Social Movement Calls For Just Global Order

This age is supposed to be the most advanced age in human civilisation. However, physical wars, psychological control by the haves over the have-nots and environmental degradation all over the world have given rise to autocracy and fundamentalism even in the most democratic countries. The situation of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and the atrocities against the common Palestinian people as a backlash to the Hamas is a slap in the face of 75 years of the declaration of the Human Rights Charter. Why has this modern age world not been able to protect the rights, guaranteed by the UN Charter and several countries all over the world, of the most vulnerable people? 

The World Economic Forum, led by powerful world leaders and corporate giants, was hosted in Davos in January. The World Social Forum (WSF), which is a movement generated as an anti-globalisation movement of the 2000, led by common people is now to be hosted on February 15-19, 2024 in the Kathmandu Valley. Nearly 900 organisations from 73 countries will be here for WSF. The WSF has an anti-neoliberal global capitalist agenda seeing it as the root cause of militarism, imperialism, conflict, north-south inequity and the climate crisis.

International debate

“A right-winged politics is increasing fundamentalism in different ways and forms globally, sometimes as national fundamentalism and sometimes as religious and even sexist. So far Nepal is seen as grounds where open debate can be raised on these issues," says Dr Renu Adhikary, a human rights activist. Dr Adhikary said the WSF organisers were highly optimistic that the international debate that would happen here would help national and global networks to take their agendas ahead in the future and also put pressure on the world politicians to face moral obligations to take affirmative actions. 

WSF has been organised as an open space and platforms since 2001 for the convergence of a diverse range of participants, including social movements, labourers, farmers, civil society groups, marginalised communities, and those affected by neoliberal capitalism and privatisation. The WSF forum aims to create reflective thinking, deliberate democratic debate of ideas, formulate proposals, a free exchange of experiences and interlink for effective actions. In 2001, the first WSF was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with the vision “Another World Is Possible”. In 2024, it is happening in Nepal with the theme of “Another World Now”. Since 2001 WSF has been held in different places around the world, including Caracas, Venezuela, Bamako, Mali, Karachi, Nairobi, Belem, Dakar, Tunis, Montreal, Salvador, Mumbai and now in Nepal. In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic WSF was a virtual event. 

In collaboration with the Asia Pacific Social Forum – Facilitation Committee (APSF-FC) and the International Council (WSF-IC) the Nepal Organising Committee (NOC) is hosting this year’s WSF in the Kathmandu valley with an expectation of hosting 30,000 international and Nepali delegations. The major events are to be held in the open space of Brikuti Mandap while places like the Rastra Sabha Griha, Ratna Rajya Campus, St Xaviers College, Nepal Tourism Board and Balmiki Campus, among others, will be holding different sessions and events. 

Therefore, during this period, people arriving from all over the world and from within Nepal will be meeting, discussing and raising issues to attract the attention to the injustices faced by people all over the world. The local civil society organisations within Nepal are collaborating with such organisations all over the world to host various sessions on thematic areas ranging from how to combat hate speech in the digital age which is one of the latest form of atrocities that the world is facing today to raising issues of the Dalit, which has been raised as a crime against humans since centuries. 

The brochure of the WSF 2024 states that the people of the planet are currently facing an unprecedented environmental crisis coupled with rising inequalities, widespread food insecurities, majoritarian violence, after-effects of the last pandemic and the threat of a future one, together with the escalating tensions between major powers. They stress on the fact that humanity is on the brink of multifaceted calamities, leading to the destruction of its own survival. The WSF 2024 aims to foster the ideals of the new world order that rests upon sustainability, dignity, co-existence, equality, and equity by pledging that “Another World is Possible”. 

Convergence of opinions

The opening ceremony is to commence with a solidarity march, culminating at the Bhrikuti Mandap on 15th. Parallel sessions will be held throughout 16-18th when networking and alliance building are done. On the 19th, the last day, there will be convergence of opinions where statements will be issued for future work and activities.  During this event, an International Youth Forum and Camp will be organised on 17-19th February. Around 300 youths from all over the world are expected to come and raise their voices on different topics mentioned above.

Similarly, the World Feminist Forum (WFF) is being held. “About 30 Nepali organisations with seven to eight international networks are taking the lead in organising the WFF during the WSF. We are aiming to alert the world leaders on important matters that are being neglected,” said Dr Adhikary, one of the organisers of WFF. Freedom of press and expression of opinion are the key agendas of the WSF. Nepal is indeed seen as a place where our political leaders are accessible to the people and our press is also relatively free, especially when compared to both our neighbours India and China. February is the time for Nepal to welcome guests from all over the world to raise voices in unison in order to move the world towards a free, fair and equitable place where all can live with dignity. 

(Sharma is a senior journalist and women rights advocate namrata1964@yahoo.com Twitter handle: @NamrataSharmaP)