Following the spectacular success of last November's European Social Forum in Florence, attended by over 60,000 people, a group of individuals representing a cross-section of Irish civil society is holding meetings with a view to establishing an Irish Social Forum later this year.

The Social Forum movement involves the establishment of open meeting places for groups and movements of civil society opposed to neo-liberalism and seeking to build a planetary society centred on the human person and not on capital. It began with the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001 where a Charter of Principles was agreed.

Although not without its critics, the Social Forum movement has grown dramatically in the past two years and there are now regional, national and local forums around the world.

Movement towards an Irish Social Forum began following the return of Irish participants ( 2 ) in the Florence ESF. A reporting meeting was held at which the need for an Irish Social Forum was identified. This has since been followed by three further meetings ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ), called 'open space dialogues' at which the idea has been explored and discussed. It is intended to continue these meetings and to hold an information event at this year's convergence festival. The goal is to involve as many civil society groups as possible before fully discussing, agreeing and formally establishing an Irish Social Forum in the summer.

So far individuals from (but not necessairly representing) the following groups have participated: Attac, Anti-Iraqi Sanctions, Canals Community Network, Comhlamh, Debt and Development Coalition, Dublin Council of Trade Unions, Dublin Food Co-Op, Dublin South FM, Earthwatch Ireland, Earth Summit Ireland, Feasta, Globalise Resistance, Gluaiseacht, Grassroots Gathering, Green Party, The ICTU, Indymedia, Jesuit Faith & Justice Committee, Latin America Solidarity Centre, Oxfam, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Sustainable Ireland, Trócaire, UCG Ecosoc, The Village, Workers Solidarity Movement,

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Following the spectacular success of the February 15th anti-war demonstrations, the Irish peace movement continued today with 3,000 people marching in Galway. The protestors marched from Fr Griffin Park to Eyre Square where many speakers, poets and singers addressed the crowd.

The Galway protest comes a week after massive demonstrations in Dublin and Belfast encouraged Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to finally declare government support for a second UN resolution. Rattled by the sheer size of the protests and clearly out of touch with the mood on the ground, Ahern also ridiclously claimed to agree with the marchers while Tánaiste Mary Harney dismissed protest organisers as anti-American.

Meanwhile anti-war activities continue around the country ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) ( 7 ) ( 8 ) ( 9 ) ( 10 ) ( 11 ) ( 12 ) ( 13 ) ( 14 ) ( 15 ) and the potential for war in Iraq continues to dominate the Irish political scene ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ). As the Ploughshare protestors remain in prison ( 2 ) ( 3 ) attention is now turning to a March 1st protest ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) and direct action ( 2 ) ( 3 ) at Shannon Airport, despite concerns about organisation.

Analysis & Discussion: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 )

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