I attended the social forum at the beginning of July. Continental declination of the World Social Forum, it takes place each two years in a different city. After Malmö in Sweden two years ago, this forum was held in Istanbul. The website of the forum describes it as follows:
European Social Forum, is an open space where civil society groups and movements opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism, but engaged in building a society centered on the human person, come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, to formulate proposals, to share their experiences freely and to network for effective action.
I arrived there two days before the beginning of the event and I was surprised not to find anybody knowing about it at the university where it should take place. Just the head of the faculty knew there would be a forum, but didn't seem to have any specific information about it. But the way, I met Martin and Masha coming from Ukraine after crossing the Black Sea. I shared my astonishment with them and learned about a surprising university in Kassel-Witzenhausen, in Germany. There stands a faculty of ecological agriculture, from 1993, after some huge demonstrations of students, complaining about the capitalistic tendency of ecology. I learned a lot about commercial ships with him. He told me for example how France was using aeronautical budgets to bring "French brands" across the Atlantic Ocean.
The next day, with foreigner's arrival and Turkish manpower to mount the stage, it looked like there was a forum eventually. At night, took place the official opening of the forum, with speeches and concerts.
On the 1st and 2d of July, there were plenty of seminars, 3 hours of duration for each one! I first attended a session about the future of the social forum. This showed me how pessimistic people were about the crisis, and the forum itself. I liked a lot the words of Tord Björk, at the end of the session, reclaiming the field of agriculture and food sovereignty. He was frustrated that we didn't speak at all of peasants.
In the next session, about food sovereignty, he explained us how peasants were in fact in front of many social movements in history. During this interactive session, everybody introduced himself saying how he was concerned by the subject, and then appeared a diversified pattern of alternatives and fights for food sovereignty in Europe. I particularly met French, Turkish and Swedish people. From France, Confédération paysanne, Cultures solidaires and Longo Maï (an international network of cooperative communities) were represented. For part of the session, I experienced the difficult task of simultaneous translation between French and English, taking so much energy that I just didn't go to the last session.
On next day, I attended a seminar about patriarchal and neoliberal myths in education. Organized by feminist movements, I was one of the few men attending the session. Everybody agreed that our education systems, though different in many ways, all carry patriarchal views in an education process dominated by competition and in which teachers have to deal with more and more frames, limiting their autonomy in teaching. Marta, an Italian living in Belgium arose the question of boys which are also affected by the patriarchal pictures. I went further saying men are also in crisis in this system, and that the fights around the gender themes was a fight of whole society, not just of women. Moreover, about education, the teacher-pupil relationship must also be reconsidered, as some alternative schools experiment it, as for example, Pédagogie Nomade in Belgium.
European Social Forum, is an open space where civil society groups and movements opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism, but engaged in building a society centered on the human person, come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, to formulate proposals, to share their experiences freely and to network for effective action.
I arrived there two days before the beginning of the event and I was surprised not to find anybody knowing about it at the university where it should take place. Just the head of the faculty knew there would be a forum, but didn't seem to have any specific information about it. But the way, I met Martin and Masha coming from Ukraine after crossing the Black Sea. I shared my astonishment with them and learned about a surprising university in Kassel-Witzenhausen, in Germany. There stands a faculty of ecological agriculture, from 1993, after some huge demonstrations of students, complaining about the capitalistic tendency of ecology. I learned a lot about commercial ships with him. He told me for example how France was using aeronautical budgets to bring "French brands" across the Atlantic Ocean.
The next day, with foreigner's arrival and Turkish manpower to mount the stage, it looked like there was a forum eventually. At night, took place the official opening of the forum, with speeches and concerts.
On the 1st and 2d of July, there were plenty of seminars, 3 hours of duration for each one! I first attended a session about the future of the social forum. This showed me how pessimistic people were about the crisis, and the forum itself. I liked a lot the words of Tord Björk, at the end of the session, reclaiming the field of agriculture and food sovereignty. He was frustrated that we didn't speak at all of peasants.
