Social Forums

From 1-5 July 2010 the IV European Social Forum will take place in Istanbul.

War Resisters' International is part of several seminars and workshops during the ESF:

Thursday, 1 July, 9.30-12.30

The struggle against nuclear weapons in Europe and the Middle-East
Hans Lammerant (Vredesactie), Dominic Moran (Greenpeace), Ufuk Uras
Room D102-200, İtü Maçka Kampüsü

"No to Nato, Against militarisation and nuclearisation of the EU, build EU for peace"

From 17-21 September, more than 10 000 people from all over Europe (and beyond) took part in the 5th European Social Forum in Malmö in Sweden. More than 15 000 participated in a colourful demonstration through the city of Malmö on 20 September, calling for “power to the people”.

The 5th European Social Forum in Malmö

More than two years have passed by since the last European Social Forum in Athens in May 2006. From the southern edge of Europe, the European Social Forum has now moved to the north: Malmö in Sweden has been a very welcoming city for the 5th European Social Forum, and although the forum was spread out over several venues in Malmö, all of them were within walking distance.

Malmö 17-21 September 2008

As part of the European Social Forum in Malmö, several antimilitarist and peace groups are organising the European Peace Action Forum.

The forum will focus on 4 themes: NATO and the militarisation of the EU, nuclear weapons, militarisation of space, and the international military industrial complex.

From 17-21 September, European social movements will gather in Malmö for the European Social Forum (ESF) 2008. Likewise, many peace and antimilitarist activists will meet at the European Peace Action Forum, which is part of the ESF, and organised by many European peace groups, coordinated by the Swedish antimilitarist group ofog.

"People's Struggles - people's alternatives" was the theme of ther 7th World Social Forum which took place in Nairobi from 20-25 January 2007. War Resisters' International took part in this World Social Forum with a 10-persons strong delegation.

A report on War Resisters' International's activities at the World Social Forum in Kenya

War Resisters' International took part in the Nairobi World Social Forum with an international delegation, consisting of participants from 4 continents: Ela Gandhi (South Africa) and Theodros Azbaha (Eritrea), Rafael Uzcategui (Venezuela), Michal Stoler (Israel), Clare Bayard (USA), Subhadip Mukherjee (India), Tobias Pflüger (Germany), Stellan Vinthagen (Sweden), and Andreas Speck, Javier Garate and Yvonne Kassim from the WRI office in London.

People's Struggles, People's Alternatives is the theme of the
World Social Forum in Nairobi, a theme, which certainly is of
relevance to antimilitarists and pacifists. And a theme, that is also
very relevant in the African context, where people struggle against
neo-colonial exploitation, and against war and violence.

Since the beginning of the World Social Forum process in 2001,

Everything is ready for the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi that
starts the 20th of January. War Resisters' International  will be
present there  with a delegation and a number of events. With the aim
of promoting and making more visible antimilitarism and nonviolence
at this movement of movements event. And also to strengthen our
connections with groups in Africa.

Why an antimilitarist perspective is important for all social movements

The 7th edition of the World Social Forum brings the world to Africa
as activists, social movements, networks, coalitions and other
progressive forces from Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean,
North America, Europe and all corners of the African continent converge
in Nairobi, Kenya for five days of cultural resistance and celebration;
panels, workshops, symposia, processions, film nights and much much
more; beginning on the 20th of January and wrapping up on the 25th of
January 2007.

War Resisters' International's activities for the World Social Forum in Kenya

War Resisters' International has been engaged with different Social Forums for several years. WRI was present at the European Social Forum in London in 2004 and Athens in 2006, at the Mediterranean Social Forum in 2005, and at the World Social Forum in Caracas in 2006 (although
then more at the Alternative Social Forum).