[WSF-Discuss] The 9th World Social Forum : new pathways and opportunities for the global alter-world project

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[Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières] -
http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article13052

The 9th World Social Forum : new pathways and opportunities for the global
alter-world project
MORAIS LEANDRO
21 février 2009

@ http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article13052

The 9th World Social Forum (WSF) took place in Belem, Brazil from January
27th-February 1st, 2009. There were many hopes for the activities of the
WSF, including the expectation to re-raise its international visibility and
mobilization potential. From 2001-2004, the WSF successfully consolidated
itself as an innovative network of left social movements and organizations
worldwide to confront the neoliberal agenda. Since 2005, however, the
movement has been unable to re-articulate its goal of society transformation
within to the new international scenario of political and economical
relations, marked by increasing militarization after the occupation in Iraq
(2003). This has constrained the WSF’s influence (especially since Porto
Alegre, 2005). Belem, thus, was expected to allow the organizations within
the movement to move ahead to start building an effective counter approach
at this critical junction, now worsened by the crisis of the world financial
system, that is capable of raising previous levels of mobilization.

The symbolic value of having the WSF in the Amazon region influenced the
decision to choose Belem as the host city. The development project pursued
in the region has raised great concerns, given its constant conditionality
by the powerful forces of the capitalism system. Current levels of
deforestation in the region are due to large-scale agro-business and mining
companies in the region and unsustainable exploration of natural resources.
Furthermore, social instability has been caused by the on-going process of
criminalization of social movements, which has led to the murder of leaders
of peasants and indigenous organizations in the region ; and the violent
forces of an elite that has more power than the State.

At the micro-level, the city of Belem inspired the WSF participants to think
about contradictions about our every-day life. Almost all the activities
were carried out in the poorest residential areas of the city – the *Terra
Firme* district. Contradictions included the fees applied to participate in
the Forum, a fact that many pointed as a factor limiting the participation
of local people, as well as to the actions of the police to monitor the area
and to contain local resident`s movement during the WSF. For an area that
faces constant poverty and violence, many residents questioned : why the
government was now interested in using the police to “protect” them ? With
this context, the 9th WSF edition began to address the challenges of
realizing its slogan “how another world can be possible” ?

*“Crisis of civilization”, indigenous protagonist and Palestine cause :
pillars for discussion*

Across many of the almost 2000 activities organized during the WSF in Belem,
the so-called “systemic” or “civilization” crisis crosscut discussions.
Debates highlighted a profound crisis of the capitalist system based on
challenges including economic/financial ; environment ; institutional
governance (especially in multilateral organizations) ; militarization and
immigration Under this framing, many discussions focused on central issues ,
such as i) cancellation of foreign debt in developing countries ; ii)
justice and climate change ; iii) migration policies and rights ; iii)
labour, xenophobia and human rights ; iv) racism ; v) gender ; vi)
re-appropriation of cities and urban policies ; vii) media power and
communication democracy. The outcomes of those activities raised critiques
and challenges of the current system of economic and social organization,
due to increasing forms of commoditization, emphasis in over-consumption and
the mainstream policies of development.

Additionally, the WSF saw the emergence of indigenous and other traditional
communities as important protagonists in this process of dialogue,
highlighting the value of indigenous livelihoods and culture for
alternatives projects of social development, and also the challenges to
assuring their rights represents within the process of conforming
plural-national states. For the first time, indigenous and other traditional
communities from many Latin American countries actively participated in the
WSF`s activities, organizing, at the same week, the Pan-Amazon Forum, an
space considered for many as fruitful for developing partnerships and
mobilization for the WSF in the region.

Also important were discussions on the increase militarization of
international relations and impacts of this. The situation of “populations
without state”, such as the Palestine and Kurd causes, were top issue for
mobilization and debate Activists and related-organizations (such as the
Stop the War) called attention to the WSF to increasingly address those
questions.

*Science and Democracy : a new issue for reflection and debate*

Belem was also important because of new initiatives and topics within the
activities organized. Amongst them, the achievement of pre-Forums
[1<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nb1>]
deserve special attention. In its first edition, the World Forum about
Science and Democracy involved considerable number of social organizations
and academics in the field of science and society and encouraged a broad
debate on the goals and roles played by scientific research and technology
in the structure of the capitalist system. Recognizing that the values of
scientific communities are shaped by and rooted in historical and cultural
processes, the participants called for changes in the present context of
research and development, *“where the interests of the market, corporate
profits, the consumer culture and military uses are the main drivers of
research, technology and innovation”* (S & D Forum`s Declaration)
[2<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nb2>].
The Declaration also pointed the importance of re-apropriation of social
control in this area, through the involvement of citizens in decision-making
processes on Science and Technology policies. Additionally, Tthey agreed to
have regional forums on Science and Democracy in January 2010 to prepare for
WSF in 2011.

*Belem-2009 : a balance of continuity or rupture ?*

As highlighted by Eric Toussaint, member of the Committee for the Abolition
of Third World Debt (CADTM) and of the WSF International Committee, this WSF
represented a turning point in the Forum`s history, moving it from only a
space for sharing experiences, building alliances and for strategic
reflection of social movements and civil society organizations. He
said : *“Despite
persistent conflicts between some values, such as the importance of
self-management activities and the necessity to bring functionality to them
(avoiding duplicity), Belem`s outcomes explicitly express a “call for
action”, in order to create pathways to reach the goal of change from the
WSF participants with the achievement of real changes”*.

