• TransitionCI WG

Discussion on IC reform

de parte de Francine Mestrum on 2015-05-25 10:22
Dear friends,

And here the document in English:

Dear friends,
Teivo Teivainen, Francine Mestrum, Gina Vargas and Giuseppe Carruso have prepared a short document to introduce the debate that should start on the future of the WSF/IC, as decided in Tunis in March.
These four people had worked on the topic before and they made a synthesis of all the former documents. It is amazing to see how the same issues keep coming up again, over and over, for the past five years.
We deliberately made a very short document, in order to give everyone a possibility to read it. We think the time has now come for decisions. 
Please let the discussion start in preparation of the IC that will most probably take place in Brazil in September or October.





 
Synthesis and questions/proposals for the discussion on the future of the WSF/IC

1.	Assumptions:

-	The future of the IC has now been discussed for many years already and a lot of serious reflection has already taken place. The time has come to look at a number of concrete questions and take decisions
-	All the documents on these discussions have been put on the website http://openfsm.net/projects/transitionci/transitionci-discussions . Participants in the current working-group are advised to read them, especially the excellent report Gina made for the IC in Casablanca, prepared with Giu and Francine. It this is not possible, please look at the following synthesis.
-	The main point of this exercise is to look at the future. Even if the synthesis will mention some of the points of ‘discontent’, they will not be analysed but just taken into account for the discussion on the future.
-	Even if it is difficult to separate the IC process and future from the WSF process and future, this document will focus on the IC, bearing in mind some decisions may have consequences for the WSF.
-	The questionnaire of last year has shown a huge willingness of members to cooperate and search for solution.
-	The questions to be answered have been limited to a strict minimum in order to facilitate the discussion.

2.	Main problems and questions mentioned by IC members and some non-members:

-	Lack of transparency and accountability
-	Lack of commitment
-	Lack of a ‘new’ political culture
-	Gap between values and practices
-	Lack of trust among members
-	Lack of usefulness related to WSF
-	Lack of implementation of decisions taken

3.	Questions to be answered:

-	Existence of the IC: has the IC to be maintained? Can it possibly be replaced by another kind of (representative/facilitating?) body?

-	Composition of the IC:
o	In the questionnaire of last year, most members said they want the IC to expand, but how? 
	With the ‘new’ social movements, if they want to come? 
	Have members to be categorized: active/associate/observers?


-	Functioning of the IC:
o	Should we abandon the ‘horizontalism’ for a more structural way of decision-making?
o	Do we need a clearer structure so as to enhance transparency and accountability?
o	Do we need a new version of the ‘liaison group’ for practical tasks, avoiding the shortcomings of the previous one?

-	Objective and strategy of the IC (and here, also of WSF): 
o	can we clearly word what our concrete objective is (beyond ‘surpassing capitalism/neoliberalism’ and, for the IC ‘facilitating’ the WSF)? 
o	Can we discuss a strategy if we are  not clear on our objectives? We should remember our year long discussions on space and/or movement and/or action.
o	Can the IC be/become a kind of ‘governance’ (sorry for the word, we found no better one) body for the WSF, with clearly attributed responsibilities and accountability?

-	How to re-politicize the IC?
o	Should we abandon the non-directive characteristic of the IC?
o	Can we organize more and deeper political debates on the world situation (as demanded by majority of members in questionnaire last year) 
o	Should the Charter of Principles be changed?

-	Should the solidarity fund be re-instated in order to guarantee the presence of movements that otherwise cannot attend? 
o	Should IC-members pay a fee?

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