***** EUROPEAN SOCIAL FORUM: `Constructing another Europe, another world' BY SUSAN AUSTIN
PARIS - The second European Social Forum, held in Paris from November 12-15, attracted around 50,000 people, mainly from the countries of the Europe Union. The ESF is modeled on the World Social Forum (WSF), held for the last three years in Brazil, and seeks to provide a venue for discussions between activists within the various movements fighting against neo-liberal globalisation. . . .
The first ESF, held in Florence last November, attracted 60,000 participants and featured a one-million-strong march against the impending US war on Iraq. . . .
Anti-war movement
Also high on the agenda were discussions on the anti-war movement. Rahul Mahjane [Mahajan] from United for Peace and Justice anti-war coalition in the United States spoke at a plenary on November 13 on "Iraq: neo-liberal globalisation, occupation and the new colonialism". He argued that it would be difficult to achieve self-determination for the Iraqi people without a carefully controlled UN peacekeeping force using non-US troops.
In opposition to this view, George Galloway from Stop the War Coalition in Britain said: "Iraqi people have every moral, legal and political right to confront their occupiers. Iraqi people will not accept peacekeepers - they want the international community to get out of their country without delay." He added: "We have to stop thinking like imperialists".
A huge demonstration of up to 200,000 people marched through the streets of Paris on November 15, united under the theme: "For a Europe of rights in a world without war". Beginning at the Place de la Republique, the march took over five hours before the last contingents reached the Nation metro station. It was lively, spirited, colourful and diverse, with big percussion, rock and pop music floats, a brass band or two, a couple of huge puppets and a contingent of queer cheerleaders. Banner, stickers, badges, flags, newspapers and leaflets abounded in many different languages.
It was the first time that the Paris ESF participants were able to come together and appreciate their numbers and their strength. . . .
<http://www.greenleft.org.au/current/563p17.htm> *****
***** Looking for fun at the Forum . . . by Judy Rebick November 20, 2003
. . . The European Social Forum (ESF) ended with a massive demonstration with the liveliest contingents from Italy and Germany, a huge participation of kick-ass youth and a noticeable lack of large trade union contingents.
The liveliest and the largest contingent in the march was from the Refounded Communist Party of Italy. They had a DJ on a sound truck playing great music and hundreds of young people dancing behind a banner that shouted "Disobienti." It was more like a Caribana contingent than a left-wing party. The demonstration was the only indication of creativity and fun throughout the social forum. . . .
Judy Rebick is the publisher of rabble. She holds the Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson University in Toronto.
<http://www.rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=28397> *****
-- Yoshie
* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/> * Calendars of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, <http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>
