In this issue:

1. Update on the campaign for a Currency Transaction Tax
2. Reports/Publications
3. World Social Forum V in preparation
4. NIGD September month events

1. Update on the Campaign for a Currency Transaction Tax

Read the September update on the preparations for the CTT campaign and indicate the interest of your organisation to join the group of organisations launching the campaign with a message to NIGD at nigd@nigd.org!

In an interview with Reporter Social, Teivo Teivainen discusses the proposal for a Currency Transaction Tax amidst other taxing and fund raising proposals as the global fund to combat hunger of Brazilian President Lula.

2. Reports/Publications

Democracy in Venezuela
"Democracy wins in Venezuela". Read the report by Marc Becker who was an observer to the Venezuelan recall referendum in August 2004.

Truth Commission-Like Global Institutions
"The report by Tuomas Forsberg and Teivo Teivainen breaks new ground by exploring the global and international dimensions of truth commissions. It is by no means an easy task to advance justice, reconciliation and democratic transformations in world politics. Looking at the viability of the truth commission method in global issues may, however, help humankind find innovative solutions for some of our most pressing problems." writes Archbishop Desmond Tutu in his foreword to the recent publication by Teivo Teivainen and Tuomas Forsberg titled "Past Injustice in World Politics. Prospects of Truth-Commission-Like Global Institutions"

Global Studies Network
The perhaps largest single gathering ever of centres and programmes that undertake research of globalization took place at the University of Warwick at Coventry in late August 2004. Heikki Patomäki wrote a report the Meaning of Globalisation?

Swedish Social Fora
Instead of hosting a national Swedish Social Forum, the organisers have joined forces with various social forums in Sweden and co-ordinated the events to be held during one weekend simultaneously in four different cities. Could this experience serve as a model for global mobilisation for the World Social Forum process? Read the report on events in Sweden.

3. World Social Forum V in preparation

The WSF 2005 of Porto Alegre was launched on the 14th of June in São Paulo. Teivo Teivainen sat in the panel at the launch of the Fifth WSF in São Paulo and talked about the Pedagogy of the World Social Forum(Spanish).

The launch also marked the start of the consultation process by internet regarding the main themes of the upcoming WSF. 1.863 organisations took part in the process, more than 70% however Brazilian. Last week the WSF International Council working group on Content and Methodology had its meeting in São Paulo, incorporating the results of the consultation process. See the outcome.

The Brasilian organising team established a Call for Action working group at a meeting on the 27th of August. One of the outcomes of the meeting was that the organisation of local forums after WSF 2005 will be encouraged. A specific date is to be chosen when various social forums will take place simultaneously. The main points on the agenda of the social fora will be furthering the key issues of the discussions at WSF 2005. Read more.

4. NIGD September month events
Visit for NIGD September events our Rendezvous page.