreement to cancel the “Casa das Mulheres (Women's House)”, as every space inside WSF 2009 should be also women's territory.

11) TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION

- The Working Group about this issues identified that the main problem is not to have resources available by the present moment. If things develop fine, the resources will come in a date close to the WSF 2009.

- In two letters circulated by Moema and Gustavo in the WG about Translation and Interpretation (created after Abuja's IC meeting), it was suggested to work with paid interpretation. This option could even have the same cost as the volunteer one, but the WSF event doesn't have budget now to deal with the volunteers. This solution attends 35 rooms.

- The priority order regarding interpretation in WSF 2009 will be: 1) Amazon peoples (organized delegations), 2) Asia and Africa delegations without budget, 3) brasilian and latin-amaerican social movements without budget, 4) interpretation in rooms/activities + delegations escorting, 5) other activities (stimulate organizations to solve the interpretation issue by themselves)

- The local Facilitation Group should have a final decision on this issue, considering all the available options.

→ See Annex 06 for the translation and interpretation criteria proposal

ANNEXES

→ Annex 01 – WSF logistic and territory

- the government presentation about territory will be available in some electronic site (as it's a large file, it'll take some time to define the best way to make it available)

→ Annex 02 – síntese da discussão sobre Chefes de Estado

Outline for the debate about the participation of Head of States at the WSF 2009

This document is a draft for discussion prepared by a working group composed by WSF International Council Content and Methdology commission members: Ana Maria, OCLAE Brasil; André, MST Brasil; Chico W., CBJP Brasi; Gina, AFM Peru; Gustavo, CUT Brasil; Isolda, MMM Brasil; José Miguel, CTC Cuba; Rodrigo, CLACSO Brasil; Salete, IPF Brasil). This draft is still being discussed by its members and it will be submitted for the assessment of the International Council members gathered in its next meeting (September, in Copenhague, Denmark).

The debate had as starting point the fact that Heads of State or governments have been present to the WSF, invited by the organizations participating at the event and in accordance with its Charter of Principles. It was like so in 2005 and 2006. It is highly probably that the issues will be posed for 2009, considering that WSF will be carried out in a region where there are many national governments which are considered progressists or also left governments. If only the Amazon region is considered (the 8 sovereign countries of the Amazon region and 1 French colony struggling for its independence), the list, can include, according who prepares it, the following governments (in alphabetical order): Chávez / Venezuela; Correa/Ecuador; Evo / Bolivia, y Lula/Brasil. If we consider all Latin America, the list is even longer and polemic (again, the order is alphabetical): Bachelet/Chile; Cristina/Argentina; Lugo/Paraguay; Ortega/Nicaragua, Raúl/Cuba y Tabaré/Uruguay. [It was a consensus, however, that following head should not be invited as they are considered undesirable right wings: [Uribe / Colombia , García / Peru and Sarkozy / president of the colonial metropolis which subdue Guyana]. (this would have to be discussed concretely with those who think in inviting them… if there are crazy enough to do so…)

There were different and coincident evaluations about the previous experiences of Head of States participation in the WSF events. However, the following consensus was reached and the issue remained open for new consultations and debates.

Consensus

In case of having the presence of Head of States, we need to consider that they attract an exceptional attention from the press and even from WSF participants. In this way, it is necessary to avoid that any event with them be held at the same time of self-organized events held by the movements and organizations taking part at the WSF.

For evident reasons, an activity with Head of States must not be placed in the Opening session, and even less, in the Closing session, in order to avoid that the media consider it as WSF “conclusion”. Answering to these concerns, in case one or many Heads of States be present at the WSF, the methodological proposal is:

1) That the event be held after the program of self organized activities (comprised between the 8 am and 6:30 pm), that is: they can only be registered after the 6:30 pm

2) That the event do not be placed in the opening session (27), nor in the Pan Amazonian day (28), which will be a moment for presenting contents and issues to the participant organizations, particularly the Amazonian issues.

3) That the activity be not held in the Closing day (February 1^st) when there are scheduled events for presenting results and conclusions by the participant organizations and movements.

4) It is proposed, as consequence, that those events with Head of States be held the 29 and/or 30 January 2009, after 6 pm and outside of the WSF territory (composed by UFPA and UFRA).

Open issue

There were three (3) proposals on the table about who organize the activity:

a) Being a co-organized activity, according to the experience made in other WSFs: the WSF “Organizing Committee” (which could mean the Brazilian “Facilitating Group”, the Pan Amazonian Council – under constitution – or the WSF International Council) organizes the event. This would mean to do the invitations (setting up the list of those who would be invited or not, etc.) and arrives to a consensus on the methodology and issues to be dealt with (someone has proposed a “round table of dialogue and controversies” model, as it happened with some governments and political parties in other WSF events in Porto Alegre, only that now it would be held with head of States and who would talk from the side of the civil society etc.)

b) That the International Council decides in its meeting in Copenhague only the general “framework” in which those activities could be held (points 1 to 4, listed before), but that all the rest be solved in a self organized way, by those who invite the head of States.

c) A co-organized activity on the 29, only with the head of States from the Amazonian region, and other with head of States outside from the Amazoni on the 30^th, debating with those who invite them the possibility of having the activity in only one place and time (always after 6 pm) or in many different venues. To be seen.

[Reporter, even being late: Gustavo, CUT Brasil / July 26 2008, with amendments made by by Chico Whitaker – CBJB Brazil]

THIS IS A FIRST VERSION, SUBJECT TO AMMENDMENTS BY THOSE PARTICIPATING AT THE WORKING GROUP AND, AFTER A CONSENSUS IN THE GROUP, WILL BE SENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL.

