Ten Thousand Things
Multicultural Webfinds

"Ten Thousand Things" is a Buddhist expression representing the dynamic interconnection and simultaneous unity and diversity of everything in the universe.

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE – World Social Forum 2008 in Asia & Tokyo-Arakawa on 1/26

The WORLD SOCIAL FORUM is inviting people involved in social movements and civil society worldwide to mobilize together the week of January 20-26. This year, thousands of events will be held simultaneously at local venues throughout the world.

In INDIA, women's groups are planning a conference and a march, and in Mumbai, a float parade is planned. In Maharashtra, indebted cotton farmers facing destitution and ruin and their supporters, will hold a a protest. Award-winning journalist Palagummi Sainath's "Maharashtra: 'Graveyard of Farmers'" has excellent detail and insights into a system of exploitation that has resulted in widespread suffering and tens of thousands of suicides in this corner of India which supplies much of the world's cotton for bed sheets and clothing.

In INDONESIA, farmer groups are responding to a call from Via Campesina, an international movement of peasants, small- and medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth and agricultural workers. The movement is characterized by diverse personalities and approaches, but is united in their shared goal to support a sustainable and fair world for all people. Notably, this year Henry Saragih, leader of the Indonesian Peasant's Union (SPI) was nominated by The Guardian as one of the "50 people that could save the planet.""

Photo: Henry Saragih

In PAKISTAN, the Pakistan Social Forum has planned an entire week of events, messages and mobilization from January 19-26th.

In the PHILIPPINES, different organizations will come together for a week of action and set up a "peoples camp' from January 23-25 where various activities (workshops, forums, film showing, trade fair, concerts) will be held.

In SOUTH KOREA, there will be a week of action involving various social movements from the 21st to 25th. Each day there will be focused on one major theme.

In JAPAN, Tokyo organizers have both a Japanese website and English-language page at the WSF website detailing their events starting at 9 a.m. on Jan. 26 in Arakawa:

"We are planning to hold a spate of events aimed to further the cause of proposing sustainable alternatives to the neo-liberal worldview in the Arakawa district of Tokyo, entitled 'WSF Arakawa 1/26 Global Action'.
"The central components of our action are a series of workshops on various important topics so timely and pertinent to the pursuit of social justice and greater economic equality. Here we hope to provide you with a flavor of what we plan on doing - below you will be able to view the translated version of our call for action, as well as a list of the workshops planned.

"Our Call for Action - "Why Does It Have to Be in Arakawa?"

" At multiple venues in the Arakawa district, we will be hosting a forum centered on a series of workshops pertinent to the topic of "neo-liberalism" and its alternatives. In every January since 2001, the "World Social Forum" in which social movements from literally around the world come together to demand globalization of hope and solidarity, and reject the globalization based on war and exploitation, have been held.

"The WSF meetings have been held in regions of the 'South' in the sense of position in the relationship of political and economic power, to counteract the worldview based on neo-liberal globalization spearheaded by the economically and militarily powerful countries. This also means that regions of the South can be a base of operation for powerful people's movements that demand a new kind of world order that is free of war and oppression.

"The significance of holding the WSF Arakawa 1/26 Global Action that will be held in the Arakawa district is also along this line - to remember the memories of war, deepen international understanding, strive for a society that is free of discrimination and oppression, and to cooperate with activists firmly rooted in the community to face the various challenges stemming from globalization in spite of the fact that we are located in Tokyo, one of the centers of the global economy. Our ambition is that whether they have been aware of the WSF until now, people from all walks of life would come to experience the significance of the WSF and of the Global Action Day on 1/26, and make them a springboard for activism as well as an organizing principle of their lives".

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