The Past Editions of the World Social Agenda



The World Social Agenda represents the evolution of two preceding events under the name "World Social Forum" which took place in Padua in April 2000 and in May 2001. In particular, while those initiatives where intended to stimulate reflection on alternatives to dominating economic models, the World Social Agenda focuses on concrete proposals to translate international campaigns and action plans into policies with a bottom-up approach, encouraging partnership between civil society organisations and local and regional authorities.

The World Social Forum was born following the echo of the Seattle (USA 1999) and Davos (Switzerland 2000) events, as an opportunity to discuss the themes of the globalisation from a social perspective, presenting alternative views to those of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Unimondo

Unimondo was started in 1998 and a few months later became the Italian OneWorld Centre.
OneWorld (www.oneworld.net) is a worldwide network of portals and thematic channels on human rights and sustainable development issues. Today Unimondo is one of the key reference in this sector in Italy with over 2.500 hosts a day.

For further information please contact: Jason Nardi, director (jason.nardi@unimondo.org)

World Social Agenda (WSA)


The World Social Agenda includes two distinct axes, which are strongly interrelated and complementary.

One axis is concerned with a public event which takes place in Padua each year at the beginning of May within Civitas (the most important Italian expo of the non-profit sector with over 30.000 visitors). The event is based on a series of three international conferences. They are complemented by related activities such as thematic workshops and awareness raising campaigns. Mid-term conferences are also envisage each year, in order to promote and encourage reflections and debates prior to the major conference.

The second axis deals with a training programme principally targeted to local authorities and organisations involved in the management of participatory development models at local level. This axis, supported by a permanent teaching and tutoring staff, represents the necessary tool for implementing the insights and policy prescriptions of the Social Agenda. The training programme, which is conceived in order to promote a real intercultural exchange in a North-South dimension consists of different modules to be carried out both in Italy and abroad.

La Fondazione Fontana

Fondazione Fontana is a no-profit body founded in Padua (Italy) in January 1998. It promotes development co-operation and development education activities and it encourages intercultural dialogue with special focus on the relation between Europe and developing regions. One third of its funds are invested in micro-credit schemes. It always work in partnership with other bodies and non-governmental organisations, such as St.Martin (Kenya) and CUAMM (Italy) for health and human rights programmes in Laikipia West (Kenya); Universities of Salvador (Bahia), Joao Pessoa, Recife and Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais and MLAL (Italy) for training and human rights programmes in Brazil. Fondazione Fontana initiated the Unimondo Internet project, today an independent organisation and the main portal for sustainable development and human rights issues in Italy.

For further information please contact: Alessio Surian, director (fondazione.fontana@unimondo.org)