• pfsm20 insumo16 en

last modified July 20, 2019 by facilitfsm


Some Commented Questions about "FSM & Mexico"

DOWNLOAD the  spanish text in pdf format ]

  • A / How to start? -
  • B / 11 topics on what to exchange
  • 1 / Discussions about what is and is not the forum, about the charter of principles
  • 2 / Exchanges on the expectations linked to the activation of the process in Mexico
  • 3 / Exchanges on the difference between facilitating the forum and participating in the forum
  • 4 / Practical exchanges on Collective experiences of diffusion of the CDPs / SDPs process
  • 5 / on the limited influence of the facilitating committee on substantive content in the forum

  • 6 / on the forms and sequences of participation in an SDP Kiosk and in the FSM20 event
  • 7 / Discussion on the relations between forms of participation and contents produced
  • 8 / Methodological discussions on the "macro sequence" towards the event FSM2020 / 21
  • 9 / Discussions about relations with the Moreno government
  • 10 / Discussions on national and international articulation
  • 11 / Discussions about "aid / requests from the CI

globe-logo.png 

A / How to start between interested Mexican organizations?

Organizations that want to sustain the WSF process and facilitate a possible FSM20 process with an event in Mexico?

1 / Propose the tool of a "Colectivo pro fsm20 "

Before having the conditions to form an operative  facilitation committee fsm20  from this group, we can:

Circular invitation to a collective for the WSF with an invitation text.

( projective text invitation - to be done ) -  

( projective form of income to the collective - to be done ) -

  • The collective pro fsm20:
  • -can be mainly Mexican, open to the international, together with organizations that want to vitalize the WSF process in Mexico.
  • -Can gather organizations that are announced as members of a CDP (see below) Participating entities that do not want to get involved as CDP / SDP facilitators, can participate but in case of important decisions where there is no explicit consensus they will not participate in the perimeter of consensus for decisions in the pro-fsm collective.
  • -It is a flexible interlocution space that can be maintained after a  fsm20 facilitating committee is constituted that will focus on the preparation of the event
  • -Feed between its members and beyond (**) the discussion: Why vitalize the WSF process in Mexico, and under what forms? .


An option of possible answers to these questions:

For what ?: (@see discussion B2 B3) 

For entities / organizations of Mexican civil society that share the values ​​and goals in the WSF charter of principles can be better articulated without centralism, in an open, autonomous and horizontal WSF space-process, and can play a proactive role, in the society, autonomously and in interactions with governments where relevant.

 

HOw?

 

Through an invitation to initiate CDPs / SDPs in Mexico, (Collectives to Disseminate the Process of  WSF , and a dialogue between members of these CDPs on discussion points Commented in part B. (These CDP collectives would each provide facilitate a SDP,-WSF   Q-WSF Site-Kiosk "local" dissemination of the WSF process)

This call is empowering, because it is materially easy to start a CDP / SDP, It comes with discussions on the CDP reference framework 
@watch   http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa 
(See point A3)   proposal at http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index/#CDP @TBT)

 

Through online meetings + regular face-to-face meetings in the pro fsm collective

Once it starts  its operation with some CDPs, the pro fsm20 collective can, in conjunction with the IC or not, invite to form CDPs in other parts of the world.

 

2 / Propose a clear framework of issues to be discussed in the collective, as CDP facilitators in a pro-fsm20 context

Distinguish a series of issues on which Exchange among possible facilitators of a reactivation of the WSF process through CDPs / SDPs, to get a good knowledge of its accumulate/legacy, and see how to do it in the "Mexico of the fourth transformation". See part B 8 )

The discussion can be in the form of interactive groups in social network - with a common edition page

3 / Propose and invite to practice WSF "local" facilitation in a SDP-WSF / WSF Kiosk "

Be it as an SDP - WSF-Kiosk facilitator, be it as a participant in an SDP  WSF-Kiosk (dissemination site of the WSF process) -

The Kiosk is a low-tech "technical" package and at no cost, it is a practical tool proposed for those who want to start a Collective for Dissemination  of the Process  (CDP) with geographical or thematic areas of action in Mexico or from Mexico, and even outside of Mexico ( See part B10).http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index/#CDP )

@ver The technical package here http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa

It is used "at zero budget", autonomously, on a scale accessible to a group of some people / organizations (the CDP).

This package allows a CDP to invite and host people and organizations that are considering themselves as  WSF participants, in a mini-web Site to Disseminate the Process (SDP) or Kiosk, to make them visible to each other, and with the perspective of connecting with preparatory processes for visible events in http : //openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar and its facilitation committees.

 

This allows to develop a first concrete practice as facilitators in the Mexico of 2019 and to land discussions in the collective pro-fsm20 r (@ see part B 4 ).

 

/ invite to discuss process-event fsm20, on a larger scale ,

In an international discussion group of the " pro-fsm20 collective"  @TBT.

One advantage of this "pro-fsm20" phase is that the finalization of the fsm20 committee and the fsm20 event methodology can be done later, based on the experience and vision accumulated in this pro-fsm20 collective, while activation and  decentralized preparation of facilitators and potential participants in  fsm20 can be started early, using the SDPs Kiosks  and without heavy logistics.

 

The dynamics of preparation fsm20, before any decision of the WSF-IC, can be seen through the dynamism of the pro-fsm20 collective.

