HIC at the World Social Forum 2026

HIC Convergence of Social and Feminist Movements

Cotonou, Benin  ·  August 4–8, 2026  ·  17th World Social Forum

Why HIC Is at the World Social Forum

The World Social Forum is an essential democratic space where social movements, networks, and civil society organisations opposed to neoliberalism and the commodification of the world come together to exchange ideas, share experiences, and organise for change.

The 2026 forum offers a critical opportunity to centre global struggles for land, housing, and dignity at a moment when civic space is rapidly shrinking, human rights defenders face increased persecution, and housing and land are aggressively treated as commodities rather than human rights related to habitat.

“Our presence is an act of deep grassroots solidarity at a time when asserting social movement agendas and feminist approaches has become increasingly critical.”

Guided by the leadership of our Social Movements and Women/Feminist Movements board representatives, HIC is leveraging this space to scale up the HIC Convergence of Social and Feminist Movements — a process uniting diverse struggles around habitat-related rights and feminist approaches to self-management and popular power.

What We Aim to Achieve

1. Launch the Collective Statement of Shared Priorities: Formally launch the co-developed Collective Statement of Shared Priorities for social and feminist movements, covering habitat, feminist approaches, and climate justice — coming soon: the final version of the Collective Statement.
2. Build Deep Solidarity: Demonstrate that the habitat struggle is a shared, cross-cutting struggle that intersects with environmental, agricultural, and labour realities.
3. Coordinate Advocacy: Align directly with social movements to centre habitat-related human rights and priorities within local, national, and international advocacy agendas.

What We Are Doing in Cotonou

1. West African Mobilisation Caravans: In the two weeks leading up to the forum, coordinated caravans will travel across West Africa to rally grassroots communities and build momentum before arriving in Cotonou. ▶ Find out more about the Caravans.
2. The Habitat Space: A dedicated collective hub — similar to the Habitat Village at WUF — where HIC Members can amplify our institutional voice, showcase territorial solutions, and debate habitat intersections, housing rights, and feminist organising models.
3. Launch Assembly: A major assembly bringing together diverse social and feminist movements to formally launch the Collective Statement of Shared Priorities (available soon).

HIC Social and Feminist Movements Convergence — Timeline

The WSF is not the starting point — it is the culmination of a multi-year convergence process that started in 2023 and which has brought together social and feminist movements across regions.

Expected Outcomes

• Successful launch and dissemination of the Collective Statement of Shared Priorities.
• Established solidarity between grassroots member organisations across the urban–rural divide.
• Declarations and calls emerging from the forum capable of shifting and influencing global multilateral agendas.
• Enhanced visibility and recognition for the struggles and territorial solutions championed by grassroots habitat defenders.

How to Participate

HIC’s presence at the WSF relies entirely on the active, self-managed engagement of our members, allies, and friends. Whether joining physically in Cotonou or connecting virtually, there are four ways to participate:

1. Register for the Forum: All participating members and organisations must register through the official WSF portal — as an individual, organisation, volunteer, or press.
2. Co-organise the Habitat Space: Bring your local struggles, alternative proposals, and interactive formats into the collective hub in Cotonou. Contact: margareta@hic-net.org / diana@hic-net.org
3. Join the West African Caravans: For members located across West Africa, participation begins before Cotonou. Reach out if you’d like to join the mobilisation caravans.
4. Co-Sign the Collective Statement: Review the Draft Collective Statement of Shared Priorities (coming soon) and register your organisation as an official co-signatory ahead of the global launch.

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