Palestinian Social Forum Concludes Active Participation in the World Social Forum 2026 in Cotonou, Benin

There is an attachment

Cotonou, Benin — August 9, 2026

The Palestinian Social Forum (PSF), which brings together the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) and a number of Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations, has concluded its active participation in the World Social Forum (WSF) 2026 in Cotonou, Benin.

After leading two major workshops and taking part in eight further events, the PSF delegation closes a busy week of Palestinian presence at the heart of the global mobilization of social movements.

This year's Forum was organized under the theme “Governance of Natural Resources and Popular Struggles in the Face of Global Crises: What Alternatives for Peace, Social Cohesion, and Sustainable Development?”, bringing together tens of thousands of participants from civil society, social movements, and grassroots organizations worldwide, in what organizers describe as the “Forum of Social Movements.” The 2026 edition marks the sixth time the Forum has been hosted on the African continent, following earlier editions in Bamako, Nairobi, Dakar, and Tunis.

The WSF 2026 was organized around 15 thematic axes reflecting the key struggles and aspirations of social movements worldwide, including decolonization and sovereignty; social justice, human rights and gender equality; environmental and climate justice; the solidarity economy; education; health and social protection; peace and self-determination; democracy and governance; culture and diversity; technology and communication; civic mobilization; migration and global citizenship; workers' rights against capitalist globalization; the future of the Forum itself; and cross-cutting themes covering youth, gender, and Indigenous peoples' lands. Palestinian participation intersected directly with several of these axes, most notably peace and self-determination, human rights and gender equality, and health and social protection.

The PSF concluded its participation in the 17th World Social Forum, hosted by the city of Cotonou from 6 to 8 August 2026, after a packed week in which it played a pivotal role in placing the Palestinian cause at the heart of the global mobilization of social movements. The Forum led and organized two major workshops in partnership with Palestinian and international organizations, while its delegation joined eight further events and workshops on migration, climate, women's rights, democracy, social protection, and anti-imperialism — alongside a dedicated session on the reality of the Palestinian struggle amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

Two Workshops Led by the Palestinian Social Forum

1. The Right to Health and the Humanitarian Situation under Occupation, Colonialism, War and Genocide: Toward a Joint Front of Social Movements in the Global South

The workshop began from the principle that the right to health is a fundamental, inalienable human right, one increasingly undermined in contexts of occupation, colonialism, war and armed conflict across much of the Global South. Palestine stands as one of the clearest examples of the systematic targeting of a health system: the destruction of hospitals and medical facilities, attacks on health workers, restricted access to care, and siege policies that constitute grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

At the same time, other regions across Africa, Asia and Latin America face comparable challenges, where armed conflict, colonial legacies, structural inequality, privatization and austerity, together with climate and humanitarian crises, continue to weaken public health systems and limit equitable access to care.

The workshop brought together social movements, trade unions, health workers and civil society organizations to exchange experience, identify shared challenges, and strengthen South-South solidarity, building joint strategies to defend the right to health as a cornerstone of social justice, human dignity, self-determination and lasting peace.

2. Interwoven Struggles for Justice and Freedom: From Africa's Liberation Movements to Global Solidarity with Palestine

This workshop explored “interwoven struggles” as a framework for understanding the links between peoples' movements resisting colonialism, occupation, oppression, war and systems of injustice, placing the Palestinian struggle at the heart of global efforts for justice, freedom, human rights and the dignity of peoples.

Drawing on the historical experience of the Global South, particularly Africa's liberation movements against colonial domination, exploitation and racial oppression, the session examined common ground with the Palestinian reality of occupation, settlement expansion, forced displacement and ongoing violations of international law, particularly amid the devastating war on Gaza and its unprecedented humanitarian toll.

Discussions underscored the importance of collective action among social movements, trade unions, civil society organizations and solidarity networks worldwide, to build forms of international solidarity that move beyond statements into concrete action, including boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns, and holding accountable institutions and corporations that profit from or contribute to the occupation.

Participants also addressed the importance of upholding international law and supporting international justice mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as essential tools for accountability and ending impunity.

