Polycentric World Social Forum in Caracas and Bamako, january 2006

The International Alliance of Inhabitants in Caracas is promoting two activities:

• a seminar: Zero Evictions Campaign: towards global unity of social urban movements
• a seminar: Toward the Urban Popular University

The workshop organized at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, Caracas, on the third day of the VI World Social Forum for the International Alliance of Inhabitants, has allowed the work developed over the last two years on the Urban Popular University to be opened up to a large, varied audience.

The International Alliance of Inhabitants will be present in Bamako through the presence of the International Alliance of Inhabitants of Africa, who together with DAL (France) proposes a seminar entitled ‘Poverty and the right to housing’. Movements from Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other African nations will participate in the seminar.

The Alliance of Independent Publishers, an IAI partner, announce the publication of the book “100 proposals from the World Social Forum”. This book enhances the proposals, which were discussed and posted on the Proposals Wall at the FSM 2005 at Porto Alegre. It was published simulteaously in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French through a network of 23 publishers.
The book was not only inspired by the varied and interesting proposals made by the participants during the last forum, but also by the “memoria viva” project (Social Forums’ Living Memory).
The book will be available at the Forums of Caracas, Bamako and at The Preparatory Assembly of the Magreby Social Forum at Bouznika in Morocco.

You could also download the book clicking here

During the first day, after the inauguration and the conference “The FAL in a new development phase: a network of resistance and alternatives for local authorities faced with neoliberal globalisation” (Yves Cabannes is amongst the rapporteurs), there will be the following work groups:

• Social Inclusion
• Peripheral cities (Cesare Ottolini is one of the rapporteurs)
• Human Rights in the City
• Decentralised Co-operation and Citizenship
• A culture of peace and reforms of International Institutions
• Participative Democracy: a challenge for “another world is possible”

The work of the work groups will be presented in Plenary session together with an analysis prepared by the Social Inclusion and Participative Democracy Commission of the UCLG on the Millennium Goals: the role of local authorities and communication with civil society.