 

globe-logo.png 

B / What to exchange in this context of pro-fsm collective ?

Generalities

To be clear in these discussions taking place among members of CDPs facilitators of SDPs/Kiosks, it is good to distinguish several topics of discussions such as: motivations and expectations (why  be involved), "forms and sequence of participation" (the methodology), "contents of the participation "(the substance: the" popular education "and" civil society policy "of the organizations participating in the forum), and other matters, which are listed below.

 

The order of topic is not significant: however it is important to distinguish them and thus not make a confusing mixture. They can be addressed in any order iteratively until an acceptable clarity is reached in each one.

The discussion can be permanent in several interactive groups with a cumulative edition page for each topic (a dozen topics)

These discussions can begin among people and entities in Mexico who are willing to face the following challenges:

-to stimulate and facilitate in a "pro-fsm20" phase a national dynamic of reappropriation of the social forum process, see part A )

Ten years after the temporary experience of FSM Mexico 2008/10, that  only a part of possible 2020 Mexican participants will have experienced.

This would be done during a phase "pro FSM20" driven autonomously in Mexico. that could be an opportunity to innovate with a preparation of activities in fsm20 from several "Kiosks-sites of diffusion of the WSF process", in Mexico and in the rest of the world

 

And part of those persons and entities can then propose:

stimulate and facilitate in co-responsibility with the IC-WSF in a second phase "FSM20", a global WSF20 event-process.

This would be done with an event-process committee preparing an event website (such as www.wsf2018.org or www.fsm2016.org ) and a macro event schedule towards the event itself (@see Part B8 and 11 )

 

globe-logo.png 

1 / "discussions about what is and is not the forum, about the charter of principles

 

The charter of principles is the explicit document that defines the WSF process.

 

In the charter several aspects of the forum are mentioned throughout 14 articles, what it is or is not

1. The World Social Forum is an open meeting space to : intensify reflection, carry out a democratic debate of ideas, prepare proposals, establish a free exchange of experiences and articulate effective actions

2. The Forum becomes a permanent process of search and construction of alternatives , not limiting itself exclusively to the events that support it.

3. The World Social Forum is a global process alternatives arising within the Forum aim to consolidate a globalization in solidarity

5. The World Social Forum does NOT intend to be an instance of representation of the world civil society

6. The meetings of the World Social Forum DO NOT have a deliberative character

7. It must be ensured that the entities participating in the meetings of the Forum have the freedom to deliberate

8. The World Social Forum is a plural and diversified space, non-confessional, non-governmental and non-partisan, which articulates in a decentralized and networked way

9. The World Social Forum will always be an open space for plurality and diversity of action by entities and movements that want to participate

10. Valuations and generic condemnation within the World Social Forum

11. The World Social Forum, as a space for debates, is a movement of ideas

12. The World Social Forum, as a space for the exchange of experiences , stimulates mutual knowledge and recognition

13. The World Social Forum, as an articulation space , seeks to strengthen and create new articulations

14. The World Social Forum is a process that encourages participating entities and movements to place their local and national actions together with international bodies

 

  @ver Here the base version of the charter   http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-methodology/charter-fsm-wsf-en

See here a colored version that can help pedagogically http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-methodology/charter-fsm-wsf-en-colorized . (distinguishes colors for definitions, values ​​and generic goals of participants, actions of participants, rules of operation of the process)

 

It can be complemented with

@See the guiding principles for organizing an WSF event http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-methodology/metcom-principiosguias-versao2011-en ,

@see the census of the main "forms of participation" that make up an WSF accumulation./legacty They are listed here http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo8 (@TBT) and they can be object of discussions, with testimonies of realizations participations in previous forums events. (see also : http://openfsm.net/projects/transitionci/transicionci-iniciativas-e-agora-fsm2018-7-elementos-de-metodologia-com-innovacoes/#EN)

 

By reading the charter it is understood that the forum event is not a " university symposium", organized "from above", with selection of topics and speakers.

Neither is it  a political "congress", with the need to arrive at a general program text, submitted to the consent of the participants.

It is, as the charter says, an open space for dialogues, diverse and horizontal, which is ideologically located by the generic  participants values stated in charter of principles

 

How can the charter of principles continue to be a relevant reference since 2001?

 

It is relevant to discuss the stability and relevance of the WSF charter of principles as a shared element of the identity of "participant in the WSF process".

 

The charter is a text that exposes values ​​and generic goals of the participants in the process, and some formal rules fundamental for the coherence of the process thus defined. This does not vary in time. It is not a political program that has to adapt to the context.

(the orange and blue part in the colored version of the charter highlights the actions of the participants http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-methodology/charter-fsm-wsf-en-colorized - articles  1 4 10 12 ... )

 

For this reason the charter can be 18 years old and remain relevant for what it was conceived: ideologically position the forum space, and affirm some rules that are constitutive of the originality of this horizontal and diverse couter hegemonic ,space-process of intercommunication   against neoliberalism and its varied alliances with other forms of domination

 

Realistically it is a great achievement to have a document that serves since 2001 as a reference for an accumulation of millions of people in the world, about values ​​and formal elements in the process. In terms of generic values ​​and goals of participants expressed, will there be something strategic missing from the  charter in 2019?