By bringing together voices from Palestine, Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, the workshop sought to strengthen global alliances among social movements and affirm that the struggle for justice in Palestine is part of a broader human struggle for freedom, self-determination and the protection of peoples' rights.

Events and Workshops Attended by the PSF Delegation

Beyond the two workshops it led, the PSF delegation took part in eight further events and workshops across the WSF 2026 programme. The delegation joined a workshop on migration addressing forms of resistance and possible alternatives to the institutionalization of violence and racism and the security-driven approach of Global North countries toward migration, together with possible follow-up to the sessions of the People's Tribunal on this issue. It also joined a workshop on climate change addressing the relationship between climate justice and social justice, and pathways from popular mobilization toward human-rights-based litigation against environmental violations. The delegation took part in a feminist workshop titled “Speak Your Vision,” discussing women's realities of violence, harassment, discrimination and exclusion alongside their aspirations for rights, equality and dignity, and ways to strengthen mobilization for women's rights. It also joined a workshop on the democratic path in the Maghreb since the “Arab Spring” and the waves of repression that followed, and the evolving human rights situation in the region.

The delegation joined a workshop titled “Social Protection Under Fire,” organized by the Asian Regional Roundtable on Social Protection (AROSP) as part of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors, discussing the impact of wars in West Asia, Ukraine and Myanmar on social protection systems and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable, particularly migrant workers, and calling for an immediate ceasefire and comprehensive social protection as a right, not charity.

The delegation also joined a side event titled “The Global South and the Compound Global Crisis,” bringing together civil society leaders, activists and academics to examine crises of inequality, climate change, debt and food insecurity facing the Global South, and to explore grassroots alternatives strengthening sovereignty, social justice and international solidarity.

In the “Struggles and Resistance” workshop, held under the banner “Stop Racism, Hunger, War and Fascism,” the Palestinian delegation presented the reality of the Palestinian people under occupation and colonialism for more than 75 years, calling on social movements and trade unions to oppose corporations profiting from the war on Gaza, arms manufacturers, and technology companies supporting the occupation, and demanding an end to genocide and settler colonialism, affirming that solidarity and cooperation among peoples is the path to liberating Palestine and achieving genuine, just peace.

The Palestinian Social Forum Delegation

The PSF delegation taking part in these events included:

v Sabreen Abdallah: Reproductive Health Programme Coordinator, Palestinian Medical Relief Society.

v Lama Al-Sharafa: Projects Coordinator, Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi Centre for Culture and Development.

v Sama Jabr: Al-Awda Health and Community Association.

v Aya Khatib and Jihad Nammoura: representatives, Palestinian Youth Humanitarian Work Group.

v Khaled Salameh: Mother School Association.

v Mahmoud Hammadah: Policy, Advocacy and Communication Coordinator, Palestinian NGOs Network.

● Mahmoud Al Fiqy: Development and Communication Manager, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD).

The Palestinian delegation also included Mr. Mahmoud Habash, Coordinator of the Palestinian Social Forum, who, for health reasons, was not physically present in Cotonou but followed and oversaw all of the delegation's activities and participation remotely.

Statement

“As the World Social Forum opens today in Cotonou, our presence here affirms that the Palestinian cause cannot be separated from the global struggle for justice, freedom and dignity. From Africa's liberation movements to the streets of Gaza and the West Bank, our struggles are interwoven, against occupation, against colonialism, and against every system that denies peoples their right to self-determination. Through the workshops we bring to this Forum, we place the lived reality of Palestinians under occupation directly before global civil society, and we call on the movements gathered in Cotonou this week to stand in genuine solidarity with our people's right to health, freedom and self-determination.”

Mahmoud Al Fiqy, Development and Communication Manager, PWWSD

About the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD)

PWWSD is a Palestinian feminist civil society organization that has worked, since its founding in 1981, to advance women's rights, gender equality and social justice across the occupied Palestinian territory. Its programmes rest on three core pillars: combating gender-based violence, women's economic empowerment, and women's political participation and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. PWWSD applies international human rights frameworks, including CEDAW and UN Security Council Resolution 1325, in its programming and advocacy, and partners with national and international institutions to strengthen Palestinian civil society and democratic participation.