More than 80 persons representing about 50 organizations and social movements, as well as supporting organizations, met Saturday 29agosto2015, in the House of Porto Alegre Councils to discuss the issues, axes and fights that will be part of the WSF Porto Alegre 15 years, to be held from 19 to 23 January 2016, in Porto Alegre.

The priority agenda was the analysis of the international and national situation in order to define the core issues for the realization of the convergence activities, a space dedicated to coordination of various social struggles and movements of the Latin American continent and the world. To trigger debate, Raul Pont, Mayor of Porto Alegre when the first edition of the WSF occurred in 2001, attended, as well as Socorro Gomes, the International President of Cenbrapaz, and representatives of the organizations that make up the International Council of the WSF, Zuleika Goulart, representative of the Sustainable Cities Network, Liege Rock, from the Brazilian Union of Women, Rita Freire World Forum of Free Media and Organizations to Support the Palestinian People, and Mayra Vannuchi of Abong.

From a dynamic and participatory method, after the presentation of guests a round of statements was held by representatives of various organizations and networks of the present movements. The main issues were about the debate the so-called global economic crisis and the role of control mechanisms of national states by large economic corporations, the issue of migration in Europe and Latin America, linked to slavery and labor xenophobia, the issues concerning the social struggles for the liberation of black people, the struggle for securing the rights to equality at all levels of life and the power of women, urban themes, especially the struggle for urban reform, environmental issues, articulating with the struggles of indigenous peoples, indigenous and maroon, and generational issues, particularly the need for strong agendas to discuss issues related to youth and the elderly.

The biggest challenge explained is the need to build a methodology capable of overcoming the dynamics of previous social forums where, although the speech of unity and integration of the proposals and agendas was played by all organizations, in practice, during the event, every movement and organization takes care of its specific objectives.

Tradução – Ethon Fonseca – Instituto Parrhesia