 

Promoters of the forum-space / process argue that there is no major lack, and that the charter of principles can be updated "informally", that is, as a "consensual" comment, without changing the document. While the substance  is already present in some way, doing this does not appear as artificial.

 

An example of an informal update on the ecological and climatic crisis.

It is true that in 18 years the situation and perception of the climate and ecological crisis has become very acute, and if the charter were drafted today, this aspect would be more visible in the text of the charter.

However, it can be supported in article 1 that says "entities and movements of civil society ... committed to the construction of a planetary society oriented towards a fruitful relationship between human beings and of these with the Earth."

This formulation of a fruitful relationship with the Earth evokes a lot, and can be the starting point for informal updating.

 

 

globe-logo.png 

2 / Exchanges on expectations related to the activation of the process in Mexico.

 

For what ?

The organizations and people who assign themselves as a facilitating task, to  reactivate the WSF process in Mexico, and outside, in 2019/20, be it at the level of a CDP SDP, @see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-participate & http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index/#CDP ), either at the level of a future Mexican and international committee for the event-process FSM20

Will exchange about the "for what"?

 

There is a permanent global processual vision: the permanent WSF process as a counter hegemonic tool against neoliberalism in the world, where many initiatives experiences visions of / for another possible world can intercommunicate.

 

There is a Mexican vision in which the activation of the process in Mexican territory in the context of "fourth Morenist transformation" may be relevant.

 

As an event, FSM20 and its preparatory process can be an opportunity to advance nationally and internationally in the development of such process.    Which participation discussions, articulations, would be appreciable at the Mexican national level and at a world scale?

 

(This discussion would take place as others advance in particular @ see discussions 3 and 7)

 

globe-logo.png 

3 / Exchanges on the difference between facilitating the forum and participating in the forum. (in SDP-kiosk or in an event)

 

a / Important to distinguish two roles,

 

Facilitation role taking care of forms and sequences of participation in the process, and

Role of participants , producers of content  / articulations,

with specific goals of each role

 

Relevance of being able, as a facilitator, to separate their own role as participant and their role as facilitator.

 

The motivation to be a facilitator in the process is related to broad goals of contributing to a "process of counter-hegemonic intercommunication", against the hegemony of neoliberalism and other forms of domination allied locally with it.

 

This WSF is not a movement, but something that maintains its originality of "open space of autonomous intercommunication, positioned with values ​​and generic goals of its participants, and some rules / principles, described in the charter of principles".

 

Specific participation goals of some participants, such as issuing a statement or building a specific articulation, are not goals of facilitators of the forum, but goals of participants in the forum. They should be treated equally in logistics and communication, whether or not their promoters are among the facilitators.

 

The facilitation of a forum process is done in relation to a "WSF methodological accumulation of experience" for decentralized autonomous diverse intercommunication, which is quite independent of the contents produced in the intercommunication. (See point 7 )

b / Concrete example on lobbying to promote some contents in the forum:

 

In the discussions at IC Mexico, one person mentioned that she thought it relevant that the FSM20 forum it would be spoken about  "property regimes",http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-extended/notas-evolutivas-ci-mexico -201811-colored (intervention 69) Taking this specific case:

 

As facilitator, this person can "influence" the event committee FSM20 so that this topic appears as a sub-thematic topic, without certainty that it  be, (if  one consider between 10 and 15 topics/themes, it means that there are 15 words to describe all the major issues in the world   (see in 5b the topics of fsm2018 and fsm2016)

If this were to be achieved, it would give a little visibility to "property regimes" , but this does not determine how many self-organized activities are going to be carried out" in relation to this topic", and whether these will be fruitful in intercommunication and production of contents and articulations. .

 

As a participant, this same person can "influence" organizations with which she relates , so that they place one or more "activities" on this "property regime" issue in the process, be they local activities in SDPs (sites of dissemination of the FSM process @see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-lista-actividades ), be they centric activities in the FSM20 event, (with its event website).

This can be done whatever the formal theme/topics , among those defined by facilitators, with which this activity would be related in the program).

Also, the person can ensure the quality of preparation and communication of these activities. If the attendance and intercommunication is fruitful there, this can feed the formulation of initiative related to this issue with dates public actions, which can be in turn visible in the forum process, through forms of participation such as "agora of futures and calendar of futures". 
@see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-agoras

 

The production , through intercomunication, of content shared by a large group of participants, visible, attractive, and convincing, implies that many of these participants use proactively and successfully the "formats of participation" available to them in the FSM20 process. 
This implies on behalf of actors, participating in advance, determination, early energy investment in the process, good communication etc. all behaviors that a good "facilitation" can stimulate through appropriate invitations and logistics, without replacing those. This implies that participants move from "simple expectations about" the forum to "operational intentions in" the forum.

 

Note: Interesting to read intervention 46 in IC Salvador in March 2018 on the articulations that are achieved, or not, on a given topic in the forum space event fsm2018 
@watch   http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-extended/ci-salvador201803-notas-video-discusion-17-18-marzo-futuro-del-fsm-coloreada/#40 @TBT

 

c / All facilitators?

