Another world is possible, but how?

Some critical remarks about the London ESF 2004
A great variety of organisations attended the third edition of the European Social Forum in London (14 until 17 October 2004). Next to the obligate presence of activists from trade unions and other social movements, this time also the presence of the peace movement was very good visible. With the many announced actions and debates in which the retreat of the British troops from Iraq was demanded, the peace movement’s presence became clear. But is that ‘other world’ of which some dreams, necessarily also a better, and more peaceful world? Some impressions by Jan Van Criekinge from London.
The War Resisters’ International (WRI), the international network of pacifist organisations, of which Forum voor Vredesactie is a member organisation, had saved expenses neither troubles for its own contribution in the - overwhelming - program of the ESF. At the WRI Council of Ohrid (June 2004), a call was launched to come to the London ESF in October. Even a special ESF-edition came out of ‘The Broken Rifle’; the internal magazine of the WRI, with a detailed description of all activities and workshops related to ‘peace’ on and around the ESF. Forum voor Vredesactie had prepared among many other workshops on Bomspotting as a model of civilian disobedience against weapons of mass destruction, action strategies to prevent the next war, the militarization of the European Union; and about war and the colonial past.

Counter balance necessarily

Taking into consideration the critical remarks on previous editions and on the World Social Forum, this time also the radical pacifist voice could be heard at many seminars and workshops. That was quite well needed as a counter balance for the all too dominant presence of activists of the Socialist Workers Party, nostalgic communists, ‘unconditional’ friends of Cuba and the Palestinian’s case, Kurdish and Basque nationalists and even straight supporters of the armed ‘resistance’ in Iraq. If the slogans were sturdy anti-Bush, anti-Blair, anti-Israel or anti capitalistic it seemed to be enough for many participants as a step closer to that so desired ‘other’ world. Especially during the demonstration of Sunday afternoon through the centre of London the authoritarian leftist presence was just too strong to be good for this kind of events. With the WRI-delegation, we waited therefore wisely till the very last participants were gone to start marching. The colourful WRI-banner with the broken rifle closed so the multicoloured procession, just before the London police and the city’s cleaning team.

Garbage dump

The ESF attracted otherwise much less participants then the previous editions. Of the amounts expected by the organisers (40 until 50,000) only scarcely the half showed up. Some seminars had almost more speakers behind the table and interpreters in their booths than participants in the hall. Also the ecological aspects of this event made clear that an other world is still very far away. There was in every respect a huge gap between words and deeds. Who on Sunday afternoon, at the end of the meetings, went around in the large hall of the Victorian Alexandra Palace could got easily the impression to walk on a garbage dump. The floor lay strewn with pamphlets which were throwing away together with other junk. From one or another form of selective waist collection apparently nobody had yet heard. “Yes”, said a young African woman, “an other world is possible, but not here”.

Creativity of nonviolence

Was the contribution of the WRI and its various affiliates then much ado about nothing? Certainly not, well on the contrary. For me is quite clear that there is still a long way to go before that ‘an other world’ of our dreams will become a reality. And how that ‘other world’ will work out, that’s the question. Therefore the contribution of the active nonviolence could be so important on such forums. Here the experience and the creativity of organizations like Forum voor Vredesactie is (I think herewith of actions as Bomspotting, actions against the arms trade, critical questions at shareholders assemblies, etc) are of priceless value. Here we get also the chance to create networks and find possible allies, without preaching only for our own parish. Strategies that are based on nonviolent resistance and the idea of conscientious objection are certainly not common thinking among large layers of the antiglobalisation movement. May be large concrete results could not be expected from a forum like ESF, but the presence of the WRI was not unnoticed. Jan Van Criekinge (member of the board of ‘Forum voor Vredesactie’, Flemish section of WRI in Belgium)