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Public Minutes from  June  2023 Meeting 

Asia Pacific Social Forum –Facilitation Committee Meeting

6-8 June 2023

14 October 1973 Memorial, Bangkok, Thailand

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The Asia Pacific Social Forum Facilitation Committee (APSF-FC) meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 6 and 8 2023. The agendas of the meeting were as follows: 

  1. Updates on Nepal's preparations for the World Social Forum-2024 in Kathmandu.

  2. APSF process for WSF 2024, national processes, the structure of APSF, future process.

  3. IC meeting (7 June), and APSF visibility in IC.

 

Updates on Nepal's preparation for World Social Forum 2024

There were 36 participants including the members of Nepal Organizing Committee (NOC) from Nepal, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Palestine and France attended the meeting. NOC reported on Nepal's preparations for WSF 2024. The presentation also included the action plan with the month-wise activities to be accomplished till February 2024.

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Major Discussions and Decisions:

  1. The meeting discussed the Program and Methodologies focusing on the plan for the opening and closing ceremonies, thematic plenaries and parallel sessions, intercontinental youth forum etc. It was agreed on 8th June to continue these discussions in the Methdology Commitee

  2. There were discussions and agreements about the following list 12 umbrella themes for welcoming activities in WSF2024 space - Some participants  volunteered for describing in 200 words those  themes-by 12th june - further task being taken in the APSF  methodology committee  that the following themes should be added to the existing list of the themes of WSF. 

  3. ​

  • Debt, Tax, Finance, Inequality, and Economic Justice  

  • Labour, Migration, and Trafficking 

  • Caste, Race, Ethnicity,  Untouchability, Xenophobia and All forms of Discrimination

  • Gender, Sexuality, and Identities 

  • Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Natural Resources 

  • Peace, Conflict, War, Occupations, Displacements, and Security 

  • Education and Culture 

  • Communication, Social Networks and Media 

  • Democracy, Human Rights, Authoritarianism, Law and Justice 

  • Social Security, Protection and Equity, Persons with Disability 

  • Climate, Ecology, Just Transitions, Habitat and  Sustainable Development 

  • Social Movements and Future of World Social Forum 

  • OthersAny other, (that can be one ticked option if the umbrella themes are not deemed relevant see comment not covered above 

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3. Resource mobilization- Full proposal of the budget required for WSF 2024's core function was presented in the meeting. It is about 50 million Nepali Rupees (0.4 million USD) for the core function of the WSF 2024. Out of this budget-  from that budget, NOC has booked the venue for WSF and made payment as advance from the budget available from Oxfam Asia Platform. BftW's budget can only be used by February 2024. 

 

There were discussions and agreements that all the members of NOC and APSF-FC have to take responsibility to raise funds for the WSF. We should approach many organizations requesting the contribution of a small amount for the WS.

 

4. There were discussions on the guests to be invited as speakers in the opening and closing ceremonies and plenaries. Some of the potential names are approached : 

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5. There were suggestions that opening and closing ceremonies should be done by the NOC, and the assemblies and parallel sessions are self-organized by the participating organizations. However, there are also some suggestions on how the thematic plenaries are organized by the thematic groups that will be confirmed once the registration of the events begins. Both collective participation in the opening and closing ceremonies will be ensured even if the NOC will coordinate the opening and closing.   

There was an option briefly presented of WSF2024 closing taking the format of a Square for action related statements/initiatives. which comes as “final moment of WSF2024” (after a report session  by the various assembly organizers of various assemblies  and before a final noc address and cultural closing). 

It was agreed on 8th june that Discussion on the WSF2024 macro program  and options  about assemblies and final moment will take place in the APSF methodology committee , and also in Noc  methodology committee.

 

6.  There were discussions and agreements that there should be a communication and mobilization committee be urgently formed at Nepal Secretariat to start sending out the invitation, and letters, and make formal communication to different groups globally. There were also suggestions that some of the members of the mobilization committee be included from APSF-FC. 

 

7. Translation facilities should be available in English, Nepali, Hindi, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese etc. 

 

8. Registration can be done both online and physically for participation.

 

9. Regarding the provision of live video of activities during the event NOC expressed intention, which was not put to discussion in the meeting  , is that  Only the opening and closing sessions will be covered online, thematic plenaries and parallel sessions will be only physical (this will be finalized later by the core team). There was no time given either  to discuss the “perimeters  of WSF2024 event”,  As an input for  awareness about this discussion  to come later,  the following  image was displayed and quickly commented  “ How the WSF2024 event would be accessible or not  timewise from the various part of the world “ see  https://www.asiasocialforum.net/wsf2024-perimeter

 

10. Need to raise separate resources for the public/group accommodation such as Dharmasala and public guest houses etc. 

 

11. Registration fee- the meeting has decided to collect the registration fee as follows:

  1. Registration/entry fee for South Asia (individual)  Rs 200

  2. Abroad individuals USD 10

  3. Organization Participation (giving right to organizing one activity) USD 25 

  4. Food stall

  5. Normal stall 

 

12. APSF Structure

  • Invite applications from the organizations formally for APSF membership

  • There must be some criteria to be a member of APSF- organizational representation, willingness to and capacity to contribute, voluntarily delivering the task assigned or responsibility provided. 

