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The WSF Process Politically more Useful
NIGD News and Notes October 2006
In October, NIGD discusses:
I. The WSF process politically more useful
by Teivo Teivainen and Laura Tuominen
II. More ideas on world public finances, development and global public goods
by Francine Mestrum
III. Peregrinations of an (ex?)Pariah
by Peter Waterman
IV. NEW! NIGD Discussion Paper: Political Parties and Global Democratisation - Lessons from the Past and Future Prospects
by Katarina Sehm Patomäki and Marko Ulvila
V. Rendez-vous with NIGD
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I. The WSF process politically more useful
The WSF International Council had a meeting between 10-12 October in Parma, Italy. NIGD members Teivo Teivainen and Laura Tuominen attended the meeting in which it was decided that the next worldwide World Social Forum event after Nairobi will take place in 2009, whereas in 2008, there will be various kinds of mobilizations in different parts of the world around the time of the World Economic Forum.
WSF 2009: Dilemma's of Decision-Making on the Periodicity of the Forums
by Teivo Teivainen
Teivainen writes on the decision reached at the WSF International Council meeting in Parma, Italy that "the decision to call for mobilizations around the dates of the World Economic Forum is an important challenge for the WSF process. It may give some new answers to the question of how the WSF could become politically more useful. ... The decision shows that there has been a learning process among the IC members. Over the past months and years, positions on this issue became more flexible and common ground was constructed. The perceived decision-making capacity of the IC was thereby strengthened."
Read also more in the WSF IC Parma meeting blog Teivainen held during the meeting in Parma.
More political influence to the WSF with more space to regional and local forums
by Laura Tuominen
This is a main conclusion of the author of this report from the WSF IC meeting in Parma, as she furthermore writes that "campaigning on a local level will cause global action. This is what we saw in 2003, as millions of people around the world marched against the war in Iraq". Tuominen furthermore reports on thougths among Nordic WSF process to hold a Nordic social forum by 2010.
WSF 2007 methodology and program
One of the documents up for debate during the WSF IC meeting in Parma entailed a view and proposals on the program of the upcoming WSF as to be three days of self organised working sessions, the morning of the 4th day would be the presentation of the proposals, alternatives,actions; and the afternoon would be dedicated to the strengthening of linkages and alliances. This view will effectively inform the format of WSF 2007.
Border Social Forum
From October 13th to 15th, the Border Social Forum was held in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico gathering more than 900 representatives of mainly social movements and grassroots organisations from Mexico and United States border. Read the final declaration made by the assembly of border social movements in Ciudad Juárez,on October 15, 2006. Converge through action with the movements of all of the regional, national and continental fora to uphold equally for all people regardless of our age, gender, social class, ethnicity or migratory status.
II. More ideas on world public finances, development and global public good
After 25 years of failing ‘Washington Consensus’ policies, development NGO’s and social movements have more hope of incorporating new thinking into development programmes. Francine Mestrum analyses the re-orientation of development policy in the UNCTAD Development and Trade Report 2006, and links it with thinking from the World Development Movement (WDM) and the Global Justice and Solidarity Movement sensing an opportunity to further develop the potential of world public finances. UNCTAD proposals for fundamental changes in the aid architecture are an opening for a new discussion about integrating economic, social, and ecologically sustainable development.
What is possible through a campaign for a CTT?
by Yoko Akimoto
Bruno Jetin (Economist and Researcher at the Institute of Research on Development in France) visited with Attac Japan in October in Tokyo and conveyed in their meetings that a Currency Transaction Tax tax creates an opportunity for people to think about neo-liberalism, and bring about discussion on it in society. Jetin said that "The idea that the CTT is just a means of finance for development is wrong. The way of taking advantage of CTT depends on the conditions facing each country, region or organization because what people are concerned about is different. The main thing is that we have to consider how we familiarize people with financial or economical issues," as Yoko Akimoto qoutes in her report on the discussions with Jetin in Tokyo.
World Social Forum Financial Strategy
Also the WSF is related to the discussion of the finances of the rest of the world. A second document up for debate at the WSF IC meeting in Parma was a report prepared by a team of consultants. The document was presented and debated on the last meeting of the Resources Commission of the WSF IC, held in The Hague, on 24 and 25 September 2006. This is the final version of the document, which incorporates the suggestions made by the Resources Commission.
III. Peregrinations of an (ex?)Pariah
by Peter Waterman
Internationalism in Peru is in a fragile state, but a new emancipatory internationalism is making a difficult entry to challenge a traditional rhetorical socialist gesture. Peter Waterman reflects on his five weeks in Lima, Peru working with Progama de Estudios Sobre Democracia y Transformación Global and presenting personal work on the WSF and the Global Labour Charter Movement. Through his eyes, discover links between trade union actions, the rise of general social progress in the Americas, and the WSF?
Three Block Wars and Humanitarianism
by Robyn Milburn
What are the implications associated with the merging of political, military, and humanitarian objectives, and what are the options for the international community? Robyn Milburn provides a brief from the Three Block Wars (3BW) and Humanitarianism Consultation jointly hosted by the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre and the Humber International Development Institute in Ottawa from 12-14 September, 2006. The two-day dialogue placed academics, military personnel, government representatives, and humanitarian practitioners in the same room to identify emerging trends and discuss operational implications.
IV. NEW DISCUSSION PAPER: Political Parties and Global Democratisation - Lessons from the Past and Future Prospects
by Katarina Sehm Patomäki and Marko Ulvila
Has the time come to set up global political parties? What else can be done to democratise the world order through party politics? These are some of the questions addressed in this NIGD Discussion Paper. In 2005-2006, NIGD conducted four dialogues on four continents and requested expert papers on the topic of political parties and global democratisation. The rich set of analysis, opinions and experiences are summarised in this Discussion Paper.
See also the Hindi and Spanish translations of the publication.
NB! Please send a message to notes@nigd.org if you are interested in receiving a hard copy of this publication - orders must be placed by mid November 2006 and are subject to availability.
V. Rendez-vous with NIGD
See our Rendezvous page.
*Views expressed in NIGD News & Notes do not automatically reflect stands taked by the board of NIGD.*