 

In  WSF forums events, there is often a "future f the forum" theme, although there are not necessarily many activities that are placed on this topic. It seems  relevant to event facilitators to show that reflection on the WSF process is open to all participants, that it is part of the forum concept, and that each participant can be informed about facilitation and also become facilitator. There are several ways to do this, from personally dedicating volunteer time in logistical / methodological tasks, to an entity dedicating full-time salaried people to the operation of the facilitating committee.

 

It can be said that the process itself is a very relevant place of popular education about the process itself. In this perspective, entities that actively participate in the facilitation of an SDP ( @ver http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-operacioncdp ) or of an event in the process ( @ver  http://openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar ), can develop methodological and pedagogical activities on: " What formats of participation are there? How do we use and combine them, towards our own participant goals? "

This is particularly relevant at the beginning of the process, in the "pro fsm20" phase, in local activities, before formally launching the fsm20 process itself.

 

 

d / the main qualities to be demonstrated as a collective facilitating body in the social forum process

 

In view of the accumulation of experience since 2001, they could be formulated as follows:

 

1 / Be convincing about the relevance of participating in this original space-process, which is not a movement.

To base this "open invitation to open space FSM" narrative, with an understanding and a shared pedagogy through collective discussions about the charter of principles and the formats of participation in the "WSF accumulation/legacy" (@ see part 7) . Circulate invitations to participate and "go talk to the people".

 

2 / Be clear in communicating to participants which formats and sequences of participation are available / proposed

These formats are used to concretize the framework and spirit of the forum, horizontal, diverse, participatory, stimulating, "empowering" of its participants, which rests on the "self-organization to reach one owns goals of participation" .

As these formats can welcome the activism of part of the participants, and help them to reach educational or political results that seem relevant, respecting the fundamental principle of not speaking on behalf of participants without an explicit decision of these, through explicit acts, as signing documents  and in no case "in the name of the forum" etc

 

3 / Explain the existing "protocols" for the expression of participants in the forum, on behalf of participating organizations

There are many ways to make visible a "collective political word" in the forum, on behalf of those who take the floor in some activities. The message of facilitators to participants is twofold:

-The forum is space and process, it is not a "political subject", a "big brother" that will speak "on behalf pf " its participants.

- "If you want your voice to be heard, you can choose how to join it to other voices", using forms of participation / expression in the forum: activities, and even more initiatives that include public statements and public actions after the event

- "If you want your opinion to be considered, you can proactively engage in activities" "on topics and self-organized deliberative processes that seem relevant to you

 

Note: In this perspective, the facilitators avoid "channeling" the participants coming  in the forum space towards " not chosen situations for implicit consent ", where the narrative of a proactive minority would be enunciated in the presence of more participants who have not necessarily opted to participate precisely in this type of situation, but , in the programming of the event, they are not given another option.

 

The consent to the "common narratives" produced in these circumstances is more superficial. It is better for facilitators to propose a diversity of formats, sequences and situations in which the participants can opt and commit themselves more voluntarily.

 

The main temptation for facilitators of an event, set up an assembly where a final declaration of the forum is read, is explicitly excluded by the charter of principles (article 6). Then there are other temptations such as giving privilege to an assembly in relation to others in the macro-programming and communication of the event, without this being a guarantee of relevance or quality of said assembly.

 

4 / Explain the options, tasks, and practices of the facilitating collective, be it CDP collective (@TBT) , or event facilitation committee

 

In terms of operational organization, the challenge is to be attractive and include many participants to contribute to facilitation tasks: work groups, commissions, committees, with protocols for the division of tasks and clear decisions using consensus or explicit consent, combining inclusion and some relevance and efficiency. 
In terms of communication, a temptation from a facilitating committee is the "editorialization", creating a "voice / narrative of the forum" produced by communicators and that hides the voices / narratives of the participating organizations. 
( See some inputs in case of CDP facilitator of SDP http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-tareas-de-facilitacion-cdp )(@TBT)


5 / Be reliable and anticipatory for the planning and implementation of these formats in the process and in the event 
@see the notion of macroplan http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6 (@see Point 9 )

 

globe-logo.png 

4 / Practical exchanges about experiences among CDPs SDP-Kiosks

(See how to start part A1 )

Responding to the invitation of a CDP (collective of diffusion of the process), organizations that are included in the communities of participants of the SDP  Kiosk (site of diffusion of the process) maintained by this CDP, place "local activities" and "initiatives" 
@ver http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index/#CDP

The organizations and people that would self assign as practical task to form a CDP and facilitate an SDP Kisosk will quickly have material for this exchange.( see   http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-invitacioncdp )(@TBT)

 

Facilitators can see concrete cases,

To enter into problems of how to suggest contacts, stimulate dialogues through distant participation, etc., all problems that are present in the project to stimulate a global process towards an event FSM2020.

It is especially useful in the preliminary phase of the pro-fsm20 process, before there is a confirmed decision in the IC for an event fsm20 with formats place (s) and date (s) determined. The operation of a WSF  SDP-Kiosk brings to participants and facilitators a learning in the WSF process, a learning that the distant perspective of a 4 day event  in two years future  will not provide.

  (@ see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-participate )

 

Through their experience in an SDP-Kiosk, Participants can project and prepare better in an event

They move more easily "from expectations of participation to intentions of participation"

It is part of popular education about the forum.

