We wish to invite all Peoples organisations to become joint hosts of the World Social Forum, South-east Asia, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2006 (preliminary dates 21-23 October 2006, Thamasart University campus)

 1. What is the World Social Forum?

The World Social Forum is a Peoples Forum for discussion to find alternatives under the slogan “Another World is Possible”. The movement which built the first World Social Forum in 2001, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, emerged from a growing opposition to Neo-liberalism and Imperialism, which are two inter-linked aspects of the attempts by large corporations and super-powers to dominate the world through free-market policies and war. This opposition movement has been growing since the end of the Cold War when large corporations increased their power to destroy local life-styles, the environment, public welfare and the life security of millions throughout the world.

After the first World Social Forum, there have been a further 5 such forums, the 4^th in 2004 being held in Mumbai, India. There have also been regional and national level social forums, such as the European Social Forums in Italy, France and Britain, the Asian Social Forum in Hydrabad, India and various social forums in Africa and Latin America. In October 2006 there will be a South-east Asian World Social Forum in Bangkok.

The World Social Forum has the following important characteristics

– It is a free and open space for discussions and re-assessments among various groups, in order to develop social movements and propose alternative solutions for building a new World. This space is a Peoples Movement space, independent from the State, mainstream political parties and top religious institutions and it is also independent from the business world. Since it is an open space, no single organisation or group can claim to represent the W.S.F.

– It is a free and open forum for those who oppose the neoliberalism of states and multinationals (eg. privatisation, university autonomy under market principles, the destruction of social welfare, the turning of everything into a commodity and the opening up of economies under Free Trade Agreements).

– It is a free forum for those who oppose militarism and war, which is conducted by states in the interests of corporate capital. The W.S.F. coordinated the large anti-war protests against the war in Iraq in 2003.

– The W.S.F is a forum which emphasises internationalism and solidarity among movements. It is not a forum for nationalism. The W.S.F. respects all humanity regardless of gender, life-style or ethnicity.

– Funding for the W.S.F. is mainly raised in the host country. The bulk of funds go to organising the forum, rent of the location, equipment and publicity. Participants pay for their own travel expenses and accommodation. The W.S.F. has a clear policy that funds should come from registration by participants (at progressive rates) and donations from organisations which are not large business corporations or organisations which support neoliberalism.

What does a World Social Forum look like?

In the past 5 years the forums have been made up of a multitude of seminars and meetings on many topics. Each day many different meetings are held at the same time. There can be large meetings of hundreds or small discussions involving tens. Opening and closing ceremonies involve thousands and in addition to this there are stalls and artistic or cultural performances.

 What will the Thai and S.E. Asian movements gain from such a forum?

The W.S.F. is a golden opportunity for peoples organisations to come together to develop their thinking in order to build their strength. One weakness, which we face, especially in Thailand, is the way we operate separately on single issues. The W.S.F. has a tradition of linking all issues into a whole picture analysis of the World economic and political situation. In Thailand, the Peoples Movement is facing serious challenges from the Thai Rak Thai government, which uses a combination of populism and repression.

Therefore the holding of a WSF in Thailand will be a great opportunity for us all because:

– We can move from single-issuism towards a unity of purpose and a whole picture analysis.

– We can build a tradition of open and fraternal debate in a spirit of friendship and solidarity, re-assessing our work and building unity to move forward on many fronts simultaneously.

– We shall have the chance to discuss experiences and strategies with friends from the S.E. Asian region and beyond.

 So, if your organisation wishes to get involved.... what needs to be done?

We must never forget that all of us in the Peoples Movement are the joint owners of this forum. There are 6 simple steps to take.

- What does your organisation wish to do?

You should hold a meeting in your organisation to discuss the W.S.F. and what issues you want to discuss with others from Thailand and other countries. Do you want to have a stall or put on a performance?

- Who would you like to work with?

If we are to obtain maximum benefit from the forum, we should try to organise discussions jointly with other groups and groups from different countries, in order to expand cooperation and develop a whole picture analysis. The organsers of the WSF will help to bring together people with similar interests, but we must all be part of this process.

- Propose your topics to us.

When you have decided what issues you wish to discuss you should contact the organising committee and assess the numbers of people you think will participate in order for us to provide the right size of room.

– Book your stall if you wish to have one. Tell us about your performances.

– Set the content of your meetings and start to find speakers and someone to chair the meeting.

– Start to raise funds for travel, accommodation, food, registration etc. for members of your organisation.

Please suggest topics and themes for the W.S.F.!!

Initial ideas for themes

– The affect of capitalism on local life styles (eg. large construction projects, dams, power stations, mines and forced clearing of urban communities).
– The rights of minorities (eg. Muslim communities, ethnic groups, GLBT people, migrants).
– The market and commodification of everyday life. (eg. privatisation, the market in education, F.T.A.s, W.T.O., patent laws).
– State violence and war.
– Gender politics.
– Political ideas to build a new World.
– Alternative agriculture, energy and fishing.
– Freedom of the press and media.
– Labour issues.
– Security of life, land, debt, social welfare.

Come to a special workshop to develop the themes of the Bangkok W.S.F.

We are organising a special 2 day workshop in Bangkok, Sunday 26^th and Monday 27^th February 2006, in order to develop the main themes of the Bangkok WSF and also to establish an international steering committee to run the event. All peoples organisations are invited to send delegates. The workshop will be held at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Contact us !!!!

E-mail: thaiwsf yahoo.com
P.O. Box 2049 Chulalongkorn, Bangkok 10332 Thailand.
Tel. +66-16134792, +66-22187221