Forums and Networks of Civil Society: Perceptions about Social Exclusion and Citizenship

Abstract

This article is the first result of a project that investigates the perceptions of forums and networks in Brazilian civil society regarding social inclusion/exclusion and related struggles for citizenship rights. The text begins by situating these collective actors in the organizational contexts of contemporary social movements, paying particular attention to how they stand in relation to the influence of the principles that govern the World Social Forum. The author examines the discourses of the strategic actors in such organizations with the aim of evaluating how well they are managing to face the challenges of “inclusion-exclusion” and “equality-difference”. She also seeks to elucidate in what measure these actors conceive different generations of human rights, embracing an integral and interconnected viewpoint of such rights in their efforts towards the construction of a more equitable society.