| Glocal Forum | |
| Formation: | 2001 |
| Founder: | Uri Savir, Jan Stenbeck |
| Founding Location: | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Headquarters: | Rome, Italy |
The Glocal Forum is an international organization in the field of city-to-city cooperation; encouraging peace building and international development in the non-governmental sector. It emphasizes the central role of cities in international relations and subscribes to a glocalization vision.
The Glocal Forum was created in 2001 to emphasize the role of local authorities in the world governance system.[1] [2] 25 cities attended the first meeting in Rome in 2002.[3] The Glocal Forum focuses on empowering local communities by linking them to one another and to global resources, in order to achieve social improvement, democratic growth, peace and a balance between global opportunities and local realities.[1] [4]
In 2007, the Global Forum had over 100 member cities, including all cities that had more than 500,000 residents.[4] The Global Forum is based in Rome.[5] [6]
2007 participants in the Global Forum include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Agadir, Morocco; Akron, Ohio; Athens; Baghdad; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Boston; Brussels; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Dubai; Florence, Italy; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Kabul, Afghanistan; Karachi, Pakistan; Khartoum, Sudan; Kigali, Rwanda; Chișinău, Moldova; Managua, Nicaragua; Marseille, France; Moscow; Nablus; Philadelphia; Pristina, Kosovo; Rishon LeZion and Rosh HaAyin; Sana'a, Yemen; São Paulo, Brazil; Sofia, Bulgaria; Vienna; and Washington, D.C.[6] According to Al Bawaba, "The Glocal network is made up of cities from Europe (50%), the United States (14%), Africa and the Middle East (22%), Asia (8%) and Latin America (6%)."[7]