Social and Environmental Forum Eastern Switzerland

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Social and Environmental Forum Eastern Switzerland SUFO has been an annual event in St. Gallen since 2005 . It is part of the worldwide anti-globalization movement of social forums .

The first World Social Forum took place in 2001 in Porto Alegre , Brazil , the last in January 2009 in Belém (Pará) , which was also attended by an SUFO delegation. Under the slogan "Another world is possible" meet as thousands of people and organizations to debate the pressing social, environmental, economic and political problems, the resistance against the neoliberal embossed globalization to network and coordinate, but also solutions and To present and exchange alternatives to the existing structures. The SUFO wants to implement the idea of ​​the World Social Forum locally, according to the principle "think globally, act locally" . Topics are taken up that affect Eastern Switzerland, Switzerland and / or the whole world.

program

The SUFO opens with a panel discussion . So far, topics such as globalization, climate change ( global warming ) or migration have mainly been discussed. The main program consists of numerous workshops that are offered by organizations that deal with and work on the relevant topics. In addition, there are information stands where various political content is presented. There will also be a demonstration through downtown St. Gallen. The SUFO sees itself as a public platform and wants to pass on the ideas, solutions and demands that arise on it to a broad audience. A street festival ends the forum. The SUFO cinema, in which critical films are shown, is carried out as a supporting program.

aims

The Social and Environmental Forum Eastern Switzerland has set itself the following goals, which form the framework for the organization of the event:

  • Inform the young and the young at heart about social, ecological, political and economic relationships in a generally understandable way and sensitize them to their understanding
  • Offering a platform for politically interested people and promoting their networking
  • Include people who are excluded from political processes and promote their political activities
  • Take up topics that affect Eastern Switzerland and are related to other places in the world: think globally - act locally
  • Promote the engagement of young people
  • A place against the resignation offer
  • Providing a platform for people who are dissatisfied with Switzerland and the world as it is today, and who are actively committed to developing a perspective that is worth living in
  • Introduce socially and ecologically committed groups, parties, trade unions, NGOs, churches and their projects and promote their networking
  • Present and multiply the knowledge gained at SUFO to the public
  • Enable exchanges and encounters between Swiss and migrants and promote the cultural activities of the participants
  • Look for alternatives to existing structures in a creative, life-affirming and imaginative way and celebrate a colorful party!

organization

The forum is prepared by an organizing committee of around 8 to 25 people, mainly made up of young people. These include representatives from (grassroots) organizations, groups and parties, but also individuals. From a legal point of view, the SUFO is a non-profit association with no economic benefit. The organizing committee works on a voluntary basis. Organizations, churches, aid organizations, groups, parties and trade unions also play an important role. They decisively support SUFO with the workshops they offer and often contribute financially.

Development so far

In 2005 the first social and environmental forum in Eastern Switzerland took place. The first preparations were made in 2004. The first generation of the SUFO organizing committee came from the globalization-critical group Globalance, which was formed in the course of the anti-Iraq war protests. About 500 people took part in the first SUFO. Since then, more or less continuous growth has been recorded in all areas. On the 4th SUFO 2008, 1500 visitors were counted and more than 50 workshops were offered. The mobilization that takes place in advance extends far beyond Eastern Switzerland, which means that people from all over Switzerland and also from other countries take part in the forum. The SUFO is thus the largest social forum in Switzerland. The idea was taken up in Biel, whereupon the first Biel Social Forum took place in 2007.

The SUFO from 15./16. May 2009 became a new record with around 2,000 participants and around 90 supporting organizations. 60 workshops were offered. The fifth SUFO also included a parallel camp to make it easier for foreign guests to participate. This was followed by the Social and Environmental Forum Eastern Switzerland from 7./8. May 2010, from 13./14. May 2011 and from 11./12. May in St. Gallen.

This year takes place on 24./25. May the 9th Social and Environmental Forum Eastern Switzerland will take place.

Panel topics

  • 2005: Kebab and fondue - integration does not only go through the stomach
  • 2006: Faster, further, higher - until the explosion? Curse and blessing of the economization of our society
  • 2007: Women at the stove - men at the wheel? Wonderfully stupid role models
  • 2008: Casino Global winners and losers of the climate poker
  • 2009: Switzerland has 7 million colors and we think black and white - where is migration policy going?
  • 2010: Hunger for starters, misery for dessert - who writes the recipes for the daily massacre?
  • 2011: "Would you care? Where did you come from?" - Identity in global society
  • 2012: The economy pushes permanent crisis - How do we counter it?
  • 2013: Food supply in the 21st century - thinking outside the box
  • 2014: “Another world is possible!” Why we need utopias

Web links