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DOES THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM NEED AND IDEOLOGY:
I have come to attend the
4th WSF as an observer and in the capacity of a member of the NAPM (National Alliance) of People's Movement, India) My political
organisation SJP (Samajwadi Jan Parishad), whose ideology can be called socialism as modified by Gandhism, is not very enthusiastic
about the world conference. Neither does it reject the WSF as wholly irrelevant or reactionary. A practical reason for SJP
not carrying out a strategy to take part in WSF is that participating effectively in this conference is financially in this
conference is financially unaffordable for the SJP. I have decided to come and attend because I can afford to travel to the
venue and spend a week here. the next the future world conference will be held in far away countries. Going there will be
beyond my means. I did want to miss this one. My curiosity is positive.
A few groups in India with whom I have good relations
are mobilizing a resistance (Mumbai Resistance, MR 2004) to the WSF. They have some serious allegations against the character
and compositions of the WSF. I cannot subscribe to these allegations even though a few of them are not unfounded. A brochure
published on behalf of Resistance goes to the extent of alleging that the protagonists of globalization have actually initiated
the WSF process with a view to taming the anti-globalization wave. This statement is either absurd or irrelevant. What is
important is not who started and with what intent, but how the process in being carried forward, and with what outcome. Recent
events in the world have shown that inspite of the universal discontent against Globalization there is hardly any organized,
continuous resistance to the imposition of anti-people economic policies that almost all the nations are experiencing. Outside
Latin America. people's anger against economic imperialism is nowhere reflected in the nations' politics. In such a situation
of inaction any organisation or institution which brings together, periodically, critics of globalization from all corners
of the world is doing us good simply by providing opportunities of solidarity. Critics my be just critics, they may not even
be antagonists. The motto "another world is possible" does not deter them so long as the contents of change are not deeply
debated.
The question at this stage is not whether opportunistic elements have infiltrated into the WSF. We have to search
out whether some healthy, genuinely radical trends are gradually making headway and an international force against globalization
is taking concrete shape as a result of the solidarity and interactions over the past four years. Is there a real sense of
arriving at a world-wide consensus on radical policies which will inspire people of various countries not only to resist globalization
but also to articulate the outlines of new economic society based on the principles of equality ?
The NGO Factor
The
overwhelming presence of the NGOs, liberally founded by donors of rich countries, is a major source of worry, I don't know
if NGOs of other perceived by radical groups as the agents of western capitalism. This is an embarrassing subject because
so many of our deal and esteemed friends are part of the NGOs. This is an embarrassing subject because so many of our dear
and esteemed friends are part of the NGOs. Perhaps they have to be kept there to impart a progressive image to the organisations
concerned. Sometimes it may so happen that one or two personalities associated with a NGO are incorruptible and beyond reproach,
but the bulk of the activities and managers belong to the average run to NGO cadre. The NGOs, by the large, have to function
within the development objective set by the World Bank. When Radical movements are going on in the society, the NGOs may associate
with anti-establishment agitation in order to save their progressive credentials. This is remarkably illustrated in radical
situation when movements are totally absent. If the USA is supporting a military rule and there is no political force there
to resist it, the NGOs also tend to forget about democracy. Globalization with a human face, capitalist development accompanied
by programmes of eradicating poverty -this is the ideology if NGOs in the developing countries. Needless to say, some of them
can easily be covered into agents of the establishment against revolutionary and patriot movements at crucial times. Therefore
it can be said with apologies to those elements in the NGOs who are genuinely radical, that the resentment against the disproportionate
presence of NGOs in the WSF is not without valid reasons.
It is natural for groups starved of funds to be suspicious of
NGO delegates who spend money on their travel, accommodation and activities in a manner similar to what government and corporate
delegates do. It may be asked if it is bad to have more money ? This is a serious question. Some organisations, like mine,
may be inefficient and incapable of collecting funds for meeting the minimum needs of functioning effectively. But even the
best of the organisations in a poor country will find it hard to make both ends meet if it has to remain independent, radical
and uncompromising. The deplorable aspect of the fund of eminent NGOs, is that all the funds come from outside. The local
society does not contributes at all. When the personal lifestyles and organisational expenses do not reflect any of the constraints
of poverty that pervades all around, that itself becomes a source of suspicion, a potential for future compromises.
