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A social forum is an open meeting place for civil society organizations and individuals opposed to neoliberalism, economic globalization, and what its participants regard as the domination of the world by capital and imperialism. The first social forum was the World Social Forum (WSF) held in January 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It was designed as a counter forum to the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland at the same time. While the WSF regards the WEF as a meeting of the political and economic elite of the world, the WSF gathers social forces and aims to promotes democratization and social justice.
After the first WSF, the social forum idea was replicated across the world in various transnational, national, and local social forums. Most, though not all, social forums adhere to the WSF Charter of Principles, drawn up by the International Council of the WSF. The diversity of participants in the social forums has reflected the diversity of the Global Justice Movement (or Anti-Globalization Movement).
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