Global Democracy and the World Social Forums [Paperback]

The World Social Forum quickly became the largest political gathering in human history and continues to offer a direct challenge to the extreme inequities of corporate-led globalisation. It has expanded its presence and continues to be an exciting experiment in global and participatory democracy. The book's contributors have participated in World Social Forums around the globe. Recounting dozens of dramatic firsthand experiences, they draw on their knowledge of global politics to introduce the process, its foundations and relevance to ongoing transnational efforts toward democracy. This second edition of Global Democracy shows how the Forums have developed since their inception in 2001 and how they are now connected with other global movements including Occupy, the Arab Spring and beyond.List of Figures and Tables Preface and Acknowledgments 1 Globalization and the World Social Forums 2 What Are the World Social Forums? 3 Who Participates in the World Social Forums? 4 Reformism or Radical Change: What Do World Social Forum Participants Want? 5 Global or Local: Where's the Action? 6 The World Social Forums and the 21st Century Revolutions 7 Conclusion: The World Social Forum Process and Global Democracy Appendix: World Social Forum Charter of Principles Notes References Resources About the Authors IndexThe World Social Forum was established in 2001 as a counter to the dominant narrative of globalisation coming from the World Economic Forum. The two could not be further apartnot just in message, but in structure and organisation. The WSF I attended in Senegal in 2011 was a chaotic, loud affair, but it was real, passionate andcoinciding with Mubaraks resignation in Egyptoptimistic that the world could change. The second edition of this book is published by Paradigm in May, and will offer first-hand experiences of the forums meetings, explain why it was founded, and explore its continuing relevance.
The Guardian

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