1. World Social Forum 2024 (WSF)

In the year 2000, in the background of the massive mobilisations against the impact of neo-liberal globalisation, there was an urgent need to discuss alternatives to neo-liberal development, felt by social movements, community campaigns, trade unions, youth organizations, academia and others. The first WSF was organised in Porto Alegre, Brazil dates as the World Economic Forum met in Davos, Switzerland to talk about how neoliberal globalisation could be strengthened further to support capitalist interests.

The idea of the World Social Forum (WSF) is to create a counter-hegemonic process, in an open space, for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and strategies and to build alternatives and the organisation and resistance of the people. The WSF space consists of people's movements and civil society organizations across the world who are opposed to neo-liberal globalization, climate injustice, patriarchy, casteism, racism, and war and who are fighting for justice, peace, equity and protection of natural resources and the planet.

Since its inception, the WSF has been an immense unifying force under the popular banner of ‘Another World is Possible’. WSF provides an ‘open space’ for people to reflect on democratic ideas, formulate proposals, freely exchange experiences, and build alliances for effective action. This space isgoverned by a charter of principles https://www.asiasocialforum.net/wsf-principles and its facilitating bodies are International Council (IC), Regional Forums such as the Asia Pacific Social Forum Facilitation Committee (APSF- FC), and National Organizing Committee (NOC) focusing on WSF 2024.

After an online APSF event in February 2022, the meeting of APSF-FC in August 2022 decided to organize a meeting in January 2023 in Kathmandu, Nepal to explore the possibility of organizing the WSF 2024 in Nepal. The meeting of the International Council held on March 16, 2023, decided to hold the 16th edition of the WSF in the city of Kathmandu, Nepal in 2024, and confirmed the dates as February 15th-19th, 2024 with various associated events such as an Intercontinental Youth Forum (to be held on 13-14 February) and Parliamentary Forum among others.

2. Structure of WSF 2024 Organizing Process

Linking to the world scale WSF and APSF regional processes respectively facilitated by (International Council and the Asia Pacific Social Forum Facilitation Committee), Nepal General Council, Nepal Organizing Committee, and sub-committees have been formed. There are various sub- committees working under the NOC for the preparatory activities.

3. Proposed Themes and Programs Details

              Proposed Themes:

 The following umbrella themes are proposed for the registration of events in the WSF 2024. But themes of WSF 2024 are not limited to only this list. All are encouraged to register events either under these broad themes or any themes which any participating organisation wishes to create. The 12 themes listed below will feature as some broad major thematic areas:

1.  Inequality and Economic Justice  

2.  Labour, Migration, Modern Slavery and Trafficking

3.  Caste, Race, Ethnicity, Untouchability, Xenophobia, and All forms of Discrimination

4.  Gender, Sexuality, and Identities

5.  Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Natural Resources 

6.  Peace, Conflict, War, Occupations, Displacements, and Security

7.  Education and Culture 

8.  Communication, Social Networks, and Media

9.  Democracy, Human Rights, Authoritarianism, Law, and Justice

10. Social Security, Protection and Equity

11. Climate, Ecology, Just Transitions, Habitat, and Sustainable Development

12. Child, Youth, Women, Aging people and Persons with Disabilities

13. Social Movements and the Future of the World Social Forum

14. Any other not mentioned above

Proposed Programs:

The WSF will take place from the 15th to 19th of February 2024, in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. An Intercontinental Youth Forum will be organised on the 13^th and 14^th of February in Nepal Academy Hall, Kamaladi.

The Parliamentary Forum dates will be announced soon.

The opening ceremony will take place on the 15th of February at the Dasharath Stadium, Kathmandu. The thematic assemblies and all other self-organized activities will be held on 16 -18 February 2024. The days will start with several parallel assemblies (four or more that would be self- organized or organized by NOC), followed by self-organized activities/sessions/slots (up to 300 in parallel in a day), and end with public lectures and cultural programs. The Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Center will host major public activities and exhibitions with a capacity of up to 50,000 participants.

There will be around 900-1000 self-organized activities and assemblies throughout the forum. 100 parallel sessions will be held in multiple locations which are close to the main venue and within walking distance such as Ratna Rajya Campus, Nepal Law Campus, Balmiki Campus, and Padma Kanya Campus.

6.  PROGRAM SCHEDULE OF WSF 2024

The majority of international visitors to Nepal can use air passage to enter Nepal. The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is the major gateway to entering Nepal via air. Kathmandu is connected to major international hubs in Asia by 27 international airlines; two of them are Nepali international air carriers. New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Varanasi, Dhaka, Colombo, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Muscat, Kuwait etc., are the major cities directly connected to Kathmandu by air. Hence, traveling to and from the country is not difficult.

https://www.nepalairlines.com.np/

The Government of Nepal has made obtaining visas easier for international visitors. Most visitors can now obtain visas upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, or at other entry points around the country excepting for some nationals.

https://www.immigration.gov.np/page/visa-on-arrival

There are more than three hundred hotels, resorts, and guesthouses under the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN). [https://www.hotelassociation.org.np/].

There are over two thousand medium-sized hotels associated with Hotel Enterprises (Small and Medium Hotel Enterprise Blocks in Kathmandu- Sundhara, Bagbajar, Gangabu, Balaju, Sinamangal (Airport area), Koteshwor, Kalankki, Thamel, Gaushala, and Tripureshwor). There are also homestays, Dharamshala, and B&B facilities available around the

The Nepal Organising Committee and over a hundred organisations and networks in Nepal welcome people’s movements from all over the world to come and participate in the Forum. Registration will open soon, but you can visit our website for information. You may contact us with your queries.