On the World Social Forum – Tunisia, March 26-30

by nathan thanki The dust having finally settled following the first ever World Social Forum in the Arab world, which took place at El Manar University in Tunis from March 26-30, we must ask ourselves some tough questions about the future of the Forum. The event was highly anticipated, with many activists from a variety of social movements being drawn to and intrigued by post-revolution Tunisia,...

Brazilian fractals

by Maria Alejandra Escalante “I also take it as granted that every created thing, and consequently the created monad also, is subject to change, and indeed that this change is continual in each one. Gottfried Leibniz    Listening to political conversations about the past, the present and the future of Rio+20 has been a daily ingredient of my life since I first jumped into the...

United by Frustration

By Nimisha Bastedo Throughout the entire Rio process, it seemed as though divisions within and between the different sectors of civil society were too wide to bridge. Attempts to create a major group common statement continued to fail. The most radical youth clashed with those who pushed for smaller ‘victories’ within the same old framework. Sofia Garcia, organizing partner (OP) for...

The Common African Position

by Samuli Sinisalo By the end of the week, we will know what Durban will deliver. Durban is an African COP, and Africa will have a key role in determining the outcome. A united Africa is a strong force in the negotiations, as the rest of the developing world is likely not to challenge them. What is good for Africa, is good for the developing world. In September the African Ministerial conference...