"Expectations" is a somewhat indefinite wait, as a promise  about participation in the forum, be it a "socio-political catharsis," which will not come, be it more modestly  encounter with  particular actors etc.

"Intentions" is already another, more proactive, relationship: understanding something about what the formats of participation are. The participant peron seeks participants, activities, initiatives according to key words that interest her in an SDP-Kiosk  or on the site of an event, she can even announce activities and initiatives (@ see    http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-navegar )

 

globe-logo.png 

5 / Discussions about the limited influence of the facilitating committee on the substantive contents in the forum.

 

It is worthwhile to exchange among facilitators about the fact that this influence is limited to three things, in the accumulated practice of facilitating WSF events:

 

a / Write circulate and promote "general invitations to participate in the WSF process"

This invitation may contain a transversal theme such as "dignity" (Tunez 2013) or "resistance" (Salvador 2018), but without many consequences / implications in the contents produced through intercommunications held between participants.

@see invitation fsm2016 http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic_fsmci/montreal16-participation-call-from-ic-en ,

@see invitation fsm2018 https://wsf2018.org/en/o-fsm-2018/

Who receives the invitation and decides to participate is what will most affect the content. If the facilitators only manage to interest organizations that they already know, they will have more predictability of the content in a "smaller" forum.

 

b / Circulate, perhaps after a consultation of participants, a formulation of themes / axes

These topics will serve as an illustration of the "intercommunication issues" that will occur in the process, with results that can be expressed in initiatives, on behalf of those who assume them (and not on behalf of the forum)

@see topics fsm2018 http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic_fsmci/salvador17-input3 18 topics 
@see topics fsm2016 https://fsm2016.org/en/sinformer/axes-thematiques-2016/ 13 topics

It is good to make explicit that these formulations of themes do not determine the content of the activities in an FSM event: a participant can come with any activity that has to do with another possible world and be compatible with the values ​​of the charter of principles, and place it in any of the available themes.

 

c / Provide in the FSM20 event, adequate spaces, forms and times ,

Give visibility and equitable accessibility to self-organized activities and initiatives, since the identity and number of participants affects the nature of the contents produced therein

 

d / Maintain the thematic openness

In a  multi thematic world-wide forum event, what can or can not be discussed is not prescribed.

The originality of the process and events of the world social forum is that the "contents" are produced by the participants during "self-organized" "activities" and "initiatives" that some of them "place in the process", and where other participants, people or organizations can come to be interested and intercommunicate.

It is relevant to distinguish, in discussions on activities, various types of content produced.

There are narrative contents, more general, that aim to propose / disseminate / share a "vision" and a vocabulary that aim to ground a "we" as a group of participants in the forum. 
There is specific practice content describing, formulating actions, plans, experiences, concrete commitments of social action or civil society policy, undertaken by a specific group, with support from / as a result of visions / arguments that are not necessarily very detailed etc. (description of initiatives are more of this second type)

 

e / Maintain sufficient coherence of the forum space with the ideological location of the charter of principles

It can be made explicit, With what values ​​and basic generic goals the participants come to talk about what they are talking about in the WSF. At the time of registering in an SDP or an event site they are asked to confirm that they are considered as "participant in the forum, such as both notions (participant and forum) are described in the WSF principles letter. 
(@ see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa/sdpaaa-formularios-es/#PAR )

 

This allows that significant inconsistencies detected between this registration and previous or subsequent actions of a participating entity may be questioned by other participants or facilitators.

 

In certain cases, the facilitators can assume a regulatory role and remove the possibility for an organization to prepare a visible activity in the forum space. They thus prevent space from being significantly permeated by organizations co-opted in neoliberalism or other forms of domination, or from sects, or using violent communication etc.

 

f / Act as a participant

Evident that, as participating organizations, the facilitating organizations can produce, in their own name, contents, but they no longer act as a facilitating committee. They can, as facilitating committee, identify "absences" of some contents or actors, and try to invite specific participants, but without substitution. They can, in their own name of organizations, prepare activities aiming to fill these absences, with the risk that something artificial appear.

globe-logo.png 

6 / "methodological discussions on the forms and sequences of participation in an SDP and in process-event FSM20

 

As I said in intervention 69 of a recent discussion in Mexico: this matter of methodology is a "how" from a "what", and the operation itself is political from a project . @ver " http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-extended/notas-evolutivas-ci-mexico-201811-coloreadas/#60 " - The project is to keep promoting the forum as a tool and common good of society that is recognized in the values ​​of the charter of principles.

 

They are first discussions of learning of these forms their history their variants etc. Then there are contributions discussions on what forms and macro programming to combine so that this fsm20 process opportunity is an advance in the qualitative and quantitative development of the WSF process in general: more intercommunication, more relevant to accommodate the diverse expectations of the participants.

 

The FSM accumulation

 

The main forms of participation that make up an FSM accumulation proposal are listed here, under the control of CI members, since the CI is the de facto carer of this accumulation. They can be the subject of discussions, with testimonies of experiences in previous forums. (@ see  http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo8 )

 

On how the FSM accumulation evolves

This FSM accumulation can evolve, cautiously, through discussions, particularly in the CI-WSF, and through experimentation of innovations, taking care that they respect the values ​​of diversity, equity, horizontality, empowerment, which are explicit or derived in the letter of principles and guiding principles of event organization etc

The renewal of forms of participation in the forum is not for the side of "Assembly on behalf of the WSF", which would be in open contradiction with the principles of the forum, are not on the side of privileging "from the facilitation" one or two assemblies, for the same reasons. There are concrete proposals on the use of "initiatives" and the final moment in the form of an agora of futures that are being experimented and evaluated.

