People's Democracy

 World Social Forum Comes To India

W R Varada Rajan

THE World Social Forum developed as a response of the growing international movement to neo-liberal economic policies being pursued in most countries and capitalist led globalisation. For decades, international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have been making decisions that affect the lives of people all over the world, without being subject to any sort of democratic control. People in Third World countries, as well as the poor and excluded sectors of industrialised countries suffer the devastating effects of economic globalisation and the dictatorship of international institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO and the governments that serve their interests.

The World Social Forum was conceived as an international forum against neo-liberal policies and capitalist led globalisation built around the slogan: “Another World Is Possible”. It seeks to provide a space for discussing alternatives, for exchanging experiences and for strengthening alliances between social movements, unions of the working people and NGOs. The first WSF was held in January 2001, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. It was timed to coincide with the holding of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Every year since 1971, an exclusive club of chief executives of the world's largest and most influential trans-national corporations meets with academics and political leaders in the Swiss resort town of Davos, to chart the global economic agenda. The WSF was thus seen as a counterweight to the options proposed by the World Economic Forum.

The World Social Forum is not an organisation, not a united front platform, but “…an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo-liberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a planetary society centred on the human person”.

Neither does the WSF does have a common political manifesto on which all those who participate have to agree. The basis of the World Social Forum is anti-imperialism, anti neo-liberalism, and the conviction that ‘another world is possible’. The basic idea is the creation of a space for everyone to come together with a respect for that space. The WSF process includes different trends. There are those, for example, who say that a reform of the WTO and the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and IMF) is possible, and there are those who believe that reforming them is impossible and that a more basic and systemic change is necessary. There are those who propose dialogue, and others who believe only in confrontation.

WSF PROCESS IN INDIA

The second WSF was held in Jan/Feb. 2002. By then, the International Committee of the World Social Forum and the Brazil Organising Committee decided that from 2002 onwards, the annual global WSF meeting be accompanied by regional, continental, and/or thematic Forums across the globe. In India, many groups and movements that are opposed to neo-liberalism and imperialism got together to initiate the WSF process, drawing upon their own experiences in mobilising large sections of the people in campaigns and movements against the neo-liberal globalisation. The WSF process in India developed as an open, inclusive and flexible process, organising events and activities across the country, based on peoples’ perceptions regarding the impact of neo-liberal economic policies and imperialism on their daily lives. Later, it was decided to organise an Asian regional forum in India, rather than a national forum.

The Asia Social Forum (ASF) held in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh from January 2 - 7, 2003 with the theme, "Another Asia is Possible” was a six-day open rendezvous for people's movements to come together to challenge imperialist globalisation, communalism and war and come up with a diverse, genuinely democratic and socially just alternatives.

The ASF was participated in all by 14,426 delegates, including 780 foreigners from 840 organisations. Apart from the opening and closing plenary, eight conferences, 160 seminars and 164 workshops deliberated on various themes.

Several central trade unions and national federations actively participated in all the events of the ASF, besides organising six seminars, facilitated by the Centre for Education and Communication.

The vast spectrum of events during the ASF brought to light the struggles that people have valiantly been carrying on against every form of exploitation. Environmental concerns, impact of globalisation on marginalised communities and Dalits, population politics and conflicts in West and Central Asia were hotly debated.

The sufferings inflicted on women in social, economical and cultural spheres by the neo-liberal policies of the governments, more so in India by the cultural nationalism of the BJP and sangh parivar, the ills of imperialist globalisation combined with the growing attacks against trade union and democratic rights were all in focus in these events.

WSF 2004 IN INDIA

During the third annual edition of the World Social Forum was held in Porto Alegre from the January 23 - 28, 2003, the International Council of the WSF mooted a proposal to hold the World Social Forum, 2004 in India. The International Committee (IC) of the World Social Forum, which met at Porto Alegre on January 21 - 22, 2003, decided to hold the 2004 global event of the World Social Forum process in India. This decision took into account, among other factors, the need to facilitate the participation of Asian and African entities and organisations, whose access to the meetings in Porto Alegre was difficult for financial reasons and because of the geographical distance. The IC also decided that the WSF will not be tied to the dates of the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the case the two events happen in different dates, on the occasion of the Davos Forum the WSF organisations will hold worldwide manifestations against the war.

