Whilst undoubtedly a significant step forward for the southern African movement against the neo-liberal domination of the global economy by multi-national corporations, a Southern African Social Forum meeting in Zambia last week experienced some of the same tensions that have recently expressed themselves in the wider social justice movement. There were noticeable divisions between NGOs, many of which see their primary role to lobby their Governments and the IFIs to lessen the impact of neo-liberalism, and more radical social movements that seek to challenge the structure of the global economy itself. This tension is heightened in an area like southern Africa, where many development NGOs are dependent on western donors and NGOs for their funding. The irony that the Forum was partially funded by the Open Society Institute, a philanthropic body established by billionaire George Soros, was not lost on more radical participants. (See Pambazuka News 132 for the full Southern African Social Forum statement.)