Global Democracy and the World Social Forums

by Jackie Smith

"Davos" has become synonymous with everything bad about globalization-capitalist imperialism, elitism, secrecy, and antidemocratic operations. Dating from the first confrontations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2001, the World Social Forum has become the largest political gathering in human history and offers a direct challenge to the extreme inequities of corporate-led globalization. The forums are an experiment in global and participatory democracy, bringing together networks, organizations, and activists from around the world to create visions of a just and liberated global society. This book is itself an experiment in collaboration among twelve leading scholars, all of whom have participated in World Social Forums around the globe. Recounting dozens of dramatic firsthand experiences from their attendance, these authors draw on their knowledge of global politics to introduce the World Social Forum process, explain its foundations, and discuss its relevance to ongoing transnational efforts toward freedom, peace, and democracy. In keeping with the spirit of the World Social Forums and the collaborative authorship of the book, royalties will be donated to Grassroots Global Justice. This is the first book we know of on the World Social Forum process that specifically addresses a nonspecialist U.S. audience Many of the book's authors are well-known experts in the fields this book addresses The book's multiple authors have participated in all of the World Social Forums and in many regional and local ones, offering a unique approach to analyzing this major global phenomenon The World Social Forum is the most happening event on the planet and Americans are just starting to learn about it This is a perfect handbook for those interested in social activism in the contemporary world Leading scholars wrote this book for a general readership including activists and students to alert them to the World Social Forum, currently the most significant global political event

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

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Jackie Smith is professor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the editor of the Journal of World-Systems Research and author or coeditor of a number of works on social movements and globalization, including Social Movements in the World-System.