 

What form for the FSM20 / 21 event?

It is a question that follows potential. 
In 2017 in Porto Alegre there was also talk of a polycentric event. This can be an option to decentralize the FSM20 process including several events.The non-centralization in a single event can be presented as a more mature step to take at some point. 

The proposed introduction of the CDP / SDP FSM form in the fsm20 process reduces the logistic centralization. Although there is only one central event, the preparation and appropriation of the process is largely decentralized throughout the world 
(@ see    a simulation    http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo7 )

 

 

globe-logo.png 

7 / "In-depth" discussion on the relationship between forms of participation and content produced

Problematic

It is important to exchange between facilitators / participants, about how the various "forms of participation in the process / event" are to stimulate, enable, and not constrain the content on which these participants want to intercommunicate with others in the forum.

These forms are defined by facilitators, with discussions and experimentations, in relation to the WSF charter of principles 
These forms are used autonomously and with creativity and determination by the participants according to their own goals of participation in the forum.

.

There is a slow "accumulation" of collective experience of almost 20 years, of which the CI-FSM is a caregiver. Elements here: 
@ver http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo8 (@see point 6 )

 

It can be argued that, in a diversity of contexts, a diversity of expectations of facilitating organizations in relation to the event-forum process can be compatible with using the same "game of forms of participation", slowly evolving in the development trajectory of the WSF process .

 

Practical consequence

In this case, based on the experience of accumulated facilitation, there is no valuable reason to FIRST have spoken of "forum contents" "between facilitators", (which in any case in a WSF has a limited impact (@ see point 5 ) to then define a macroprogramming and the set of forms of participation proposed to participants. 
(See an element of macro programming here: http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6

 

In other words, the "accumulation of WSF methodology" ( (see point 6) is largely relevant regardless of the local context, and the expectations / objectives of the facilitators in an edition of the event.

It does not start from scratch in each forum: the formal model of an event process is quite stable, because it has to do with the values ​​of horizontality, diversity, empowerment rather than content, the forms and sequences are consistent with values ​​and rules from a long experience, which can be complemented, but can not be ignored.

 

The consequence of this is that facilitators can focus on communicating and stimulating in advance the process towards the event, with forms and macroplan in which intercommunication will take place on topics and contents of self-organized activities and initiatives.


Note: If we take the example of the fsm18, at the end of the accounts the forms used have been the "classical" ones, and the discussions / tensions in the IC that concentrated on some distortions about the form of assemblies and equity between them and the form of think about the end of the forum or the visibility of its results, a topic that is on the list of tasks of the CI from Belem 2009 without finalizing.

 


 

What then can the facilitation options be?

There are many options within the framework of the FSM accumulation in the perspective of the forum-space, among which

 

1 / Search for educational and political quality

Focus on contributing to / stimulate the quality of preparation and intercommunication in the activities,

 

2 / Give a strong priority in the macro programming to assemblies, or not.

It is common for some facilitators to advocate at the beginning to give a strong priority in macro programming to joint assemblies, hoping that they will stimulate the production of political results.

It should be remembered that mechanically, in an event limited in time to a few days, this prioritization is done to the detriment of time for activities of smaller size, more participatory, of a popular education type.

 

Balance the time of small activities and the time of articulation activities. (Assemblies, future agora), taking as a criterion to maintain a diversity of options for the participants. Maintain the character of open space, welcoming for various motivations or wishes to participate.

The two types of activities are important, the individual empowerment of participants and small organizations, the deep interactive discussions are made in popular education type activities. These intercommunications prepare and nurture activities that their promoters see as numerically and politically more ambitious.

 

3 / Encourage decentralized creativity in the forms of activities? 
Reflect on "number of participants and participatory character" (in a meeting a single person speaks at the same time, when there are parallel groups or other devices more people interact), also reflect on stimulating articulations between intercommunication and cultural or artistic expression (was the intention of global social creativity in Montreal 2016 that was unsuccessful)

4 / Include distant participants 

Problem of remote participation (in local activities placed in SDP or activities placed in "large" events)

 

5 / Include local evening participants: example Large media-pedagogical conferences in limited numbers, at night in Montreal for people leaving work.

 

globe-logo.png 

8 / "Methodological discussions on the macro sequence towards the event FSM2020 / 21

 

One such macro sequence is described here in the case of a monocentric event http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6

Sharing this sequence allows many people to realize where and when they can begin to actively participate in the process.

 

Two major phases

1 / a "pro fsm20" phase that focuses on stimulating CDPs / SDPs ("local" communities of FSM participants using the same FSM Kiosk http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa ) that strive to be relevant in themselves and at the same time establish anticipated relationships with committee of events present in a WSF process calendar such as http://openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar


The pro-fsm20 phase is a decentralized construction of CDPs / SDPs, which can constitute a "more local and light layer of manifestations of the WSF process from Mexico and some other places and that would be internationalized, perhaps guided by visibilisations through online meetings of facilitators of SDPs.

