by Michael von der Schulenburg

Although almost unnoticed today, 75 years ago, on 24 October 1945, the probably most important international treaty, the United Nations Charter, came into effect. Its aim was not only to end WWII, but to save, once and for all, succeeding generations from the scourge of war. In San Francisco, the victors against Nazi Germany pledged that not military power, but international cooperation and human rights, should govern future world affairs. For a generation that went through two World Wars and unimaginable human suffering and atrocities, the UN Charter brought hope for a lasting peace. Three years later, the Charter was complemented with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Taken together, the global ban to use military force and the universal respect for fundamental human rights were historical breakthroughs for humankind. As of today, 193 countries have signed the UN Charter.

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by Boaventura de Sousa Santos

La pandemia del nuevo coronavirus ha puesto en tela de juicio muchas de las certezas políticas que parecían haberse consolidado en los últimos cuarenta años, especialmente en el llamado Norte global. Las principales certezas fueron: el triunfo final del capitalismo sobre su gran competidor histórico, el socialismo soviético; la prioridad de los mercados en la regulación de la vida no sólo económica sino también social,   con la consiguiente privatización y desregulación de la economía y las políticas sociales y la reducción del papel del Estado en la regulación de la vida  colectiva; la globalización de la economía basada en ventajas comparativas en la producción y la distribución; la brutal flexibilización (precariedad) de las relaciones laborales como condición para aumentar el empleo y el crecimiento económico. En general, estas certezas constituían el orden neoliberal. Este orden se nutrió del desorden en la vida de las personas, especialmente aquellos que llegaron a la edad adulta durante estas décadas.

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Esp- Eng

 “La próxima edición del Foro Social Mundial (Virtual) será en la semana del 25 de enero de 2021”.

Lo construiremos juntas y juntos.

El Consejo Internacional del Foro Social Mundial, luego de un amplio y productivo proceso de escucha y diálogo a nivel internacional, se reunió los días 10 y 11 de octubre de 2020, y consideró:

1. Los graves y urgentes desafíos de la situación actual que es necesario abordar. enfrentados a nivel global y local;

2. La necesidad, una vez más, de confrontar los intereses del Foro Económico de Davos (que también se realizará virtualmente en el mismo período);

3. El inicio de las celebraciones de los 20 años de la creación colectiva del FSM en enero de 2001;

Decidió:

By Tord Björk

This is a personal report and observations, it may not be correct due to misunderstanding of language or intentions. The official report will follow and of course, being the important document. I still believe a tentative report will be useful including comments from a civilizational critical and ecological point of view.

In general, the meeting on 27th October taking place during 4 hours was important. It was the endgame after four extended meetings of the IC with other movements as well as national and thematic social forums and the first day of the IC on 9th of October. Decisions had to finally be made. I think many can see the result as useful as some tensions in the IC were set aside and fruitful discussions resulted in progress that I do hope is of interest to many movements inspiring greater participation.

Decisions made (here in more general wording, exact formulations will follow in the official report):

(Espanol abajo)

Consensus points:

• The WSF is “alive”. There is consensus on this.
• The listening process that has been done shows that there is support for the WSF, but not for any WSF. The movements need to meet at the WSF and see the opportunity to strengthen their struggles. A WSF with political expression is needed. And this political expression needs to preserve diversity. Following the logic of dialogue
• There is a need for the WSF to manifest itself as a global movement, there is expectation of actions in this direction. The Forum needs to articulate local and global struggles, with greater organicity, greater articulation between different initiatives, including reheating less active processes.
• The WSF needs to be a global political subject, being at the same time an open space for action. It can articulate thematic, regional and global movements. It can be a space of organisation and construction of decision-making processes.
• The WSF must be a driving force for mobilization, to meet the struggles and the peoples, to contribute directly to social transformation. Some specific actions demand global visibility.
• Regional assemblies take regional decisions that can be the basis for global action. We can regionalise our own management process, as an IC. Reverse the way we act. Reconvene virtual assemblies to plan the actions to be taken. Consider proposals for regional assemblies, which bring contributions to the IC.
• The IC must not take decisions alone, it must listen to organisations and movements so that they are involved in decisions on what to face and how to do it. It must involve the movements that have attended recent meetings. “We are all WSFs“, the other forums and the IC should continue to meet procedurally.
• The WSF needs to make political communication. Communicate to mobilize to mobilize. We must recognise and value the virtual dimension of struggles.
• The WSF aims to be a global political and social subject.

by Walden Bello

In response to the cataclysm occasioned by the coronavirus, three lines of thinking are emerging, corresponding to three GTI scenarios: Market Forces, Policy Reform, and Great Transition.

One line of thinking holds that, although the emergency necessitates extraordinary measures, the basic structure of production and consumption is sound and the problem lies in determining the moment when things can return to “normal.” This is the dominant opinion among political and business elites.

Another response is that we are now in the “new normal,” and while the global economic system is not significantly off-kilter, important changes must be made to some of its elements, such as redesigning the workplace to accommodate the need for social distancing, strengthening public health systems, and even moving towards a “universal basic income.”

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FESTIVAL INTERNACIONALISTA DOS POVOS EM RESISTÊNCIA

Hora: Sábado 10 de outubro, 19h30 Delhi / 16h Joanesburgo / 14h Accra / 11h São Paulo / 10h Nova IorqueEste sábado teremos nosso grande evento político-cultural de encerramento da Jornada.

E está cheio de surpresas! Nicolás Maduro, Dilma Rousseff, Roger Waters, FDIM, Rafael Correa, Marcha Mundial de Mulheres, Rebeca Lane, Vía Campesina, Evo Morales, Aleida Guevara e muitos mais. 

Celebraremos, com música, intervenções políticas, arte, poesia e ações antiimperialistas de todas as partes do mundo, nossa luta internacionalista por um mundo digno, justo e solidário para a humanidade e o planeta.Link principal ( terá transmissão por outros canais): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzoQQ2N70LQ&feature=youtu.be

It is a shame this programme still has to exist, but the price is well deserved!

Hola, el GT de la Relatoría del FSM 2018 comparte la version en Español del libro electrónico (pdf) sobre la última edición del Fórum, como una contribución al proceso. Habrá una breve presentación en la reunión del CI (Sheila, Damien, Tiburcio y Rita) https://wsf2018.org/es/relatorio-fsm-2018/

Federico Mayor

Five years after the Agreement of Paris on climate Change and the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on the Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals), the measures adopted have not been implemented, with a very severe irreversible lack in our intergenerational responsibilities. The refusal –as always- of the Republican Party of North America to the United Nations System leadership has been crucial. The situation has been further aggravated by the pandemic of the COVID-19.

In these moments of very somber horizons, only a firm position of all the countries –global threats require global joint reactions- could redress the present trends.

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