The following is a summary of the proposal for a thematic forum of the WSF, to be known as the Internet Social Forum, presented at the International Council (IC) meeting held at the WSF, on 30th March, 2015 in Tunis:
Close to 100 organizations (including several IC members, but also some organizations that have not previously participated in the WSF process) have signed on to the call to organize a Thematic Social Forum about the Internet, in principle, sometime in late 2017.The common denominators for this ISF, in addition to acceptance of the WSF charter, are the willingness to work towards building a people’s Internet: one free of surveillance, corporate dominance and governmental abuse of power.
The intention is to involve the widest possible range of organizations and social movements that share these basic principles, since we all use the Internet for our work, organizing and personal communications. In Tunis we have already built convergence with the campaign of resistance to transnational corporations and the Free Media Forum, among others.
It has been agreed to create a democratic open space for organizing the forum; an interim organising committee will come present a proposal over the next 2 months for defining the venue, date, coordination mechanisms, etc.”
Members of the coordination group:
1. Mallory Knodel, Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
2. Fiona Dove, Transnational Institute
3. Kevin Flanagan, P2P Foundation
4. Norbert Bollow, Just Net Coalition (JNC)
5. Prabir Purkayastha, Free Software Movement of India
6. Parminder Jeet Singh, Just Net Coalition (JNC)
7. Roberto Bissio, Third World Network
8. Michel Lambert , Alternatives, Canada
9. Ana Celestial ,Computers Professionals Union and AGHAM, Philippines
10. Jason Nardi, Solidarius / RIPESS (network for the promotion of social solidarity economy)
11. Pierre George, Caritas
12. Sally Burch, Agencia Latinoamericana de Información (ALAI)
