4th World Social Forum

India 2004

Building Solidarity: Feminist Dialogues
14-15 January, MUMBAI, INDIA

A Statement:

Building Solidarity: Feminist Dialogues [FD] agrees with the principle of the World Social Forum, which has taken a stand against neo-liberalism and the domination of the world by capital and all forms of imperialism and chauvinism.

The FD is a democratic space for feminist civil society organizations as well as for women in mixed organizations that espouse feminist principles, processes and actions and that are non electoral, non political party affiliated and non governmental in nature. It is a meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas and free exchange of experiences. Its goal is to promote interlinkages for effective action and to strengthen strategies aimed at supporting activists and feminist dynamism within the global peoples’ movements for alternatives.

The FD is a follow-up of the Women’s Strategy Meeting convened in Porto Alegre 2003 by the larger network of Latin American groups and international networks that supported the Campaign Against Fundamentalism. Articulación Feminista Marcosur as well as other groups played a role in convening it. An assessment of the WSM on the last day of the WSF, 2003 led to continuing the FD initiative for WSF, 2004.

The objective of the FD is a dialogue among feminist organizations and networks as well as feminists from progressive groups and movements. This dialogue will address the challenges and issues facing the global women’s movements and their interlinking with larger social movements and other advocacy groups that work for human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights, social equality, peoples’ development, environmental and economic justice.

This feminist initiative has a large group of supporters. The most active ones have formed a core planning team. They are: Articulación Feminista Marcosur, DAWN (International), FEMNET, Inform [Sri Lanka], Isis International [Philippines], Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ) and the National Network of Autonomous Women’s Groups (NNAWG) of India.

Objetives of the FD:

To have a political discussion about feminist organizing: our agendas, our venues of action, our "constituencies," partners and alliances, our strategies, our theories of social change, our desired outcomes, and obstacles to effective collective action.

To build analysis and strategies that strengthen bridges between diverse issues and movements within transnational feminist organizing; to deepen our understanding of the relationships among neo-liberalism, militarism, neo-conservatism, religious fundamentalisms and inequities based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, caste, sexual orientation and different abilities.

To build and consolidate working relationships among feminist networks in the context of WSF organizing and explore how we relate to other social movements and the broader global justice movements.

Participants in the Feminist Dialogues agree to a dialogue within the framenwork of the following political understandings and principles:

1 Women are not a homogenous group but have multiple and layered identities and experience multiple oppressions, which are derived from varied locations within patriarchal and unequal societies. We recognize and respect diverse feminisms and feminist perspectives, including some that may not call themselves "feminist."

2 We reject the dominant neo-liberal economic framework that prioritizes profit over people. We will continue our challenge to "development" or "gender mainstreaming" agendas that are uncritical of this economic model.

3 We reject wars of aggression, "pre-emptive strikes," and occupation by foreign powers. We oppose the so-called "war on terrorism."

4 We challenge nationalist political postures that posit certain caste, race, ethnic, religious, cultural or sexual identities as superior, creating exclusionary definitions of citizenship, targeting "enemies" within and outside the state, and undermining solidarity.

5 We also reject all forms of violence perpetrated by non-state actors.

6 Patriarchy works both in public and private spheres to perpetuate violence against women. It is a central concern within women’s movements, from domestic violence to communal violence as well as the onslaught led by the forces of neo-liberal globalization, religious fundamentalisms and wars of aggression.

7 We embrace women’s human rights, which incorporate civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. We challenge the false dichotomy between "universalism" and "cultural relativism," recognizing that rights need broad international affirmation, and also must be owned and conceptualized within each community.

8 We are alarmed by the assault on women’s bodies by economic, political and cultural patriarchal forces. Efforts to control, define and violate women’s bodies in all regions are central to the right-wing political and economic projects that dominate the current landscape and must be challenged in an integrated way.

9 We see religious fundamentalisms, exacerbated by neo-liberal globalization, as a dangerous assault on women’s rights and on secular democracy. While many religious fundamentalists are challenging neo-liberal globalization and often appropriate the human rights language, we do not see them as allies in our struggles for women’s human rights and economic justice.

10 We believe in the self-definition of sexualities and gender/trans-gender identities.

11 We seek to be self-critical of our own organizations and movements and address issues of power, practices, relationships, strategies and politics.

Principles for Process:

The Feminist Dialogue is an initiative committed to collective, collaborative, diverse, disperse and inter-generational processes.

We seek to create a participatory space of mutual exchange and learning rather than reliance on "experts" or well-known leaders. The structure of our dialogues will allow everyone’s voices to be heard through group discussions and other inclusive formats.

We are committed to work through our differences in an open way, recognizing the diversity of experiences and perspectives. We affirm our willingness to wrestle with power dynamics in honest and constructive ways.

We are also committed to a feminist ethic that includes respect, honesty, transparency, mutual accountability, flexibility, a spirit of collaboration and good humor.