This phase corresponds to Part A and B @ver at http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6  


2 / a phase "event fsm20" where the date and place form of the event is defined (be central in Mexico be polycentric with several events etc

Then deepen macro plan in each phase.

The phase fsm20 if it is a single event    it's part C @ver    http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6

 

Then in the detail of the phases

Then

 

Importance of websites

Whether in an SDP or an event, a 2-year full-time forum process is composed for its participants of 90% or more of time in potential intercommunication via the internet and 10% or less of face-to-face intercommunication, counting participation in many local face-to-face activities or active online participations. The participation in 5 days of downtown event is less than 1% in this total.

For this reason they are very important:

The various SDP Light Kiosk Sites with list of participants, local activities, initiatives and interactive groups: see a demonstration example here http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa

The most complicated event site to put together because it adds more people more content and also has to show the complex logistics of the event program (like http://wsf2018.org or http: // .fsm2016.org )


 

globe-logo.png 

9 / Discussions about relations with the Moreno government and logistical organizational principles related to a process-event fsm20

 

There are discussions to clarify the communicated and supportive framework by more proactive facilitators in their political processes with the government

To avoid that the contact between the committee and the government is too personalized, it may be relevant to have a public reference text on the matter.

Remember that it is in Latin America Brazil and on a smaller scale in Tunes that this theme of government support of the welcoming country as an important support existed. In Asia and sub-Saharan Africa such support did not exist and these events took place.

 

Possible questions

  • What has been communicated about reasons and expectations from Mexican civil society about making event fsm20 in Mexico?
  • What understanding of the process is communicated to the political actors in the government What has been promised / insured?
  • Under which forms the independence and autonomy of civil society are maintained and cooptation is avoided
  • What has been requested as resources and for what? Local, salaries of dedicated people, money for trips, logistical support in the event
  • How would these resources be handled?
  • How are resources distributed between phase "pro fsm20 and phase FSM 20?   ( See part A )
  • How resources would arrive, through organizations, to sustain activity of the CDPs to "zero budget"
  • How would it be administered in the fsm20 committee if it starts?
  • @see some elements at http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index  

 

globe-logo.png 

10 / Discussions on national and international articulation

The Mexican and world problems are distinguished and articulated

 

A / encourage a "pro fsm20" process that is relevant to the problems of Mexican civil society

  The civil society was Mexican described in the meeting of the IC in November as "little articulated" and "with the impact of 40 years of neoliberalism, and there is an enthusiasm for the fourth transformation with a leader that produces much political content to date. 
@ver https://lopezobrador.org.mx and intervention 53 http://openfsm.net/projects/ic-extended/notas-evolutivas-ci-mexico-201811-coloreadas )

The situation in Mexico would then be, in some way, comparable to Tunisia 2013: with enthusiasm of the Arab spring, and little articulation of civil society.


Notes and suggestions


1 / It would be useful to qualify these ideas with a shared diagnostic text among organizations in the pro fsm20 collective - see part A


2 / There is experience of organizing an WSF in Mexico a decade ago 2008 2010. 
@ver http://openfsm-backup.socialplanning.org/projects/fsmmex x


3 / Due to the level of political change that is currently expected, there may be a notable level of cooptation of civil society personalities in the new Morenoian governments. An effect "Now we are government!", Which can create ambiguous situations in the forum. Better to be relatively formalistic about who is from civil society, and who is from government.


4 / A group has international memory and contacts and tends to call itself "FSM Mexico". This name confuses facilitation and representation. The group could be more relevantly considered a beginning of "collective pro-fsm20" ( see part A) , which sets itself as reactivating the WSF process in Mexico, and more ambitiously promoting an event process FSM20.


5 / This group expressed its disagreement with the WSF principles letter, notably in a memorandum, shared in March 2018 in Salvador, with a limit vision of the forum as a representative body. 
@ver http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic_fsmci/salvador18-input13

From the forum-space option based on the charter of principles this memorandum can be commented here: @verhttp://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo17 
It can be expected that concrete discussions in the pro-fsm20 collective will have the effect of relativizing this initial positioning.



6 / This group may be willing to pragmatic cooperation with promoters of the forum-space option

There may be a common recognition that there are no forms of participation to date that seem satisfactory in terms of stimulating the visibility of the relationship between participants and actions.


This willingness to seek pragmatic cooperation was seen:

-in the case of fsmm2018 with the idea of ​​"moving from event to process" experiencing innovations 
@ver http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsmm/pfsmm18-migrar-de-evento-a-proceso-2#ES ,

-in the CI Mexico in November 2018, where a text was presented on forms and sequence of participation FSM20 in tune / compatibility with letter of principles @ver http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-texto-ideas-sobre -pfsm20-presented-in-ci-mexico-nov-2018


The discussion between options that reflect "forum space process" and options reflecting the vision of "forum subject / movement", wins to be clear and anticipated, learning from the experience lived on the occasion of FSM Salvador 18.

Without going into details here you can mention two texts about this experience:

- an excerpt from a Brazilian text from January 2018 ( @ver http://openfsm.net/projects/wsfic_fsmci/salvador17-input18/#ES ) And what is verified is that this struggle, almost permanent, in terms of character giving - directive or non-directive - to the final session of the WSF, now intensifies in the ongoing discussion around the last day of the Salvador Forum. In it resurged, under another name, something like an assembly of social movements, which will gain a privileged space in the WSF programming, at its end, which will probably be tapering what its organizers consider the most important of what was discussed. and decided on the activities of the Forum.

