A fire show during the World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do...

The World Social Forum (WSF) is an annual meeting, based in Brazil, that defines itself as an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo- liberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a society centered on the human person. It is held by members of the alter-globalization movement. It tends to meet in January at the same time as its 'great capitalist rival', the World Economic Forum's meeting in Switzerland in hopes that having a meeting that promotes alternative answers to world economic problems opposite the WEF will help the WSF's ideas get better coverage in the news media.