KATHMANDU – Preparations are going on to hold the 16th Conference of the World Social Forum (WSF) in Kathmandu from February 15 to 19. According to WSF Nepal 2024 organising committee, the event is taking place with the theme ‘Another World is Possible’.
It is said that 1,665 organisations have registered to participate in the critical debate on the negative consequences of policies and structures adopted by the existing world system. The event is to be held in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. It is said the Forum is an open space for raising and amplifying the voices of the world’s marginalized people.
Nepal organising committee member Dr Netra Timilsina said Nepal is hosting the WSF Conference for the first time, and it will discuss the roles of the civic movement against economic inequalities and for economic justice, against slavery, human trafficking, caste and ethnicity-based discrimination, discrimination on the basis of works, descent-based discriminations, untouchability, and violence, and for the promotion of ethnicity issues and voices of indigenous nationalities, food sovereignty, peace, and the improvement of rights in communications, law, health, education, labour, migration, and so on. Presentations of 400 papers on these topics are expected in Nepal with the participation of 40,000- 50,000 representatives, it is said.
Nepal organising committee’s communications coordination subcommittee Sushil BK said the Forum collectively amplifies voices against neo-liberalism, globalization, capitalism, climate crisis, patriarchy, ethnicity-based discrimination, untouchability, racism, apartheid, discrimination and violence on the basis of sexualities and so on.