The World and U.S. Social Forums A Better World is Possible and Necessary

Since its first meeting in 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the World Social Forum/U.S. Social Forum has worked towards imagining and implementing alternatives to the world-as-we-know-it by creating opportunities for its participants to build social networks, mobilize resources, voice their experiences of oppression, exchange ideas, and express their desire for a more equitable and reciprocal world. The WSF/USSF is dedicated to advancing the rights of all peoples, including women, indigenous groups, and minorities, and it subscribes to the ideals of participatory democracy, social and cultural pluralism, and the end of market tyranny. In this edited volume, Blau and Karides bring together a plurality of voices to offer a fresh perspective on the WSF/USSF as both an organization and as a force for social and political change. It is a useful resource for those familiar with the organization and an essential guide for those who wish to participate.

Judith Blau is professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chaple Hill. Marina Karides is associate professor of sociology at Florida Atlantic University.