aut-op-sy message, [AUT] Melbourne Social Forum-update.

A World Without Violence.

1) Melbourne Social Forum organising meeting June 15th @ Glitch

2) World Social Forum - Bulletin June 3rd, 2005

Please read on....

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1) Melbourne Social Forum Update

Some big decisions are coming up regarding the next Melbourne Social
Forum and all of you are invited to participate in the process. At the next
organising meeting we must finalise the information needed to make
posters for the event. This includes deciding on:

* the theme
* the dates
* several major speakers (this includes the first major budgetary
decision*more comprehensive budget proposals will be discussed and
hopefully decided on at the following meeting June 29th)

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 15th at 6:30pm at Glitch
Bar & Cinema, 318 St. Georges Rd, N. Fitzroy. If you wish to participate in
the decision-making process please make yourself present. Alternatively,
if you are unable to attend the meeting you may e-mail your input on the
above topics to m.rodrigues@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx before 12pm on
Wed. June 15th, and it will be read out at the meeting. (Please write
"Melbourne Social Forum Input" in the subject heading.)

In the last month a good deal of discussion and groundwork has gone
into preparing for the final stages of decision-making. Please read the
information below to update yourself on the discussion thus far.

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The Theme

The more input we collect for this decision, the better! Several
brainstorming sessions have been held to find key words/phrases that
should be included in this year's theme, but it was decided at the last
meeting that more inspiration is called for. In fact, we are so eager for
input that we're offering a reward of ONE FREE TICKET for the Melbourne
Social Forum to the person who thinks up the theme!

One suggestion for coming up with ideas is to ask the questions "What
needs to happen in the world today? What are the biggest problems and
solutions? What do you hope the Forum will add to/provide for the
community?" It has come up at several meetings that a positive wording
is preferred over negative (ie. Finding Alternatives to G-8 Globalisation" is
preferred over "Fighting Neo-Liberalism"). It is also important that the
theme is broad and inclusive (ie. "Let's End the War in Iraq" is too
specific).

Some of the phrases and themes that have been suggested so far
include:
- Greed-Based World, Need-Based Futures
- Creating a World For People
- An Open Space for Cooperation
- Taking Steps Forward
- Participatory Democracy and Dialogue
- Our World is At a Crossroads*Where Do We Want To Take It? (this is
the theme for this year's Syndey Social Forum)

MORE SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!! Get your creative juices flowing, start
playing with words and send your input to
m.rodrigues@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

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The Dates

It has already been decided that the best time (according to weather, time
of year and the availability of CERES) is the weekend of November
18-20th. The questions that need to be decided on are the following:
- Should the forum last for one or two days?
- Should there be an event the night before the first day of the forum with
one or two key note speakers? (it has been discussed that having such
an event somewhere in the CBD would allow for a festive opening march
to the venue to increase the forum's visibility)

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The Speakers

The question of speakers is a critical one because it includes the
question of how much money we are willing to spend on this aspect of the
forum. While including international speakers will be pricey, it may also
lead to higher attendance. Some speakers that have been suggested so
far are:
- Susan George
- Greg Palast
- Murandoo Yanner
- John Pilger
- Steve Mayne
- Clive Hamilton
- Julian Burnside
- Val Plumwood

If you wish to add a speaker to the list of suggestions to be decided on at
the next meeting, you will have to contact the speaker to
* Invite him or her to participate in the Melbourne Social Forum as a
speaker
* Find out if he or she is available on the weekend in question (November
18-20th)
* Ask what costs he or she requires (airfare, accommodation, speaking
fee, etc)

In order for us to consider your suggestion you must have confirmed
his/her willingness, availability and a detailed account of the costs
required.

ALSO: The possibility of sharing speaker costs with other organizations
interested in hearing that person speak has been discussed as a
favourable option. If there is an expensive speaker that you would like to
suggest, and know of an organization that might be interested in sharing
costs, go ahead and research that option in time for the next meeting.

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2) World Social Forum - Bulletin June 3rd, 2005

                  Consultation meeting discuss WSF 2006 polycentric in Asia
                  Groups and movements from Asian countries will meet together
on next June, 4-5, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to start off a process of discussion
about a polycentric Asia Continental Forum and to decide as early as possible on
the location and dates of the Forum. The meeting will also discuss the formation
of a WSF Asia-Pacific Platform.

                  The initiative is following the spirit of the decision taken
at Porto Alegre by the WSF International Council (IC) of organizing WSF 2006 in
a decentralised fashion. That would be carried out by organizing Polycentric
Forum in different regions in 2006, with a shared purpose and methodology while
retaining regional specificities and concerns. This decision of holding
polycentric WSF in 2006 was further discussed on the last IC meeting, held in
Utrecht, Netherlands, in the end of March.

                  At present, there is a proposal to organise such Polycentric
Forums in Venezuela and another in Morocco. So far, there is no firm decision as
yet from any group or network in Asia regarding such a Forum in Asian but
proposals from Pakistani and Indian groups were presented. The meeting will be a
moment to discuss the proposals for the 2006 Forum in Asia and the South Asian
Forum as well as an opportunity to other groups/movements in other Asian
countries that may also want to organise a regional or Continental Forum in
their respective countries as part of the Polycentric Forum of 2006.

                  The Asian consultation meeting will happen right before the
WTO strategy meeting, which will be held on June, 6-7, also in Colombo, to build
a collective strategy to counter the ongoing negotiations in the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) and the 6th WTO Ministerial Meeting.

                  For further information on the WSF process in Asia write to:
wsfindia@xxxxxxxx

                  Take part in the thematic consultation for the polycentric WSF
2006 - Americas venue
                  The Americas Hemispherical Council's (HC) Working Group on
Methodology and Contents has launched a thematic consultation on the 6th
Polycentric World Social Forum - Americas and the 2nd Americas Social Forum,
which will take place from January 25th to 29th, in Caracas, Venezuela.

                  All the organizations, networks and social movements involved
with the WSF can participate in the consultation until June 30th 2005. The aim
is to identify which themes, struggles and challenges the actors who are engaged
on WSF process think that should be discussed during the WSF 2006 - Americas
venue. This initiative follows the example of WSF 2005 preparation and, also,
the WSF International Council's definitions made during its last meeting, which
took place in March 2005, in Utrecht, Holland.

                  To take part in the consultation, you only need to fill the
form (click to download the file in PDF or RTF format) and send it by e-mail or
regular post.

                  The consultation is being released not only through the
internet. The idea is that all the organizations that do not have access to
internet are able to participate. So, the working group stimulates the
organizations that do have access to internet to help spreading the consultation
by printing the form and handing it in meetings and other collective activities.
A first consultation - done through written questionnaire - has already been
done with organizations and networks that participated in the 6th Hemispherical
Meeting against ALCA, which took place in Havana (from April 27th to May 1st),
Cuba, right after the HC meeting. The proposal is to do the same thing in other
events for mobilization against neoliberal globalization.

                  Here are the addresses to which the form has to be sent:

                  E-mail:
                  fsmcaracas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                  consejo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

                  Address:
                  FSA - Secretaria Operativa
                  Baquerizo 166 y Tamayo
                  Quito, Equador

Leon Zembekis