Report from the Asian Social Forum, 2-7 January, Hyderabad, India

Asia Social Forum pledges to resist globalisation and imperialism.

The Asia Social Forum (ASF) concluded as a major success on 7 January 2003, not only with the strong participation of all the countries from Asia but also in solidarity building and forming new leaderships in the social movements that have begun the activity to resist militarism, globalisation and imperialism. A gathering of over 14,000 people reaffirmed their unfaltering commitment to make another world possible, as this is felt as an utmost necessity for the whole Asian region. Eminent economists, political thinkers and activists addressed the plenaries that were aimed at contributing to the analysis and the strategic thinking to the anti-globalisation struggle.

The Asian Social Forum, the first of its kind to be held in Asia from 2-7 January 2003, provided an open platform for debate and interaction among organisations and movements engaged in creating a democratic, socially just and sustainable world. The Forum held at the Nizam College Grounds in Hyderabad, India, comprised of eight conferences, "Peoples Voices" sessions, and over 300 parallel seminars and workshops, as well as daily parallel events such as the Youth Camp, Cultural Performances, Peoples Movements, and Another World Film Festival.

The ASF has given voice to the voiceless, ordinary people who are facing the onslaught of the capitalist and neo-liberal economic policies. The Forum aimed to synergise and strengthen the ongoing struggle against globalisation and imperialism, through social alternatives towards building an Asia that is genuinely democratic, socially just and sustainable. The path in accomplishing this lies in constructing a common Third World front, creating the conditions for a cooperation between the countries of the Global South and possibly with Europe as well.

ASF-India draws inspiration from the World Social Forum, an annual event held at Porto Alegre, Brazil, that has challenged the World Bank, IMF, and WTO. Add to this the Asian Development Bank and their terms that threaten the physical existence of millions in the Asian continent.

The World Social Forum III, to be held in Porto Alegre from January 23 to 28, 2003 is being organised by the WSF International Council, by way of its Secretariat which comprises eight Brazilian groups (ABONG, ATTAC, CBJP, ICVES, CUT, IBASE, Rede Social de Justica e Direitos Humanos and MST). These organisations also formed the Organising Committee responsible for the two previous editions of the WSF in Porto Alegre.

In the context of dozens of World Social Forums that are multiplying as autonomous initiatives the world over, the WSF International Council serves to monitor and interlink the Regional and Thematic Social Forums. Prior to the WSF III, two social forums were held in 2002: A thematic SF on the Argentina Crisis was held on 22-25 August in Buenos Aires, Europe Social Forum on 7-10 November in Florence, Italy. Also scheduled in 2003 are the Asia Social Forum on 2-7 January 2003 in Hyderabad, India, the II Pan-Amazon Thematic Social Forum on 16-19 January in Belem do Para, and the Palestine Thematic Social Forum, for which a date and venue have yet to be set.

For more information on the upcoming World Social Forum, visit http://www.wsfindia.org/. The Statement of the Asian social, Mass & peoples' Movements & Organisations is also available at this site.

Malen Ibanez, Isis International-Manila