Building common grounds, sowing collective action
We are a platform for intellectual collaboration, cosmopolitan citizenship and collective action, devoted to reflection and to the international social analysis of our time. With a thorough and global focus, we propose a critical gaze to understand contemporary challenges.
Learn more about our fora and international initiatives here +
International Conference in Collaboration with the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East (ILC-CSIC)
MADRID, SPAIN — June 9–12, 2026
Residencia de Estudiantes / CSIC Center for Human and Social Sciences
Residencia de Estudiantes (Student Residence)
(Calle Pinar, 21-23, 28006, Madrid)
Program
19:00 – Welcome and opening remarks by Jan Thiele [ILC-CSIC] and Rafael Heiber [CAF]
19:15 – Lecture by Belén Altuna
20:00 – Roundtable with Fernando Amérigo, Ángeles Espinosa, and Juan José Tamayo. Moderator: Belén Altuna
21:00 – Concert by Begoña Olavide
Organized by:
In collaboration with:
CAF 2023
Together, for the world
Brasilia, Brazil | 11-12 August, 2023
OPENING & 1st SESSION
Protecting Democracy to Ensure Social Pacts
Keynotes: Adrienne Clarkson – José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – Manuela Carmena
CAF 2023
Together, for the world
Brasilia, Brazil | 11-12 August, 2023
Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial – Indigenous People Memorial
The rise of the far-right and the societal fragmentation it feeds upon, combined with a largely unaddressed climate collapse, expose the failure of the international order in protecting life and peace.
In order to articulate a broad pact to guarantee human progress on a sustainable planet, the Common Action Forum and other like-minded organisations will gather international leaders, representatives, and experts in a country that is again at the frontline of the fight for a multilateral and multipolar world.
Democracy and the new progressive wave in Latin America – From the Bolivian experience to the Brazilian elections
Madrid, Spain | September 12th, 2022
María Zambrano Hall, Círculo de Bellas Artes
With Álvaro García Linera, Guillaume Long, Jean Wyllys, and Paulo Abrão, among other participants, the forum addressed the reactionary surge currently sweeping through Latin America, where the old coups d’état have once again become part of the political landscape, albeit with updated methods. Growing social polarisation, the weaponisation of public power and justice, disinformation, and political violence are among the tools the far right uses to undermine and challenge the democratic system.
read more +
Thursday, 18.11.2021
Welcome: Enrique Ojeda – Wadah Khanfar
Keynote: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
“The importance of progressive values for post-COVID-19 recovery and to face the challenges of the 21st Century”
Comentator: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Participants: Rebeca Grynspan – Pedro Marques – Cecilia Nicolini
Moderator: Rafael Heiber
The New Social Contract is a Maysoun Douas project in collaboration with the Common Action Forum, which seeks to talk about the conflicts of the constantly changing present and aims to reflect on the social dynamics that determine current lifestyles and the challenges facing humanity.
2022_ 2nd. EDITION
In this second edition, we have had the pleasure of having policy makers, researchers and jurists of the stature of Hanna Jalloul, Eduardo Barcesat, María Lois, Gonzalo Fanjul and Juan Luis Manfredi.
2021_ 1st. EDITION
In this first series, we have focused on democratic processes, bringing together important actors from our political and social scene: Manuela Carmena, Fernando Mayor Zaragoza, Ana Sáenz De Miera, José María Lassalle and Andrés Ordóñez.
Our goal is to establish and encourage global platforms of cooperation, research and advisory in order to implement alternative solutions for social justice. EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE to access all our analyses and editorial content [ www.metapolis.net ] and SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER to stay updated about Common Action Forum’s latest news, activities and events.
CONVERGENCE ZONE 2026
Denormalising Collapse
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain | 18-22 May 2026
Collapse is no longer an abstraction. It has taken root in every facet of contemporary life: from the intimacy of our daily lives and how we eat, move, feel and build social bonds, to the entrenched mechanisms of oppression and control that govern the global order. Against a backdrop of rampant civic disillusionment and in the face of a deliberately fragmented society, it is intolerable that our narratives continue to shift the blame and individualise it among ordinary people.
Collaborators:
10 Years Anniversary Edition – The decline of International Law: Impacts on Middle Powers & Media Coverage
Doha, Qatar | 07 December 2025
In the wake of the apparent decline of international law, aiming to salvage, strengthen or even reimagine it, demands a candid examination of how the rise of hegemonic powers has come to shape international institutions, middle powers, and global public opinion. From the dynamics of emerging multipolarity to new technological frontiers, ever more interconnected opportunities and challenges are bound to determine our shared future.
CAF 2025 Report + 10º Anniversary
Proposals from the constitutionalist lawyer Eduardo Barcesat, in the framework of the OCTAGON_2025, for the purpose of providing operational criteria for solidarity with the Palestinian People and institutions.
