BRUSSELS, 22 Jan. - (ANA) - A coalition of 67 civil society organisations from over 26 countries criticize the World Economic Forum as symbol for an authoritarian economic system that pushes the world into wars, social and environmental crises. In an international statement they demand to replace the World Economic Forum with solidary alternatives like the World Social Forum, fundamental democratisation of the world economy with an end to exploitation of humans and nature. 

 

Max Voegtli of StrikeWEF criticizes: “We reject the world economic forum as a symbol of an authoritarian economy that serves few while excluding those who are working hard day by day and affected while pushed into crises of today: wars, climate disasters and social precarity.”

 

 “We demand a fundamental democratisation of the world economy and a redistribution of wealth to tackle our stark global inequalities” as Thomas Eberhardt-Köster of Attac Germany elaborates. 

 

Massa Koné, one of the main organizers of the World Social Forum 2026 emphazises: “We advocate for alternative solidary global forums that that are organised by and for the people. The World Social Forum 2026 in Benin will empower people to self-organize for a more just governance of the foundations of life.”

 

The statement was initiated by the organizers of the World Social Forum 2026 (the West African network of land and water justice movements “La Convergence Globale des Luttes de Terre et de l’Eau - L’Afrique de Ouest”), the German organizations WEED - World Economy, Ecology and Development and Attac, the transnational movement Afrique-Europe-Interact as well as the Swiss coalition StrikeWEF that organizes this years protests in Davos.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/22 January 2026 - - -