A new methodology of work was put in place in Belem, encouraging participant
organizations to set up Thematic Assemblies, with the aim of articulating
common understandings and concrete commonalities in their field of work.
Also, it established a Convergence Square, as a space to announce activities
related to scheduled Thematic Assemblies. This helped to disseminate
information about work by various organizations, and agreed proposals and
strategies. It served as place for organizations` mutual knowledge, which
could lead to establishing new alliances. Finally, during the last day, the
proposals of each Thematic Assembly were read in the Assembly of Assemblies.

Most of the Assemblies faced difficulties in organizing themselves and many
of them resulted in general political statements. Others proposed agendas
and concrete actions. The Pan-Amazon Forum proposed the realization of a
Pan-Amazon Countries` Summit in June 2009 to address : proposals for the
opening of boundaries in the region for the indigenous and traditional
communities ; measures against the criminalization of social movements ; and
preparations for the 5th Pan-Amazon Forum in 2010. The Assembly of Anti-War
Movements called for : global boycott campaigns against Israeli products and
companies ; prosecution of Israel for war crimes in Palestine under the
International Court of Justice ; and global mobilization against the
North-Atlantic Treatment Organization (NATO). The Migration Assembly
strongly supported international recognition of the category of
“environment” and “climate” refugees ; demanded commitment from the
Governments for the regularization of immigrants without documents and
proposed May 17th as an official day for mobilization against migration
policies in the European Union. The discussions on foreign debt in
developing countries called on Governments and civil society organizations
to carry out public accounting of the on-going debts, in order to identify
irregularities and request compensations for abusive forms of debt and
payments ; and asked for developing countries` Governments to abandon the
G20 strategy. The Global Crisis Assembly called for the establishment of
mechanisms for social control and radical changes in governance in financial
policies and institutions ; and for international measures to smash “fiscal
paradises”.

The Assembly of Social Movements offered a comprehensive package of future
actions. Its final Declaration included Global Week of Action against
Capitalism and War from March 28 to April 4, 2009, covering mobilizations
against the G-20 meeting (March, 28th), a Day of Solidarity with the
Palestinian People to promote boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against
Israel (March, 30th) and mobilisation for the 60th Anniversary of NATO
(April, 4th) ; a Day for Food Sovereignty (April, 17th) ; Global
Mobilisation of Struggle for Mother Earth and “common goods”, against
colonisation and commodification of life (October, 12th) ; the Global Action
Day for Climate Change Justice (December, 12th) ; and traditional days of
mobilization (Women and Workers Days, for instance).

Also, as suggested by Eric Toussaint, *“participant organizations combined
an analytical evaluation of the current context of crisis with principles
and proposals to forge ahead the inherent paradigms of the capitalism
structure.”* In its first paragraph, the Declaration of the Social Movements
Assembly stress that* “anti-imperialist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist,
feminist, environmentalist and socialist alternatives are necessary to
surpass the current crisis”*
[3<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nb3>].
This was the result of negotiations between two main groups : those in
favour of neo-Keynesianism and those supporting a strong rupture with the
bases of the different forms of the capitalism system. The outcomes of the
WSF clarified the debate : now there is a more explicit inclination by the
composing organizations to support a rupture with the notions of economic
progress, consumerism and commoditization of everyday life that have framed
recent developments in capitalism.

However, questions still remain. To what extent will the agenda be
implemented ? Will the WSF sustain this momentum during the coming years ?
This evaluation will be crucial, given that the WSF do not have appropriate
structure to coordinate global actions : outcomes depend of voluntary
efforts of organizations and social movements and their power of
mobilization at the local and regional level among further actors. Also, if
the agenda has a potential to attract interest for mobilization worldwide,
it is important to highlight that the current crises may limit actors`
actions.

The nature of this WSF`s balance is under dispute by different sectors of
political segments around the world and many have tried to minimize its
role. Nevertheless, I believe that now it is a necessary time to reinforce
the role of the WSF. In the context of the described crisis (a scenario
which can be seen as even worst now, after the explicit failure of the Davos
Summit to offer a coherent response to it), the WSF has filled a “blank” in
this global agenda unable to present convincing alternatives to solve the
current problems. The controversies of the old debate regarding strategies
of “reform” or “revolution” between the left were not solved in Belem.
However, this event demonstrated a clearer commitment to match theoretical
convictions with practical challenges under an attempt to devote efforts
towards a more unified strategy of action. By bringing new impulses toward a
joint mobilization, this edition revealed the strategic importance of the
WSF for the left around the world, while it also allowed a continuity with
the spirit of diversity, dialogue and mutual respect that have oriented this
space since 2001 in a struggle for a different world.

[1<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nh1>]
Apart the discussion about Science and Democracy, in Belem it was
organizaded Pre-Forums about Health, Education, Alternative Media and
Culture.

[2<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nh2>]
See on ESSF the declaration : Shared concerns and issues emerging from the
1rst Science and Democracy World
Forum<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article13044>

[3<http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=article_impr&id_article=13052#nh3>]
See the declaration on ESSF : We won’t pay for the crisis. The rich have to
pay for it ! <http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article12821>
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