In the next session, about food sovereignty, he explained us how peasants were in fact in front of many social movements in history. During this interactive session, everybody introduced himself saying how he was concerned by the subject, and then appeared a diversified pattern of alternatives and fights for food sovereignty in Europe. I particularly met French, Turkish and Swedish people. From France, Confédération paysanne, Cultures solidaires and Longo Maï (an international network of cooperative communities) were represented. For part of the session, I experienced the difficult task of simultaneous translation between French and English, taking so much energy that I just didn't go to the last session.
On next day, I attended a seminar about patriarchal and neoliberal myths in education. Organized by feminist movements, I was one of the few men attending the session. Everybody agreed that our education systems, though different in many ways, all carry patriarchal views in an education process dominated by competition and in which teachers have to deal with more and more frames, limiting their autonomy in teaching. Marta, an Italian living in Belgium arose the question of boys which are also affected by the patriarchal pictures. I went further saying men are also in crisis in this system, and that the fights around the gender themes was a fight of whole society, not just of women. Moreover, about education, the teacher-pupil relationship must also be reconsidered, as some alternative schools experiment it, as for example, Pédagogie Nomade in Belgium.
After this, I went to a seminar organized by organizations close to Via Campesina. The speakers spoke about the consequences of the capitalist view of agriculture in Europe, with examples from France, Turkey and Morocco. It was obvious that the result is everywhere the same: a destruction of the life of small peasants and of rural communities, the destruction of the environment and the biodiversity, and a low food quality.
On Saturday, last day of seminars, I chose to attend a seminar organized by trade unionists from different countries about the link between social fights and ecology. Dominated by latin people the debate showed it is still difficult for trade unionists to think outside the capitalistic system, and adopt another paradigm. Do we just fight to keep jobs, or fight for better ones? There was no consensus about this. Most of the trade unionists gave only importance to actions, without admitting there was a need of thinking. Fortunately, trade unionists of Nordic countries showed more consistency about the need of a global thinking, and of a strong political action.
On the evening was organized a demonstration in the city, to which many different groups took part: trade unionists, pacifists, associations,... Mainly Turkish organizations, among which pro-Kurd and pro-Palestinian activists.
The forum ended on Sunday with an agreement on a general strike for the 29th of September in all Europe, a day already decided for a strike of trade unions. It was obvious, during all the forum, that many things have to change to transform it in a real place of decision. First of all, no clear and promoting message went out of the forum. Without this core point, no one can expect the forum to give any concrete result of convergence, neither to attract new persons to the movement. In Cochabamba, at the earth forum (counter forum of Copenhagen), they used the slogan "Bien Vivir" (good life) in opposition to "economic growth" as motor of humanity. Such slogan, and an agreement about basic points aren't yet a concrete result. I hope like many we'll change this for the next one!
On Saturday, last day of seminars, I chose to attend a seminar organized by trade unionists from different countries about the link between social fights and ecology. Dominated by latin people the debate showed it is still difficult for trade unionists to think outside the capitalistic system, and adopt another paradigm. Do we just fight to keep jobs, or fight for better ones? There was no consensus about this. Most of the trade unionists gave only importance to actions, without admitting there was a need of thinking. Fortunately, trade unionists of Nordic countries showed more consistency about the need of a global thinking, and of a strong political action.
On the evening was organized a demonstration in the city, to which many different groups took part: trade unionists, pacifists, associations,... Mainly Turkish organizations, among which pro-Kurd and pro-Palestinian activists.
The forum ended on Sunday with an agreement on a general strike for the 29th of September in all Europe, a day already decided for a strike of trade unions. It was obvious, during all the forum, that many things have to change to transform it in a real place of decision. First of all, no clear and promoting message went out of the forum. Without this core point, no one can expect the forum to give any concrete result of convergence, neither to attract new persons to the movement. In Cochabamba, at the earth forum (counter forum of Copenhagen), they used the slogan "Bien Vivir" (good life) in opposition to "economic growth" as motor of humanity. Such slogan, and an agreement about basic points aren't yet a concrete result. I hope like many we'll change this for the next one!
Don't give up, you'll make a difference in the end after all!
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