The history of the twentieth century … makes it clear that a wide range of ideas have proved to be ‘possible’. Aside from socialism, fascism and Nazism have also been proved to be possible… Instead of just talking about possibilities, we need to talk about desirability, and necessity. …  Politics is not merely the art of the possible; it is the science of the desirable, and of necessity.
People in social and political movements – especially those involved with the World Social Forum – quite commonly say that “Another world is possible”; a world very different from the one we today know.  But what do they mean by this ?  What ‘other world/s’ ?  Do such worlds only exist in some people’s imaginations ?  And even if they are real, how do we get into these other worlds ?  And anyway, are such other worlds necessarily more open, more just, and more desirable than the one we know ?

This book, the third in the Are Other World Possible ? book series – and preferably read along with the other two (Talking New Politics and Interrogating Empires) – critically explores three of the more important ‘other worlds’ that human societies have so far tried building: Socialism, Cyberspace, and the University.

The Are Other Worlds Possible ? books have come out of a series of seminars organised in late 2003 at the University of Delhi called the ‘Open Space Seminar Series’ that was conceptualised as preparation for the World Social Forum held in Mumbai, India, in January 2004.

Contents

Proem: Pathways to Alternatives    Mukul Mangalik
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Imagining Alternatives: Exploring ways to other worlds    Jai Sen

Open Space 1
Socialism: Is Socialism the Only Possible Other World?

Rethinking Socialism    Dunu Roy
Socialism is both Necessary and Desirable    Dipankar Bhattacharya
Women, Freedom, and Emerging Worlds    Kumkum Sangari
Open Forum: Is Socialism the Only Possible Other World?    A frank and open discussion between Dunu Roy, Dipankar Bhattacharya, Kumkum Sangari, Delhi University students and faculty, and others

Open Space 2
Cyberspace: Dreams of Other Worlds

The Politics of Knowledge Sharing    Suddhabrata Sengupta
New Technology in an Old Social Order    C K Raju
Open Forum: The Promise of Cyberspace    An open exchange between Suddhabrata Sengupta, other members of Sarai, and others

Open Space 3
The University: How Open? Open for Whom?

A Culture of Closedness, A Struggle for Openness    Anita Ghai
Under Threat : Open Space as Freedom    Nandita Narain
Open Forum: The University as Open Space    An open space for the presentation of diverse perceptions of the university as open space by people at different margins of a university, responding to and taking off from the presentations by Janaki Abraham, Anita Ghai, and Nandita Narain

Apunba : Steps towards Critical Engagement    Madhuresh Kumar
Creating Open Spaces    Vanessa Andreotti
Open Space and Liminality : Notes on Sexualising the University    Oishik Sarkar

Glossary
Visual Credits
Index