OCTAGON 2025 Report
Sovereignty and Fair Interdependence: The Global South and the Democratisation of Prosperity
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 02-03 December 2024
We stand at a critical juncture in human history. Upon a shared horizon of further overlapping crises, this tumultuous period has reshaped our world, exposing the many inadequacies and paradoxes of our long-standing systems.
In pushing beyond incremental changes and surface-level reforms, the Global South emerges not merely as a key balancing element of the global stage but as a potential architect of an equitable international order: home to the majority of the world’s population and a wellspring of innovation, social dynamism and resilience, it is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation, offering fresh perspectives on age-old problems.
Main Keynote: YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
metapolis is an initiative by Common Action Forum. A collective effort of CAF’s team, members, collaborators and participants. Our goal is to develop and support a progressive agenda as alternative to the current model that has led us to a world of increasing inequalities, environmental devastation and unaccomplished freedom for most of the global citizenry.
metapolis Vol.7_ Nº 1
A new initiative by the Common Action Forum to analyze the most pressing global issues. Every month, a new episode of CAF Podcast will be available.
Paola Pabón – CAF Podcast ep.1/2024
María Iglesias – CAF Podcast ep.6/2023
Diego Borja – CAF Podcast ep.5/2023
Maysoun-Douas – CAF Podcast ep.4/2023
Gloria Elizo – CAF Podcast ep.3/2023
Daniel Rojas – CAF Podcast ep.2/2023
Jean Wyllys – CAF Podcast ep.1/2023
Ramzy Baroud – CAF Podcast ep.2/2022
Thembisa Fakude – CAF Podcast ep.1/2022
Arlene Clemesha – CAF Podcast ep.3/2021
Ayo Obe – CAF Podcast ep.2/2021
Wadah Khanfar – CAF Podcast ep.1/2021
Each year, CAF holds a major public forum, gathering experts and relevant actors to engage in a series of debates that can give fruit to further progressive initiatives that move its mission forward. Problems such as poverty, which affects half of humanity, or global warming, which affects us all, are just part of a dystopian reality that no longer allows us to give ourselves the luxury of thinking about local utopias.
OCTAGON is an event designed to serve as CAF’s yearly official gathering. Each November, all formal members have the opportunity to meet in Madrid, debate specific topics in round-table sessions and participate in the planning of institutional activities. Apart from the public opening, the rest of the program remains closed session for invited guests.
Building common grounds, sowing collective action
We are a platform for intellectual collaboration, cosmopolitan citizenship and collective action, devoted to reflection and to the international social analysis of our time. With a thorough and global focus, we propose a critical gaze to understand contemporary challenges.
Learn more about our fora and international initiatives here +
International Conference in Collaboration with the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East (ILC-CSIC)
MADRID, SPAIN — June 9–12, 2026
Residencia de Estudiantes / CSIC Center for Human and Social Sciences
Residencia de Estudiantes (Student Residence)
(Calle Pinar, 21-23, 28006, Madrid)
Program
19:00 – Welcome and opening remarks by Jan Thiele [ILC-CSIC] and Rafael Heiber [CAF]
19:15 – Lecture by Belén Altuna
20:00 – Roundtable with Fernando Amérigo, Ángeles Espinosa, and Juan José Tamayo. Moderator: Belén Altuna
21:00 – Concert by Begoña Olavide
Organized by:
In collaboration with:
CONVERGENCE ZONE 2026
Denormalising Collapse
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain | 18-22 May 2026
Collapse is no longer an abstraction. It has taken root in every facet of contemporary life: from the intimacy of our daily lives and how we eat, move, feel and build social bonds, to the entrenched mechanisms of oppression and control that govern the global order. Against a backdrop of rampant civic disillusionment and in the face of a deliberately fragmented society, it is intolerable that our narratives continue to shift the blame and individualise it among ordinary people.
Collaborators:
10 Years Anniversary Edition – The decline of International Law: Impacts on Middle Powers & Media Coverage
Doha, Qatar | 07 December 2025
In the wake of the apparent decline of international law, aiming to salvage, strengthen or even reimagine it, demands a candid examination of how the rise of hegemonic powers has come to shape international institutions, middle powers, and global public opinion. From the dynamics of emerging multipolarity to new technological frontiers, ever more interconnected opportunities and challenges are bound to determine our shared future.
CAF 2025 Report + 10º Anniversary
Proposals from the constitutionalist lawyer Eduardo Barcesat, in the framework of the OCTAGON_2025, for the purpose of providing operational criteria for solidarity with the Palestinian People and institutions.
Post-Gaza Politics: A Prelude for a Global Solidarity
Madrid, Spain | 28 November 2025
This edition examines the evolving tensions between Palestinian liberation and its pivotal role in a broader transformation toward justice-centred politics, inclusive leadership models, and alternative multilateral structures that serve humanity’s common aspirations.
