Osaka Social Forum 2012

Another World is Beginning! Another Osaka is Possible!

The first Osaka Social Forum (OSF) was held in March 2010 [1]. More than 1,000 people joined the two-day forum featuring speeches, musical performances, “distant exchange” over internet, dozens of workshops, anti-war movies, booths and so on. Guests from Ecuador, Philippines, Korea and other countries helped to enhance the feeling of international solidarity.

The main themes of OSF 2010 were:

1. Peace and Abolition of Nuclear Weapons in Asia and the World

2. Financial Crisis, Debts, Poverty, Labour Rights and Our Life

3. Global Warming, Environment, Biological Diversity

4. A Challenge for Another World from Osaka – Citizens’ Alternative to Neo-Liberalist Local Governance

This kind of participatory forum was quite unique and attractive for activists who had been struggling to overcome the impasse of trade union movements and other social movements in the country. It was agreed that the second OSF would be held in 2012 and the secretary of OSF would continue its work.

Since then, there has been a series of progresses in broadening the network of OSF and linking it to the World and Regional Social Forum processes.

October 2010, OSF organized a workshop over internet as a part of the World Education Forum in Palestine.

January 2011, affiliated groups of OSF participated the WSF 2011 held in Dakar and a report back meeting was organized by OSF in March. Direct encounter with “Arab’s Spring” convinced us that “another world is beginning”.

November 2011, the first pre-event for OSF 2012 was organized as a workshop over internet as a part of the South Asia Social Forum held in Dhaka. Nazma Akter of Sommilito Garments Sromik Federation and other leaders of garment workers’ unions joined us to discuss the “race to the bottom” under neo-liberalist globalisation.

February 2012, the second pre-event for OSF 2012 was organized featuring two leaders of teachers’ union in Wisconsin, U.S., where hundreds of thousand workers and people stood up against Governor Walker’s fierce attack against public workers’ unions and public services in the state. In the wake of the election of Mayor and Governor last November in which draconian ex-Governor, Hashimoto and his colleague won and increased attack against public workers’ unions and public services in Osaka, the experiences and lessons of the Wisconsin uprising of February to March last year encouraged and awakened hundreds of workers and people who participated a series of meetings.

Based on these development as well as important development of the struggle against nuclear power plants after the disaster in Fukushima, OSF 2012 will focus on the following topics:

– Alternative to neo-liberalist / authoritarian “reform” of Osaka

– Responsibility to the nuclear disaster and perspective for a future nuke-free society

– Increasing disparity and poverty within the country as well as in the world

– Abolition of weapons and military bases - from the perspective of Article 9 of Constitution

– The roll of media and creative use of media

– Voices of the younger generation

Program:

Day 1 (September 15)：

Plenary Session: Guest Speech/ Music and Dance [Details are TBA]

Youth Forum [Details are TBA]

Day 2 (September 16)：

Symposiums on main theme/ Workshops and Seminars (to be planned and organized by participants)/ Movies/ Bazaar [Details are TBA]

If you are interested in participating Osaka Social Forum or willing to contribute your idea or advice for the success of the Forum, use the following mailing address: osaka socialforum.jp