Helen Jarvis & Jon Lamb, Mumbai
More than 80,000 people participated in the fourth World Social Forum, held on January 16-21 in the NESCO exhibition grounds, located in the north of Mumbai. There were rich discussions and debates on how to counter capitalism, corporate globalisation and the United States-led occupation of Iraq.
With more than one-sixth of the world's population living in India, and the overwhelming poverty of Mumbai, there couldn't have been a more appropriate place for holding such a mammoth demonstration of opposition to capitalist globalisation, which so disadvantages the Third World.
The opening and closing sessions featured strong condemnations of the US war on Iraq. As delegates continued to pour into the main arena on opening night, Indian writer and commentator Arundhati Roy appealed to those gathered to target two corporations profiting from the reconstruction of Iraq and shut them down. "Iraq is the culmination of imperialism and neoliberalism", declared Roy.
A call went out to mobilise on March 20, the first anniversary of the US attack on Iraq.
Prominent lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jehangir from the Pakistan Social Forum addressed the closing celebrations held in the Azad Maidan, in the centre of town, on January 21: "We want accountability for the war on Iraq. The American policy is based on fear. They are keeping their people ignorant in the name of [fighting] terrorism". Former Indian president KR Narayanan added that "we are seeing a new struggle against the power of corporates and militarism".
Opposition to the US war drive was a central theme of the WSF, with many organisations and participants pledging to build the March 20 international demonstrations to ensure they are as big as possible. There were a large number of workshops, seminars, activist gatherings, stalls, banners and protest marches decrying the US occupation of Iraq. A popular poster read, "When Bush comes to shove — Resist".
Several major workshops and sessions focused on the campaigns to counter other aspects of US foreign policy and military intervention, including solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people, opposition to US military bases around the world, and the demand for compensation and justice by those who have suffered (and are still suffering) from US aggression.
A plethora of local organisations mobilised from across India to come to the gathering, highlighting a diverse range of issues. These included the rights of ethnic minorities, poverty alleviation through to the expansion of women's rights, workers' struggles (including child workers) and the rights of poor peasants. The strong presence of the Indian grassroots movements and political parties gave a militant tone to the whole gathering.
Colourful and enthusiastic protest marches and cultural performances by the disenfranchised and oppressed minority groups, such as the Dalits (often referred to by the derogatory term, "untouchables"), could be seen and heard all over the WSF site, at all hours of the day and night.
Solidarity and resistance was a strong thread throughout the WSF. The roads and paths around the forum site were constantly choked with contingent after contingent of drumming and chanting protesters weaving their way through the crowd.
In bringing together and highlighting the many different struggles for justice taking place around the world, the WSF was a major success. Networks have been strengthened and an enormous amount of discussion and information was exchanged between a huge number of organisations and individuals.
Questions of strategy, activity and structure between this meeting and the next WSF — planned for Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2005 — were discussed.
What of the WSF policy to exclude political parties from its organising bodies? The contradictions of this were belied by the forum itself. Speakers at the main sessions included representatives of governing parties, while grassroots participants often revealed their allegiance to political parties.
What characteristics would "another world" need to solve the issues raised by the participants? One banner proclaimed, "Socialism is the only alternative", but how many would agree with that analysis? One weakness of the WSF was the absence of any direct discussion of these questions.
Clarity on these questions will be critical in ensuring the WSF process becomes stronger in combating the will of the US empire and its hangers-on.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, January 28, 2004.
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