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WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2007 The World Social Forum this year took place in Nairobi , Kenya . From the 20 th to the 26 th Jan. The WSF is a huge energizer for people's movements from all over the world to plug in and recharge their networks and strategies for working towards redefining the idea of globalization in non capitalist terms. Some of us practicing artists grouped together under the banner of ‘@ Culture' to facilitate artistic participation during the last WSF at Porto Alegre , Brazil 2005. All of us had also been part of the WSF that had taken place in Mumbai 2004. We had fought for and for the first time gained inclusion and acknowledgement in the World Social Forum in Mumbai 2004, to ascertain the role of art as an equally strong agent of political and social change, another voice of protest and political discourse. These two earlier experiences had made us fully aware of the travails and tribulations involving organizing artistic activities in such a congregation of political activists. In Kenya one found the apathy and disinclination to admit cultural practice a little sharper, but ‘@ Culture' had jammed the foot in the door and refused to budge! The local WSF Arts commission in Nairobi was embroiled in it's share of tussles for securing a berth. @ Culture therefore sought out partnerships in local Nairobi institutions and practitioners and put together a host of programs at the venue (Kasarani Stadium) and in the city. The idea was to create an Africa - Asia interface and most of the programs brought together works or were collaborations between the two continents. The theme that was addressed through all the programs was that of forced migrations and displacements and issues arising through such circumstances and went under the title : ‘ Moving People: Africa-Asia Interface on Migration, Exile, and Diaspora, ' The GoDown Arts Centre, located in the heart of the city, was the key local ally and offered space for an artist's camp, their theatre for the performances and networks. Kwani another organization too offered help with personnel and contacts while The Centre for Creative Arts, Durban , South Africa , curated a section of the film festival and poetry reading and a section of the seminars that offered perspectives on migration and diaspora. The space at the venue that hosted all the events was designed to look like a caravan with the film festival, and the exhibits running in tents, and continuing in vans in the backs of pickups, trucks and hand carts. A stage was created by parking two 40 feet trailers side by side. A huge canopy (45 feet X45) feet painted by local artists along with other Asian participants covered part of the space. This was the outcome of a beer and barbeque ‘Painting Party'.
The exhibition of installations, photographs, videos and a video game, under the sub-title ‘Follow the Arrows- investigating movement' had invited over 42 artist and groups. The works reflected on motion and uprootedness in its subjects- Between slavery records and family pictures, desert graves and migrant shacks, missing people's lists and homeland music – a series of narratives of exclusions and assertions emerged. These works were sent by the artists via the internet or on CD-s. Since the budgets as always were shrinking the images were printed on suitable media and taken with us from here. The film festival screened 25 films in the four days. The four collaborators: The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) , Zanzibar International Film Festival , Al- Kasaba and Magic Lantern Film Festival (India) International Film Festival, Palestine presented a day each of a selection of films to explore the cultural and political implications of movement and the lack of it across borders, nation-state, social identities and political formations. Every evening saw compelling performances at both - the venue and in the city and included presentations by a group of exiled Iranian women artists called ‘Return to Sender: Letters from Tentland'. ‘Centaurs- Notes on Migration' was performed by Vivadi. The Indian fusion band Medival Punditz, the Kunja Dance Theatre a group of acrobats, percussionists and dancers from the Kibera (shanty town of Nairobi), other local groups and performers and poetry readings entitled ‘ Poetic Perspectives on Migration' which included poets from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya were the other highlights. The Seminar addressed three facets of the issue in three sessions: 1) Movement, Text and Identity: Writing in the era of Globalisation 2) Regulated Movement, Forced Movement and Traffic of People This session was dedicated to political theories around citizenship issues related to various registers of moving people. The issue of shifting labour forces within the southern countries and the resulting demographical issues and ethnic conflicts are a much greater concerns of Africa and Asia . 3) Right of Movement and Citizenship: Campaign and Strategies The last session was designed to share and evaluate various ground level strategies and subversive practices evolved from the south. The speakers expressed concerns over the current dichotomy where the nature of the labour is becoming increasingly informal under Globalisation and thus the clause of citizenship turning transient. On the other hand the borders of the nation-State getting frozen and more surveillant causing massive human rights violation. Ten days prior to the WSF, an Artist's camp was held in the premises of the GoDown Arts Centre. Three artists from Africa and three artists from Asia worked together, to create portable sculptures.
Ready to join the rally...................................................at the rally
at the Uhuru park @ culture comprises of Majlis, Magic Lantern Foundation, Point of View and Mamata Murthy, Archana Hande, Paromita Vohra and Tushar Joag |
Shamsul Haq, New Delhi who is a traditional Ravan Effigy maker worked with Aida Khalil from Cairo to create a colourful12 feet tall crocodile from paper, cloth and bamboo, mounted on a mild steel frame with wheels, 
Tony Mboyo, Nairobi who is a puppetry artist, made a mobile puppet that could be operated by a person sitting inside it. 
Kyohei Sakaguchi, Tokyo , created a huge tricycle that carried a 14 feet tall whirlwind of uprooted dwellings made from cartons and packing material, while 
B.V. Suresh, Baroda made a 12 feet tall peacock covered by the ubiquitous blue plastic sheet characteristic of all shanties and temporary housing, that created a shelter under it's wings and plumage.
Dr. Kivubiro from Uganda , made a votive object on wheels. The collaborative works that were produced in the ten day camp (10 th to the 20 January 2007) were part of the opening and closing rallies that wound their way from he outskirts to the Uhuru Park, the city centre. 
