The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action. Since the first world encounter in 2001, it has taken the form of a permanent world process seeking and building alternatives to neo-liberal policies. This definition is in its Charter of Principles, the WSF’s guiding document.

The World Social Forum is also characterized by plurality and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental and non-party. It proposes to facilitate decentralized coordination and networking among organizations engaged in concrete action towards building another world, at any level from the local to the international, but it does not intend to be a body representing world civil society. The World Social Forum is not a group nor an organization.

How did the WSF start to get organized?

Click here to discover how the WSF came into being.

Who organizes the WSF?

Eight organizations are part of the Secretariat, which has an office in São Paulo (Brazil), and is in charge of the Forum process coordination. The eight entities that have started the organization of the first WSF - Abong, Attac, CBJP, Cives, CUT, Ibase, MST and Social Network for Justice and Human Rights - form this secretariat.

When WSF moved to Mumbai, an Indian Organizing Committee (in charge of organizing WSF 2004 in Mumbai, India) has been set up. The IOC has been integrated to WSF Secretariat afterwards.

General political issues as well as discussions on WSF future and the annual events methodologies are discussed and followed by the International Council, which is currently formed by 129 organizations.