FIERCE LIGHT JOURNEY
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The World Social Forum 2007
The World Social Forum is an annual event which attracts hundreds of thousands grass roots agents of change from around the planet, all gathering under the banner ‘another world is possible.' It is a meeting held by members of the anti-globalisation movement to coordinate world campaigns, share and refine organizing strategies, and inform each other about movements from around the world and their issues.
Jai Sen author of Challenging Empires told me, "The World Social Forum is a global phenomena of change in the face of a species that is struggling for survival."
From January 21 to 25 2007, I joined over 350,000 delegates from all over the world congregating in Nairobi to hammer out and demonstrate against policies, and practices that pit the world, particularly Africa, into abject poverty.
Banners screamed as did unstoppable speaker from speaker, addressing key issues of HIV/AIDS, gender, peace and conflict, human rights, privatisation, land and housing and immigration.
At the Uhuru Park, the host venue for the WSF, in the scorching sun, groups of people sang and danced to demonstrate against the unfair trade between developing and developed countries. I atteended parades, and women's marches with Judy Rebick, tree-planted with Wangari Maathai of the Greenbelt Movement, became inspired by the Dalits Women Federation, Poets such as Lebogang Mashile and Dennis Brutus brought home the power of conscious creation, and the drive and struggle toward change.
I really saw how social and political movements, networks, coalitions and other progressive forces, can lead to dissent in various countries is laid to rest. The aim of the WSF, however, is not to overthrow governments but to offers an international platform where people come 'to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action.
2008 has been declared a year of action. In particular, January 26th, 2008 is listed as a Global Day of Mobilisation and Action.
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The World Social Forum, Nairobi
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Video Diary - The World Social Forum
Jai Sen author of Challenging Empires told me, "The World Social Forum is a global phenomena of change in the face of a species that is struggling for survival." I attended the World Social Forum for the first time in Caracas, Venezuala, 2006. The WSF 6th edition was polycentric, meaning that it was intentionally decentralized and held in different places around the world. Among the chaos and activity, I put my finger on the pulse of the inspiring South American progressive explosion. One by one, countries on the continent are moving to the left, embracing a progressive vision of participatory democracy that, at it's best, puts the principles developed at the world social forum, into practice at the national level. Perhaps the most inspiring example of this is the country of Bolivia, where the first indigenous president in 500 years of colonial repression has swept into power on the shoulders of a phenomenal peoples movement. WEB LINKS BLOG
THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2006
World Social Forum 2006
Forum Social Mundial