Julio,
I think one modest proposal that the parallel government might consider
is the 'alternative budget' approach pioneered by John Loxley at the
University of Manitoba. Using his skills and knowledge in economic
development and in government finance and community development, he
organized unions, health ngos, teachers, feminist groups, interested
academics, etc. into a consultative process leading to the development
of alternative budgets eventually at the local, provincial and federal
levels. These budgets, which reflected a democraticly arrived-at
social agenda, were released just prior to the official government
budgets. Subsequent publicity of what social gains were possible to
achieve was used to pressure governments to adopt more progressive
programs and to undercut the governments usual mantra of TINA. They also
undercut the elite's claim that progressive policies were irresponsible
or would hurt the economy but rather, undercut the governments elite agenda.
Paul P
Julio Huato wrote:
Michael Lebowitz:
Let's begin, though, by asking Julio,
Alejandro and David to identify concrete
conditions and problems in Mexico that
need to be addressed to ensure that any
proposals made are rooted in the concrete
conditions of Mexico rather than pulled
out of our back pockets. Eg., I'd like to
have some idea as to whether proposals
offered will be equally applicable in
North and South... and whether they think
the ground will be equally fertile.
I wasn't expecting people on PEN-L to do a lot of research on Mexico's
local conditions (or to expect that from us). I was thinking that,
using the knowledge and information you *already* have about Mexico's
or about countries with similar conditions and problems, at that
(perhaps high) level of generality or abstraction, you made your
points. The point of the convention is to socialize and synthesize
the wealth of local and topical information people *already* have,
from wherever they are, and turn it into "actionable items" (thanks
Don Rumsfeld for these terms).
People on PEN-L have their own individual perspective, their own "pet
topics" -- said with all due respect. That's a lot of topical
knowledge, specialized or not, that may be useful to the people who
will be deliberating in the CND. Let me list issues in which
information people on PEN-L already have may be useful: technology,
the environment, foreign policy, international economic relations,
dealing with the U.S., development, macro policy, finance, political
organizing, etc.
Of course, the political dynamics will determine the course of action.
But thinking aloud of these things, whatever the level of generality
of the discussion, may be useful to an alternative government with a
popular base. I can tell you that a lot of people in Mexico are eager
to learn from you. So don't be shy.
They'll decide what helps them and what doesn't.
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