No.205-3
The fourth World Social Forum (WSF) took place in Mumbai, India (16th-21st, January). This time, the Forum ran into a transitional phase. I shall summarize it and glimpse a possible future [0].
Autonomization of the political space. The WSF was originally organized in order to manifest the collective disobedience against the neo-liberal globalization conducted by the international financial institutions. In the past three years, the event had been set on the same date as its symbolic enemy, World Economic Forum (WEF). However, this year, the former commenced one week earlier than the latter. This change obliquely tells us that the WSF became an autonomous space where participants explored the vision of Another World beyond a mere strategic reaction to the WEF. The coordinator consolidated the characteristic of the WSF as a ‘meeting place’, which means the open forum for the grassroots people.
Pluralization of voices. The voices of participants were more pluralized than ever. This not only implies that the name of ‘Social Forum’ was popularized in the last three years, diffusing its concept into the annual regional forums [1]. Also, it can be said that the participants from the Asian region brought a new wave to the WSF 2004[2]. Moving the venue from Porto Alegre (Brazil) to Mumbai (India), the fourth Forum achieved to represent the voices from Asia and the rest of the Eurasian continent well this year. The latter vitalized the force of the former: Walden Bello, co-director of the Bangkok-based Focus on the Global South, reckons that ‘[t]he dynamism of India’s civil society has show new energy into the whole process.’[3] The list of participants follows, inter alia: Dalit [4]; Feminist groups; Anti-Child Labour activists; Socialist workers; Communist groups; the group for Tibet Independence; working unions; fair trade groups; Jubilee South [5]. It should not be missed that approximately five hundred people came from Japan. Japanese participants consisted of the old and new generations of social actors. The former are: Gensuikyo [6]; IMADR [7]; Buraku Kaiho Kenkyujo [8]; Labour Net; JR labour union; Peace Boat [9]. The latter are: World Peace NOW! [10]; ATTAC Japan [11]; and environmentalist groups, etc. This plurality brought two major effects on the WSF. First, the agenda of the WSF is no longer being confined to a mere reactionary phase of decades of neoliberalism: but it has come to be articulated with the long history of human violence such as colonialism, imperialism, and socially-reproduced discrimination (e.g. caste, gender). Second, it is getting urgent to create a certain universality which encompasses the pluralization of demands.
In reflection, the WSF has become a nodal point which gives opportunities for people around the world to come together. A future challenge lies in the construction of a unity without disqualifying diversity. I believe that imagining a positive future buttresses the promulgation of democratic practices, as well as realism to struggle against injustice and violence. Therefore, I’d like to conclude this report with a succinct but beautiful phrase from Arundathi Roy [12]:
‘Another World is not only possible but also....Coming.’[13]
Note:
[0] The website WSF 2004 is: http://www.wsfindia.org/. Many books on WSF have been already published in several languages. In English, F. Houtrart/ F.Polet (ed.) (2001) The Other Davos, London: Zed-Books; Zed-Books (ed.) (2003) Another World is Possible, London: Zed-Books. In French, B. Cassen (2003), Tout a commence a Porto Alegre: Mille foru,s sociaux, Paris: Mille et Une Nuits: and Le Monde Diplomatique, depuis 2001. In Spanish, J.Seoane/E.Taddei (eds.) Resistancias Mundiales: De Seattle a Porto Alegre, Buenos Aires: CLACSO. In Portuguese, Cattani, A.D. et al. (2001), Forum Social Mundial: A Constucao de um Mundo Melhor, Rio Grande do Sul: Editora de Universidade; Mina, G. et al. (2003), Um Outro Mundo e Possivel: Propostas do Forum Social Mundial de Porto Alegre Para Um Futuro Melhor, Rio de Janairo & Sao Paulo: Editora Record
[1] Since the year 2002, the Social Forum was diffused into a number of regional forums: European Social Forum, Asian Social Forum, African Social Forums, Latin American Social Forum, etc. The localization of social forums helps consolidate the regional networks.
[2] A number of reflections on the WSF2004 are available now. See, for example, Alex Alex Callinicos - A festival of the oppressed; Boaventura de Sousa Santos - Mumbai and the future ; Christina Parsons - WDM s diary from the World Social Forum, Mumbai, India ; Dot Keet - Report from the International Council of the World Social Forum - for social movement activistis and analysts in Africa (English); Hilary Wainwright - From Mumbai with hope. All contributors agree upon the pluralization and expansion of the WSF. (all articles are from http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/dinamic. asp?pagina=balancos_fsm2004_ing )
[3] ‘Mumbai Injects Bold New Spirit into WSF’, Terra Viva: the Independent News Paper of the World Social Forum IV-Mumbai, India, 21st, Jan., 2004., p1
[4] The untouchable people in India, whose status is outside caste. Often described as ‘subaltern’. It has the same connotation as Buraku in the Japanese context.
[5] The network which aims at the total debt cancellation in the South (developing countries)
[6] The organization for anti-nuclear weapon
[7] International Movement Against all forms of Discrimination and Racism
[8] The research centre for the liberation movement of Buraku people.
[9] The NGO which coordinate the ship journey around the world (e.g. Southeast Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Africa). The objective is to promote the dialogue on peace among the youth.
[10] The anti-war movement organized by a network of younger generation. It has coordinated the peace demonstration and global march since the end of 2002 in cooperation with the Stop the War Coalition UK.
[11] The organization for social justice against financial globalization. Its main objective is to implement taxation on the transaction of global financial capital. The headquarter is located in Paris. The Japanese branch accommodates 300 members.
[12] An Indian female writer-activist. She writes several novels and essays which all commit to the socio-political reality in India. The novels: A Cost of Living (Penguin, 1988); The God of Small Things (Flamingo, 1997). The essays: Algebra of Infinite Justice (Penguin, 2002); and The Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire (Flamingo, 2004).
[13] Extracted from the presentation of A. Roy at the opening ceremony, 16th, Jan., 2004.
This article was contributed by Mr. Nakano, a youth member of Meguro UNESCO, now studying at the University of Sussex, UK