  • APSF Organizing Committee to support WSF 2024 Nepal process has been formed

 

From Asia, right now there is only one person in the IC secretariat, so the meeting discussed that there should be one more person from Asia into represent the IC secretariat. 

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13. Secretariat of APSF

There were discussions on the possible places for the APSF secretariat as follows (One of the places): Nepal, India, and an ASEAN country for satellite.

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14. National Processes Reporting:

i) The  WSF India process is going on and there were a few meetings already organized. There was some consensus such as the Nepal process should be supported and more mobilization should be organized in India. India has formed the WSF india Working Group.

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There was a discussion that People's 20 should also be part of the WSF process and India WSF process should work with the P20 process in India.

Some Organizations  participating  in The WSF India process will be participating in the People's 20 Summit to be held on 27-28 July 2023 in Delhi.

ii) Palestine In Arabic countries- Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Jerusalem, National processes towards WSF 2024 are being initiated.

iii) Pakistan-- To support WSF 2024 in Nepal, India needs to mobilize. And it is good that India's process is moving excellently. Pakistan organized the Pakistan Social Forum Process in March 2023 and participation was very encouraging. An unprecedented number of participation was observed.

iv) Sri Lanka- will coordinate WSF Sri Lanka process. Invite one person from Nepal to develop connection introduce with WSF2024 NOC in the Sri Lanka process.

v) Thailand-  APSF secretariat should facilitate the country process to receive the information about WSF- Nepal secretariat should also reach out to ASEAN countries.

vi) Philippines- Some organizations are already informed by MFA Philippines. MFA will coordinate South Asia and South East Asia with its member organizations and other networks.

vi) Malaysia- Need to organize national consultation on WSF. MFA- A briefing session about WSF is needed. For Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Lao, and Singapore- we need to have a mobilization strategy and MFA could facilitate this process in collaboration with APSF and Nepal Organizing Committee.

vii)  could facilitate the WSF process in Central Asia- Tajikistan, Kazakhstan etc. 

viii) Japan also is planning to have a national consultation.

ix) Nepal presented its preparatory process in detail. 

x) There was a discussion on the participation of China in WSF 2024 Nepal. There are some organizations and individuals in China who participated in the past in WSF to whom we have to reach.

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15. A rather solemn address was made  to APSF FC by  NOC. NOC takes up the challenge of  organizing an event WSF2024 and it is to develop participation in WSF as a continuous vivid intercommunication process across the world in Asia..

 

Youth Intercontinental Forum- (13-14 February 2024) 

Criteria- 

  • Open space for all youth who want to participate 

  • Make a public call for the participation

Suggestions:

  • Themes should focus on the youth issue. How to make Intercontinental? How do you include the youth from another continent in organizing the committee and make it really intercontinental?

  • Social activists should also be invited.

  • Youth Forums should be more open and should be a part of larger social movements.

  • Cultural program is needed. How do we bring the youths in the movements?  If you make an open call- many more people will come.

  • Youth forum need to connect the forum with WSF- during opening, closing and other sessions- to make them understand the politics of WSF?

  • Safety issues are also taken into consideration. Schools and government support are important for amenities- accommodation, tents etc. Government support is also a possibility to receive.

  • Websites need to be linked with the intercontinental youth forum?

  • What is the physical condition for the youth to participate in the WSF- opening, assemblies, parallel sessions, etc? Where do they keep their bags and where do they stay during the WSF?

  • The registration for WSF is separate and for participating in WSF the participants of the Youth Forum should be asked to make a separate registration if they are interested to attend. But the registration fee will be collected in the youth forum. 

  • Besides this  IYF forum on  13 and 14  february  , a suggestion was made  that there  could be a“ WSF2024 youth accommodation space”,provided by NOC where youth can get free of very cheap accommodation (camp bed  and bring your sleeping bag etc taking into account that temperature at night might be 5 °C)

 

Parliamentary Forum

  • Arjun and Ashok will coordinate with other countries and Suresh will support 

  • A team will be formed for organizing the parliamentary forum

 

Social Justice: Issue of Caste/Racial Discrimination

The Nepal team presented the plan of social justice themes that the Dalit Rights groups have developed.  They also presented a further plan for the mobilization of the social movements struggling to end the caste system, untouchability, and racism in our society. 

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APSF Support Mechanism

Four Committee formed:

Methodology- 

Communication-  

Resource- 

Mobilization -

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Resource Mobilization:

  • Small amount also needs to be raised from various organizations (crowdfunding), rather than waiting for a response from a few organizations.

  • The resource committee should map out the potential partners for contributing to APSF. 

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Communication:

  • Nepal Organising Committee will nominate two names i) 1 for APSF ii) 1 for IC.

  • We also need a budget for APSF. In the IC meeting 7th june  13000 email base has been announced by Hamouda data from Tunis 2013-15  We cshould also have accessdata for communication reaching out to 12,000 people who were engaged in WSF from 2021 through interactions in the WSF process platform.i-é people having created account in https://join.wsforum.net

  • APSF communication committee should support the Nepal Organizing Committee (Nepal communication team) reaching out to the database- email and contact details. APSF also should think beyond the Nepal process.

  • NOC should have four levels of communication- National General Council, NOC, Sub-Committees, Individual levels, and regional and global levels. Public communication is important.

  • Nepal Organizing Committee should directly communicate with the IC( (both are facilitating WSF process towards and in WSF2024 event).

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