Nicolas Haeringer, Martí Olivella (Alliance 21) and Pierre George (Caritas France) of Memory WG of the CMC (Content and Methodology Commission ed.), April 2005

The policentrism of the next World Social Forum, the possible extension of the members of the International Secretariat and the increasing size of the Commissions and Working Groups of the International Council's tasks lead to a point where it is needed to build a set of adequate tools so that the participants in these different groups can work permanently at distance, in an multilingual environment.

We need a set of tools that are easy to use and for a very low cost for the people of the IC, that permit to manage the information, the communication, the deliberation, the priorization, the collective elaboration of texts and projects, the decision making, the monitoring of decisions, the evaluation of results and processes…

Waiting for the teams that are working on this issues groups from the ESF have the tools developed, we propose to advance with the already existing softwares for the different functions so that we can start use them for the preparation of the IC meeting in Barcelona. During the meeting itself, we can present a kit and do a basic formation to the use of these tools.

These tools need to be introduced with a gradual process so that they can be incorporated in the day to day work, and start to be a viable alternative to reduce costs of trips and to permit a real policentrism, with an efficient common work from groups that are geographically far from one another. We propose to begin with the 5 following basic tools :

1. The adequate mailinglist. Revising the existing lists of the CI and of the Commissions, assuring that the ones that are interested in participating in the process are suscribers of the list and moderating these lists to avoid unnecessary messages that refrain their use. Sharing the list of mails of each member of the IC to be able to interact directly without the lists (concretely : send the list of personnal mails to every IC member). Up to now, the lists have been the only tools of participation to distance and we should articulate them with other more appropriate tools for deliberation and collective elaboration. (list updating: Isabel).

2. Wespace for selfpublishing and downloading of common documents. They can be all public in the web of the FSM, or we can create a space reserved for the IC or/and for the commissions. It can be both a webdav, a wiki, plone, etc. that enable a good interaction among all. Everybody can participate, see its contribution and the contribution of others, without having to seek in emails archives. The facilitation can also be collective. It open the possibility to elaborate texts or projects. A webdav can be used to give access to files. (Creation and management space: Nicolas and Patricia).

3. System of deliberation to evaluate proposals, to discuss documents, to prepare meetings, to prioritize actions, to carry out evaluations, to make decisions, etc. showing the degrees of consensus or dissensus. It enables to make decisions with consensus without meetings. Linked to a selfpublication system it offers the possibility to participate in a process of work during weeks or months even when it is not possible to be meet frequently. Exemple: www.delibera.net (Facilitation: Martí and Susana)

4. System of communication on line in groups that permits to speak, to send files, to chat, etc. without cost. This can help in a flexible way the work of the different working groups' facilitators. Exemple: www.skype.com (self-management: each one has to download it and then can use it).

5. Self-translation system that enables to translate messages or texts be for send in other languages be, to understand them. Exemple: www.freetranslation.com (self-management: each one carries out its translations)

We are in connection and within the wsftools group studying which is the groupware (software) more adequate to work in group.

Suggestions and contributions: contact@memoria-viva.org