From Seattle to Porto Alegre: The Anti-Neoliberal Globalization Movement

Abstract

The first World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre in January 2001, illustrated the growing importance and breadth acquired by the movement protesting against neoliberal globalization. The authors analyse the genesis of this complex movement from the First International Encounter for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism (Chiapas, Mexico, 1996) to the recent Forum in Porto Alegre, describing the different social movements which, from a variety of perspectives, now converge in the international struggle against neoliberal policies. Particular interest is shown in the social protest experiences in Latin America during the 1990s, undertaken by numerous movements that actively participated in the Forum. A reflection is then put forward on the challenges this movement poses for the construction of a new internationalism which, acknowledging the far-reaching social transformations that have occurred in capitalism and on the international plane, will reflect and harbour the demands of a varied and heterogeneous group of social organizations and movements. The article also presents the core debates around which the discussions at Porto Alegre were structured.