edited by
William F Fisher and
Thomas Ponniah
Clark University

with a Foreword by
Michael Hardt and
Toni Negri,
and articles by
Vandana Shiva,
Walden Bello
and others

HARDCOVER:
ISBN 1 84277 328 3
$59.95 US

PAPERBACK:
ISBN 184277 329 1
$19.95 US

This book grew out of our shared interest in and commitment to the approaches of contemporary social movements to alternative visions of globalization. Our plans for the book emerged directly out of discussions around the methodological and theoretical challenges of studying global social movements. We wrestled with the questions of how to discuss, analyze and express the participatory character and multiple voices of large translocal movements, and how to choose case studies appropriate to informing an overall theory of social change in an era of globalization. We considered numerous cases including the Zapatistas, the new innovations in Cuba, and the Narmada Movement, but we discarded each for one reason or the other.

The impetus to focus on the World Social Forum (WSF) initially arose from discussions Thomas had with the great anti-apartheid activist and poet, Dennis Brutus who stayed in Worcester in the autumn of 2000 prior to taking up a visiting teaching post at Worcester State University. As we discussed Dennis' ideas and his account of the World Social Forum it became clear to us that the World Social Forum presented a challenging and exciting opportunity for the combination of research and political engagement that we valued.

As described by Dennis, the World Social Forum was an attempt to bring together radicals from all over the world to renew the process of envisioning another world. This process had been interrupted by the opening created for the right wing in the wake of the collapse of Soviet communism. But true to historical form, the imperial system's inherently exploitative nature, the self-destructiveness of the political-economic elite and the creativity of political activists, had once again established the conditions for a new counter-hegemonic vision to be built. The impossible was suddenly starting to look possible.

Neither of us was able to go to the first Forum but we followed it closely. When it ended we looked forward to the release of a publication from the Forum, outlining what had been proposed, discussed, agreed and critiqued. Unfortunately no English compilation appeared. Later, preparing to go the next WSF to initiate his doctoral research, Thomas proposed that we edit a book of the key documents that would be discussed at the second Forum. We agreed from the start that all the profits from such a book should go towards organizing future Forums.

On January 10, 2001, Thomas arrived in Porto Alegre and worked with the WSF Secretariat for that first month. In late February he officially proposed the book project to the WSF Organizing Committee. The Committee encouraged us to do the book: they promised to provide English translations of all the documents and they assigned two Committee members to provide any help that we needed. They also clarified that we could not speak in the name of the Forum, the Organizing Committee or the International Council. Any analysis of the documents that we wrote would be strictly our responsibility.

Over the months of the internship Thomas had the privilege of listening and dialoguing with a number of the activists and intellectuals involved in the Organizing Committee and the International Council. He circulated summaries and analyses to them and received many insightful clarifications, comments and critical questions. He also had the opportunity to listen in on many of the debates that took place within the International Council. In solidarity, we dedicate this book to a more just, democratic and sustainable world and to the Organizing Committee, the International Council, and activists like Dennis Brutus, who aspire to it.

-- William F. Fisher and Thomas Ponniah