World Social Forum

2005 World Social Forum, Brazil

FANCA together with ECOA and Pantanal Wetlands Network from Brazil organised a workshop at the forum to forge alliances on water issues across Latin America. FANCA also shared its ideas for participation in the 4^th World Water Forum and discussed a joint strategy on the Right to Water.

2004 World Social Forum, Mumbai

The World Social Forum provided a platform for individuals and organizations to come to gather for a joint action. Participants expressed their views through Speeches, Rallies and Marches, Panel discussions & Seminars, Paintings & Theatre, Films, Art & Sculptures, Exhibitions & Stalls.

The WSF 2004 was the first to be held outside Brazil.  Its timing and its Another World Is Possible slogan were designed to contrast with the World Economic Forum of finance ministers and business-leaders which began as the Social Forum ended. Water was a very high profile issue at the Forum.

FAN Member EFICOR reflects on the WSF:

'The WSF is not intended to come with common declarations, as the traditional NGO mindset thinks. Its a whole new way of organizing, new ways of expressing. By the end of 5 days of singing, shouting, dancing, protesting, the uniqueness of WSF became evident for many people. There is unlimited freedom of expression through different methods. There were no time restrictions, no planned programmes, though traditional groups conducted 1200 systematic workshops/ seminars in the tents with very poor attendance. The actual crowd is outside, full of life and expression. They are from different places with different reasons, different ideas. They all are proud of them selves, their identity and their culture, their uniqueness and are proud of all others too. They are excited about variety, rich diversity and uniqueness of each individual. They commonly shun imperialism and any form of oppression/ discrimination based on caste, race, religion, gender, location, economic status, power etc.,

Then what did WSF achieve? It did not achieve one thing, but many things. The achievement is different for everybody; probably 100,000 participants have 100,000 achievements. They all saw the commonness of their struggles, which gives them enormous inspiration and HOPE. This HOPE which the participants took along with them, the hope for a better world, the hope for dignity, hope for justice etc., This hope makes them unique, makes them the ones who can transform the world.'

2004 WSF Website

2003 World Social Forum, Brazil 

From 23 to 27 January 2003, social activists and anti-poverty campaigners from around the world gathered together in Porto Alegre, Brazil, for the third annual World Social Forum (WSF). The Forum was conceived as a counter-summit to the World Economic Forum, which took place concurrently in Davos, Switzerland. The objective was to gather a large group of people to discuss and support the proposal that One world is possible!.

  Dialogue on Water

The Dialogue on Water Workshop was designed by the Caucus Water of the Brazilian Forum of NGOs and Social Movements, Instituto Ipanema, Vitae Civilis, Rios Vivos Coalizion, Both Ends and FAN to bring together participants of these networks, caucus and other collective groups, as a preparatory activity from the Latin America Region to  the III World Water Forum. They presented the following conclusions to the Organisation Committee of the Forum:

• Recognising the dialogue as a necessary effort to promote the envolvement and commitment of different stakeholders with respect to water resources management and establishment of a new basis for its sustainable management

• Sustainable management of water resources must also take into account the management of wastes and sanitation

• Effective participation of NGOs and Social Movements needs to be strengthened from watershed level, to the regional, national and international levels

• Increasing the participation of NGOs and Social Movements from Brasil and Latin America in international water networks

• Strengthening  and encouraging dialogue and cooperation between networks, caucus and other groups

• Promoting capacity building of civil society for its effective participation in the decision-making processes about water resources including making the issues understandable and accessible to all and incorporating the gender perspective

• Promoting capacity building of NGOs and Social Movements to participate in monitoring the financing programmes of international organisations that deal with water resources directly or indirectly

• Providing economic and financial conditions to enable the participation of NGOs and Social Movements during the decision-making process on water resources management, from the watershed level to the Councils of Municipalities, States and Federation, setting up legal provisions

• Considering water resources in the context of ecossystems and essential ecological processes

Reafirming the position expressed by the Brazilian Forum of NGOs and Social Movements in the document Brasil 2002 - The Sustainability that We Want, presented to the international community during the World Summit for Sustainable Development, in Johannesburg 2002; the issue of water must be focused through different sustainability parameters and the right of access to water should be considered as an intrinsic part of the right to life