→ Anexo 03 – Cultura e políticas

Poética dos Segmentos

Todas as culturas para todos.

Fundamental: liberdade para gritar longa e bela vida a todas as línguas.

Desenhar um grandioso arco-íris para atravessarmos os tempos imemoriais de nossos antepassados

Ouvir a música de todos os sons que nos cale fundo ao coração.

Imprimir pelas artes visuais nossa condição humana .

Evocar pelo artesanato e as artes plásticas a realidade fixa e em movimento com todos os matizes de luz e sombra.

Voar pelo cinema na sua luz interminável e mágica mentira que nos funde com o mundo e aproxima da verdade.

Aprender a não excluir o vídeo em seu registro e retorno imediato.

Não coibir o transe na dança. Acreditamos nos deuses que sabem dançar

Alimentar o grande teatro do mundo: o da emoção dos grandes atores que mudam o curso da história. Relembrando Maikóvsky : Comigo, a anatomia ficou louca : Sou só coração.

Imprescindível: Não esquecermos os meios de comunicação que vendem a informação como mercadoria. A televisão e o rádio a altura da inteligência do povo como as demais máquinas.Tecnologia para todos e ao poder popular. Mas também são benvindos os falantes e os que escrevem cartas.

Aprendemos com os indígenas que para resolver um problema não importa o seu tamanho. É sempre bom consultar os todos que somos.

Acender os grandes refletores da cultura popular que iluminam os anônimos mestres em seus grandes espetáculos pelas ruas e praças.

Encantar-se com os afro-religiosos que derramam suas magias no grande terreiro do mundo.

Instituir a cultura como arma para combater a violência e o terror.

Unirmo-nos à cultura das múltiplas rebeliões a favor da vida e da dignidade.

Culturalmente saudar a diversidade sem propriedade.

Poesia e revolução.

Num mundo onde caibam todos os mundos.

→ Annex 04 – Convergence activities and sixth day

• COMMITMENT TO ESTIMULTATE AND FACILITATE THE VOLUNTARY CONVERGENCE

Not only to solve the logistic problem

But also and mostly to support the political process of political convergence and to increase the debate density in WSF 2009.

To support the convergence we need FACILITATORS TO EACH WSF ACTION OBJECTIVE

Facilitators will be chosen during IC meeting in Copenhagen.

• CRITERIA TO REGISTER ACTIVITIES

Organizations that will register activities should assure the gender balance in their activitites.

And are strongly invited to assure the presence of indigenous and originary peoples.

The respect to these criteria will be used to prioritize the space usage and interpretation.

• MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES

It won't be allowed to register more than 4 shifts to assure the diversity and equity.

• CALENDAR TO REGISTER ACTIVITIES

August 4^th: register opening

October 15^th: end of registration and start of convergence process

November 30^th: end of convergence process.

SIXTH DAY - OPTIONS DEBATED INSIDE THE WORKING GROUP

• SELF-MANAGED

• pure (each organization presents your assembly or meeting, that will end with a mobilization campain or activity)

• facilitated (a group of facilitators will help to create and organize the convergence activities, campains and meetings)

Positive because allows the expression of real mobilization and also because it allows the convergence and interconnection between various movements and themes.

• ORGANIZED

• related to WSF objectives

• related to struggle themes

in this case, we need to think on how to choose themes:

• making a consultation in the website

• analyzing the seminars themes

Positive because it allows the exchange between campaigns of different organizations that work on the same themes.

CONCLUSIONS

• The first part of the sixth day will be self-managed. The assembly registration will start later than the regular activities, but in the registration form it will be possible to express the will to organize assembles in the sixth day.

• The second part of the sixth day will be decided in Copenhagen. A working group will discuss and submit the results of this discussion to the IC.

• All the participants felt that it's extremally necessary to present proposals coming out of the WSF as a unity, not only to easily inform the participants, but also to finish the forum in a good energy and empowered.

→ Annex 05 – report on originary and indigenous peoples working group report

→ Annex 06 – translation and interpretation

Guiding question for the debate:

1 – Voluntary or contracted interpretation?

- It's not a budget issue (because both have costs and, depending on the place, simmilar costs) but political and operational

- Possibilities and challenges for the voluntary interpretation – ESF, experience in WSF 2005

- Contracted interpretation in WSF – 2001, 2002, 2003

2 – Intepretation and translation to which languages?

Priorities:

1) (traditional) Portuguese, Spanish, English and French

2) Indigenous languages (how many?, which?)

3) Delegations languages: arab, russian, corean, chinese...

3 – Interpretation for how many rooms?

Project “A” (current) 35 rooms (UFPA + UFRA) - 4 languages x 2 interpreters x 35 rooms = 280

Project “B” “X” rooms + delegations escort

4 – Interpretation to whom?

No specific criteria, but studying case by case?

And charge the costs on those who has resources (equipment and interpreters work) [as apllied in 2003]

Criteria: to assure WSF 2009 priorities

1) Amazon peoples (organized delegations)

2) Asia delegations without budget

3) brasilian and latin-american social movements without budget

4) interpretation in rooms / activities / activities + delegations escort

5) other activities / organizations that can solve their interpretation issues by themselves

5 – Equipment

Project “A” (current), for +/- 7.500 receivers (transmission for 35 rooms)

Project “B” (using the same resources), no receivers number limit (radio), but other kind of transmission