About
WSF Nepal 2024 Call
JOIN the WSF 2024!
The World Social Forum is coming to Asia after 20 years!
Kathmandu, Nepal will host WSF 2024 from Feb 15th to 19th!!
Program:
Feb 13th and 14th : Intercontinental Youth Forum nearby Kathmandu
Feb 15th: Opening March and Inauguration of the WSF 2024 at Dasharath Stadium
Feb 16-18th : Parallel self-organized seminars and meetings at Bhrikuti Mandap and nearby venues
Feb 19th : Closing events at Bhrikuti Mandap
The main venue of the WSF Nepal 2024 is Bhrikuti Mandap
The Inaugural Function will be in Dasharath Stadium
To participate in this historic gathering, people’s movements, unions, networks, NGOs of all kinds are mobilizing from across the world, to come to the Forum in Kathmandu, to debate strategies and approaches, share information and experiences, build solidarities and their reach across the globe, across sectors.
What is the Forum?
Started in 2001, the World Social Forum proved to be a visible manifestation of global civil society, bringing together non-governmental organisations, advocacy campaigns, and formal and informal social movements seeking international solidarity. The Forum defines itself as "an open space – plural, diverse, non-governmental and non-partisan – that stimulates the decentralized debate, reflection, proposals building, experiences exchange and alliances among movements and organizations engaged in concrete actions towards a more solidarity, democratic and fair world....a permanent space and process to build alternatives to neoliberalism." In the process, it has also spawned a number of regional Fora built on the common WSF principles.
WSF held in Mumbai in 2004, was a huge success with massive participation of people and movements. Over the past two years, there has been a revival of the World Social Forum process in Asia. Over 200 organisations from across the Asia Pacific region participated in the online Asia Pacific Social Forum during 18-20 February 2022 with just two months of process and preparation. This clearly demonstrated the felt need for networking and solidarity in the region and the possibility of reviving and renewing the social forum process in the region. From this enthusiasm the new process of the Asia Pacific Social Forum (APSF) was born.
Last year, the APSF Facilitation Committee collectively decided to propose organising WSF 2024 in Nepal. The IC supported the proposal and a broad process of mobilisation, inclusion, logistical preparations began in Nepal and in many countries in Asia. The WSF 2024 will also celebrate the peoples struggles to build a new Nepal.
The WSF 2024 in Nepal: After the end of the decade-long political conflict in November 2006, Nepal built a dynamic democratic process leading to the political transformation by embracing the principle of secularism and adopting republicanism. With the promulgation of the new Constitution on September 20, 2015, Nepal embarked on the path towards federalism defining Nepal as a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multicultural country. The Constitution ensures freedom of opinion and expression; freedom to assemble peacefully; and freedom to form political parties. Fundamental rights are guaranteed and as are the right to autonomy and self-rule, while maintaining freedom, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity, and independence. Nepal was therefore the venue that was chosen by the APSF Facilitation Committee to host the WSF 2024 in Asia.
The solidarities of South Asia, Asia, and global are critical to the change we are fighting for -building peace, security, democracy, equity, and justice. The recent onslaught of the right-wing, anti-democratic, and fundamentalist forces threaten the very fabric of our societies, yet they are succeeding in winning support amongst some sections of the people, they are winning elections, forming governments which go on to stifle dissent, generate hatred and divisions, using nationalism, religion, and insecurities of all kinds.
National processes have begun in India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea. A significant cross-section of global society is expected to come from all continents- from Latin America, Canada, Europe and Africa.
The broad thematic areas in the WSF 2024 are the following: (but not restricted to these)
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
The website will display accommodation options, and other useful information for participants.
https://wsf2024nepal.org/individual/aboutus/99
Registration:
- Registration/entry fee for South Asia (individual) Rs 200
- Abroad individuals USD 10
- Event organizers USD 25 per event
- Food stall
- Normal stall