- the story of the working group "Iniciativas e agora" exploring two new forms of participation: 
@ver http://openfsm.net/projects/transitionci/transicionci-informativas-e-agora-informe )



7 / The initiation of some CDPs / SDPs from Mexico can be a way for this pro-fsm collective to start, to begin concretely, to grow with the intention of facilitating or participating 
See part A , http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa and http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20index/#CDP )


For example, one can think from Mexico, and with an area of ​​action that would go beyond the borders of the country, in initiating a CDP / SDP focused on solidarity economy, a CDP / SDP focused on education problems and universities, a CDP / SDP focused on migration issues ...


8 / Evaluate how to formally include, as far as possible and desired, participants from the "zapatista civil society", with a sustained collective experience of another possible world


 

B / Encourage a pro- fmsm20 process that is relevant to the problems of civil society around the world

 

In other parts of the world, we are not in a promising "transformation". There are exclusive economic dynamics and promotion of ideologies that capture exasperations and fears, and compatible with the hegemony of neoliberalism.

The political scenario may be one of resistance, with no immediate prospects of progress rather than setbacks in social and democratic rights. But also in other countries there are uncertainties or promising dynamics.

 

In the world also, far from Mexico, the figure of CDP (relatively) "local" or "thematic" groups of dissemination of the process, with FSM experience and zero budget, operating "low-tech internet kiosk sites " can be a means relevant to get involved now in facilitating the WSF process in general, with the perspective of connecting to FSM calendar events and possibly to an FSM20 event in Mexico.

 

The arrival of delegates in Mexico for a FSM20 event would be

- personal occasion to charge batteries and know the Mexican dynamics as it is in progress in 2020/21

-to act as a delegate of local articulations prepared in SDPs to participate in prepared global articulations, and developments of world campaigns 
See point 8 9 of the document http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-texto-ideas-sobre-pfsm20-presentado-en-ci-mexico-nov-2018 )


 

globe-logo.png 

11 / Discussions about relations with IC?

 

An fsm20 project to present in the CI

The option in this text is to distinguish two phases pro-fsm20 and fsm20 which allows to postpone a formal decision FSM20 a few months, while encouraging a dynamic pro-fsm
See part A )

From CI organizations?

Contributions from the IC can be spontaneous or they can be stimulated by a drive keeping a compass of time in relation to a macro plan: invitations to initiate CDPs invitation to stimulate actors of world campaigns

see http://openfsm.net/projects/pfsm20/pfsm20-insumo6

 

Resources?

Without new elements 

a methodological seminar on fsm20?

This text is an input for preparatory discussions for such a seminar.

In discussions in Mexico, the prospect of making a Mexican event site was criticized, although, with a minimum budget, event sites can be kept as a memory (case of www.wsf2018.org or www.fsm2016.org ).

This deserves a discussion related to "communication" that may take a while during the first pro-fsm phase. There has not yet been a strategic seminar on this topic, which was mentioned as a necessary next step in Porto Alegre 2017 

see http://openfsm.net/projects/transitionci/transicionci-deploysecretariat-porto-alegre-agenda/AnexoComES.pdf )

 

The proposed CDP / SDP form (@ see http://openfsm.net/projects/sdpaaa ) and the development of stimulation / support mechanisms for distant participation are options to explore ways to keep the WSF process empowering and decentralized, including where there is not close, in time and space, an event visible in a calendar of the process like this: 
see http://openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar )

 

exchange of experience with Brazil?

In Mexico there was talk of accompaniment from the team of the previous WSF, which is legitimate. 
An interesting way was the mobilization process with creation of a pro-fsm collective, whose idea is taken up and adapted in the present text.

Note the very particular context of the mobilization in the context of Brazil with an electoral perspective and in a region that was the one that voted in majority for the PT presidential candidate.

The FSM18 forum in Brazil has been quite national in its mobilization, and an event remained. No preparatory local activities were invited in the world.5000 people traveled from outside of Brazil to the event, although they were relatively discreet in terms of international articulations in Salvador. No post-event process was prepared.

At the methodological level there have been tensions in GF CI Brasil CI in general (@ see part 6.B) and few consensual innovations, among which the modest realization of the agora of futures 
(@ see http://openfsm.net/projects/sobre-agora-dos-futuros-fsm2018/project-home ) . 
It was not possible to agree more forms of participation among the GF / CI, stimulating the formulation of actions decided by participants.

 

Perspectives of the project "Home do planeta?"

In the discussions in Mexico, a project of the initially centralized platform (called here "home do planeta" for lack of another name) was presented on behalf of CI-BR and a more defined group of entities, with the idea that it would be useful and used in the fsm20 process. (@ seehttp://openfsm.net/projects/ic-extended/notas-evolutivas-ci-mexico-201811-coloreadas/#76 ). This opens a series of specific topics. Up-to-date news of the project, and inclusion of CI volunteers responding to the invitation made in Mexico by CI-BR to integrate a timely serious care committee. The involvement of a person from Mexico in relation to this project would also be relevant.