Esfera pública, democracia e movimentos sociais: a encruzilhada do fórum social mundial em meio a desafios de relevância e colapso

Abstract

This paper examines the World Social Forum (WSF) from the perspective of three main axes: public sphere, democracy, and social movements. Initially, the study reviews the concept of public sphere based on Jürgen Habermas and other theorists, addressing the historical evolution of notions of civil society and the role of social movements in the construction of democracy, with an emphasis on the challenges of relevance and collapse faced by this transnational space of counter-hegemonic articulation. Then, the research reviews the first editions of the WSF, explores the historical context and the narratives that contributed to its formation, highlighting especially how global events, including the rise of neoliberalism and the intensification of social inequalities, favored the emergence of social movements that sought

alternatives to the dominant economic model. The WSF is presented as a space for counter- hegemonic debate, where diverse social movements were able to articulate their demands

around a global agenda of social, environmental, and economic justice. Finally, the study explores the difficulties of research on the topic and the challenges and criticisms of the WSF, including institutional limitations, governance difficulties and questions about its effectiveness in promoting concrete social transformations, analyzing its relevance on the global stage as a viable space for social mobilization or whether it is on the verge of inevitable collapse.