OCTAGON 2025 Report
Sovereignty and Fair Interdependence: The Global South and the Democratisation of Prosperity
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 02-03 December 2024
We stand at a critical juncture in human history. Upon a shared horizon of further overlapping crises, this tumultuous period has reshaped our world, exposing the many inadequacies and paradoxes of our long-standing systems.
In pushing beyond incremental changes and surface-level reforms, the Global South emerges not merely as a key balancing element of the global stage but as a potential architect of an equitable international order: home to the majority of the world’s population and a wellspring of innovation, social dynamism and resilience, it is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation, offering fresh perspectives on age-old problems.
Main Keynote: YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
CAF 2023
Together, for the world
Brasilia, Brazil | 11-12 August, 2023
OPENING & 1st SESSION
Protecting Democracy to Ensure Social Pacts
Keynotes: Adrienne Clarkson – José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – Manuela Carmena
Together, for the world
Brasilia, Brazil | 11-12 August, 2023
Juscelino Kubitschek Memorial – Indigenous People Memorial
The rise of the far-right and the societal fragmentation it feeds upon, combined with a largely unaddressed climate collapse, expose the failure of the international order in protecting life and peace.
In order to articulate a broad pact to guarantee human progress on a sustainable planet, the Common Action Forum and other like-minded organisations will gather international leaders, representatives, and experts in a country that is again at the frontline of the fight for a multilateral and multipolar world.
metapolis is an initiative by Common Action Forum. A collective effort of CAF’s team, members, collaborators and participants. Our goal is to develop and support a progressive agenda as alternative to the current model that has led us to a world of increasing inequalities, environmental devastation and unaccomplished freedom for most of the global citizenry.
metapolis Vol.7_ Nº 1
Democracy and the new progressive wave in Latin America – From the Bolivian experience to the Brazilian elections
Madrid, Spain | September 12th, 2022
María Zambrano Hall, Círculo de Bellas Artes
With Álvaro García Linera, Guillaume Long, Jean Wyllys, and Paulo Abrão, among other participants, the forum addressed the reactionary surge currently sweeping through Latin America, where the old coups d’état have once again become part of the political landscape, albeit with updated methods. Growing social polarisation, the weaponisation of public power and justice, disinformation, and political violence are among the tools the far right uses to undermine and challenge the democratic system.
read more +
Thursday, 18.11.2021
Welcome: Enrique Ojeda – Wadah Khanfar
Keynote: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
“The importance of progressive values for post-COVID-19 recovery and to face the challenges of the 21st Century”
Comentator: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Participants: Rebeca Grynspan – Pedro Marques – Cecilia Nicolini
Moderator: Rafael Heiber
A new initiative by the Common Action Forum to analyze the most pressing global issues. Every month, a new episode of CAF Podcast will be available.
Paola Pabón – CAF Podcast ep.1/2024
María Iglesias – CAF Podcast ep.6/2023
Diego Borja – CAF Podcast ep.5/2023
Maysoun-Douas – CAF Podcast ep.4/2023
Gloria Elizo – CAF Podcast ep.3/2023
Daniel Rojas – CAF Podcast ep.2/2023
Jean Wyllys – CAF Podcast ep.1/2023
Ramzy Baroud – CAF Podcast ep.2/2022
Thembisa Fakude – CAF Podcast ep.1/2022
Arlene Clemesha – CAF Podcast ep.3/2021
Ayo Obe – CAF Podcast ep.2/2021
Wadah Khanfar – CAF Podcast ep.1/2021
2022_ 2nd. EDITION
In this second edition, we have had the pleasure of having policy makers, researchers and jurists of the stature of Hanna Jalloul, Eduardo Barcesat, María Lois, Gonzalo Fanjul and Juan Luis Manfredi.
2021_ 1st. EDITION
In this first series, we have focused on democratic processes, bringing together important actors from our political and social scene: Manuela Carmena, Fernando Mayor Zaragoza, Ana Sáenz De Miera, José María Lassalle and Andrés Ordóñez.
Each year, CAF holds a major public forum, gathering experts and relevant actors to engage in a series of debates that can give fruit to further progressive initiatives that move its mission forward. Problems such as poverty, which affects half of humanity, or global warming, which affects us all, are just part of a dystopian reality that no longer allows us to give ourselves the luxury of thinking about local utopias.
OCTAGON is an event designed to serve as CAF’s yearly official gathering. Each November, all formal members have the opportunity to meet in Madrid, debate specific topics in round-table sessions and participate in the planning of institutional activities. Apart from the public opening, the rest of the program remains closed session for invited guests.
Our goal is to establish and encourage global platforms of cooperation, research and advisory in order to implement alternative solutions for social justice. EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE to access all our analyses and editorial content [ www.metapolis.net ] and SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER to stay updated about Common Action Forum’s latest news, activities and events.