The next WSFIC meeting will be held in Barcelona, after the Mediterranean Social Forum (MedSF) which takes place from June 20th to 22nd 2005. The IC Commissions will seemingly hold their meetings before the MedSF on June 18th - 19th. The WSF IChas officially 6 working commissions : resources, strategy, communication,expansion, content and methodology (the latter two are functioning for thepast time being as one and the same commission). The commissions are open to everybody, also to non members of the IC.

The below is an update regarding the issues currently being discussed on the WSF IC-list in preparation of the upcoming meetings in Barcelona.

1. A renewed interest in Strategy
The previous WSF IC commissions and plenary meetings took place in Utrecht, Holland, between March 28th and April 2nd. One of the outcomes of the Holland meeting was a revival of interest in the topic of the WSF and Strategy. Does the WSF as it is advance our struggles for another world? Decided was to devote one day to a political debate on Strategy in Barcelona, before the actual WSF IC meetinG.

In prelude of Barcelona, Roberto Savio (IPS) gave his view on the WSF in a recent intervention on the WSF IC e-mail list titled ”The World Social Forum after five years”,

The Brasilian secretariat made a proposal for the proceedings of the discussion of the WSF and the international conjuncture. The debate is meant to be organised in three discussion tables in which ”mini explanations” would be debated (according to this proposal the mini explanations are to be beforehand registered by IC members from May 10th till May 30th)

The proposal also touches upon the meeting style of the IC, frequently criticised for being an accumulation of interventions with no concrete outcomes. The meetings in Holland made already a considerable advance in this area with time and number limits put on each intervention . See the Brasilian proposal

Several IC members have already reacted to the Brasilian proposal and have circulated interventions on the WSF IC e-list.
- Gustavo Marin (Alliance), Reforming the United Nations and Redefining Politics

2. Polycentric WSF 2006 also in Marocco?
The steering committee of the Marocco Social Forum reports on the political situation in Marocco regarding the setting up of a polycentric WSF

There are also plans for a polycentric WSF 2006 in Asia. So far confirmed is a WSF 2006 in Caracas, Venezuela, in January

3. Expanding the WSF IC
In the WSF IC Holland meetings, the Expansion Commission had discussions on both the expansion of the WSF as well as on the expansion of the WSF (IC) (and its internal workings)
Read the consensus on the expansion of the WSF process
Read the consensus of the expansion of the WSF(IC) and its internal workings

Various tasks were defined to be carried out in these months, as the identification of dormant IC members (currently all IC members have received a questionaire on the subject) and the compilation of all the previous decisions on expansion (the WSF IC has no systematic archives). Read the workplan of the Expansion Commissionsbefore the Barcelona meeting
Read also the compiled Expansion consensus from all the previous IC meetings in a document which also reflects on the role of the IC

4. WSF International Secretariat discussion
During the last WSF IC meeting in Utrecht, a proposal was presented from Brasil regarding the WSF International Secretariat and its composition and mandate in the context of the Polycentric WSF of 2006. A brief debate took place on the proposal In Holland, but no decisions were made. In April, the IC members who had been given the mandate to organize the debate around the WSF IC IS came out with the following proposal for the debate, based on the proposal from Brasil. No comments followed on this proposal.

In May, the WSF Secretariat Brasil then issued another document, in which the debate on the IS was once again opened up for a full discussion of the functions and tasks of the new International Secretariat.

The debate on the WSF International Secretariat is ongoing.

5. Communications
The WSF IC Communications Commission has holding an online meeting in a specifically created blog on http://www.wsfcom.blogspot.com. Peter Waterman has been attending the meeting for NIGD.

6. WSF IC working tools
Throughout the history of the IC, there have been voices criticising the WSF IC and its lack of transparency , the lack of decisionmaking procedures and the lack of documentation for so well its own constituency as for non- WSF IC members. A set of tools is now being developed in an attempt to enhance the workings of the WSF IC.

7. The local organizers of the IC meeting in Barcelona are :
Alliance 21 - Martí Olivella
CONSEU - Mònica Sabata
Euralat - Carles Riera
FAL - Vanessa Marx
International Peace Bureau - Jordi Armadans
UBUNTU - Josep Xercavins