After a series of consultation meetings, it has since been decided to hold the WSF 2004 in India from January 16 - 21, 2004 and the venue will be Mumbai. A three tier organisational structure has been decided upon. The WSF India General Council is the first tier comprising all organisations, which agree with the WSF Charter of Principle and contribute a minimum of Rs 5000 to the solidarity fund. The WSF India Working Committee (IWC) and WSF India Organising Committee (IOC) constitute the second and third tiers. All the mass organisations joining the WSF India process will have one nominee each of theirs in the India General Council.

All organisations, movements and individuals who affirm their adherence to the WSF Charter of Principles and the WSF India Policy Statement and commit themselves to work towards broadening the arena of struggle against the imperialist globalisation, communalism, casteism and patriarchy and for world peace can come together in the efforts to carry forward the WSF process in India. The WSF India is preparing not only to hold the World Social Forum 2004 in Mumbai in January next but also initiate State level and sectoral processes to bring together all those who are keen on broad basing the struggle against imperialist globalisation.

There are several functional groups constituted to attend to various aspects of organising the WSF 2004. Besides the above, there is a Mumbai Organising Committee, which is a support group working along with the members of the India Organising Committee based at Mumbai. In this committee also all the mass organisations are represented.

The Programme group is working on the thematic areas for the WSF 2004, keeping the Asian context in view. Imperialism in the 21st century – threats to freedom, economic self-reliance, sovereignty, peace and liberty of nations and individuals, confronting the challenges; Intolerance and sectarian violence – ethnic, racial, religious, cultural, linguistic and gender dimensions; Debt, Development, Trade, Finance and Investment - human rights and welfare vs. markets and profit; Democracy, mass and social movements, alternatives and strategic alliances and working together; Ecology, Art, Culture, Media, Knowledge, Education, Health, Energy and Social Security – Conservancy, Plurality and Diversity, Universal access vs. commercialisation. In short, the indicative themes will be exploring the visions of another world and ways to make it possible.

In the run up to the WSF 2004, several regional Social Fora have also been planned, like the European Social Forum in November 2003. Consultations among the Asian groups have also been initiated to ensure a larger participation and partnership in the WSF 2004. An International Youth Camp will also be organised on the sidelines of the WSF 2004.

Consultations are also on between different mass organisations and social movements in different sectors. For instance, the trade unions are planning to come together to organise several activities under the caption ‘Labour in WSF 2004’. The broad theme for organising trade union related activities as a part of  the WSF 2004 is being worked around “Work and the World of Labour: Freedom, Equality and Labour Rights; Discriminations and Exclusions; Full Employment, Living Wage and Social Security”.  

The recently concluded meeting of the CITU General Council at Cuttack had noted: “The CITU is actively associating with the WSF process in India. Maharashtra CITU will have to take special initiative for organizing the event at Mumbai along with others. Steps are already being taken in that direction and some leading comrades in the State have been identified for being associated in the concerned committees.

The General Council deliberated the issue and decided on the steps to ensure effective participation and mobilisation by the CITU unions in WSF 2004 at Mumbai and related activities in all the States.

Similarly, the AIDWA is also taking initiative to bring together all organisation and groups working among women in India to mobilise the women from across the country for the successful staging of the WSF 2004 at Mumbai. A number of events on women’s issues are also being planned, which will present the vision of another world possible through women’s eyes. The All India People’s Science Network, which had played a crucial role in holding the Asian Social Forum in Hyderabad in January this year, is active in carrying forward the WSF process in all the states, regions and sectors. The DYFI and the SFI are working together not only for the success of the WSF 2004 but also in organising an Intercontinental Youth Camp, as an integral part of the WSF 2004. The AIKS and the AIAWU are mobilising the peasant masses and rural workers against the disastrous impact of the globalisation policies and working to bring all other organisations of the WSF platform. 

Though the charter of the World Social Forum does not envisage the direct association of political parties in the WSF process, it is significant that one of the panel discussions to be organised during the WSF 2004 will focus on “political parties and social movements”. An International Parliamentary Forum will also take place on the sidelines of the WSF 2004, for which recently a group of Parliamentarians from Europe visited India and had interaction with the leaders of various groups in our Parliament.

With over one lakh delegates from within and outside India likely to converge in Mumbai for the WSF 2004, January next will mark yet another milestone in the search for people centric alternatives to imperialist globalisation!