It
is another thing that NGOs cannot be wished away. But their limitations must be kept in mind while coexisting with them. The
NGOs may constitute the majority of the delegates to the WSF. But is there also an assertive minority consisting of the genuinely
radical elements ? No doubt they are there, but are they visible, as distinct from the NGO crowd ? Discussion on environmental
damage, gender inequality and racial prejudice are commendable exercises, and must find a place in the radical ideology. But
the WSF will be credited with a special role only if it devises a strategy for fighting against the economic globalization
of poor countries, which means fighting against the WTO, World Bank and IMF-against world capitalism in short. Is this question
central to the deliberation and activities of the WSF ? Most of the critics of globalization who attend similar conferences
are hesitant to clarify if they really oppose the WTO, and if they have a programme to end capitalism and its global integration.
The euphoria around Cancun exposed that the concessions are granted to the weaker nations. In this context. the slogan, "Another
world is possible" doe not hold much uttered first, If you go on repeating the slogan without concretizing the change that
is visualized, it loses the original ethos. It may not mean anything after some time.
Failure of the Non-NGO groups
The
failure of the WSF is the failure to initiate a credible process of formulating a strategy for opposing the world economic
system. By not some economic goals should have been laid down and popularized. It has not even been established whether economic
equality is a valid idea as part of the goal of drastically reducing the disparities between nations, regions and classes.
If disparities are to be done away with, what happens to prosperity ? For prosperity without any limit means basically the
centralizing wealth and production. Modern technology specializes in centralizing wealth and its production. So ending inequality
will necessitate a radical change in the use of technologies. The leftists of the twentieth century, the socialists and communists
could not resolve this dilemma. So they met a dead end.
The WSF will have to being where twentieth century socialism stopped.
It not only stopped, it collapsed under the weight of unanswered questions and unresolved contradictions. It could not reconcile
the pursuit of modern prosperity will the goal the economic equality. The lure of prosperity and modern technology is so great
that successful socialists everywhere have bowed to the market and postponed the ideas of equality.
Organizing struggles
is one part of resisting globalization, but the other part is ideological. If a party or coalition of parties is able to gain
popular support and comes to power in a developing country on the promise of fighting globalization, how does it put this
into practice ? What should a patriotic, anti-imperialist government do in respect of foreign capital and foreign loans ?
If the goal is to achieve modern prosperity, the country may need more loans and more foreign capital. Then its dependence
on foreign powers and centres of world capitalism will increase. Will the WSF advices such a government not to go in for modern
prosperity.
Take the example of my own state, Orissa. It is a very poor and backward state, but it has rich bauxite deposits.
Aluminum multinationals are ready to come and make Orissa a source of great wealth. Globalization has promoted the government
of Orrisa to invite the multinationals. But the tribal inhabitants have resisted, and managed to prevent this mining in a
number of cases. If they yield they will be wiped out. They will never get back a satisfying community if they agree to be
displaced. Will the deliberations in the and government on this issue, but may not be more about displacement and less about
mining itself. What has mining done to the people everywhere ? What has mining done to poor and backward regions like Orissa
? And what has it done for the powerful nations? A fundamental questioning of the basic assumptions about mining will raise
new ideological questions. One of these is whether mining should be stopped altogether in regions like Orissa, at least for
the present period. Critics of globalization may not like to debate on this. Every leftist inheriting the 20th Century mind-set
will say, "Mining is inevitable". This statement breaks the barrier between rightists and leftists. It is the modern mind,
addicted to the idea of great prosperity and centralized wealth, which unites them. Even MR 2004 which is opposing the WSF
may be different on this question.
Why should mining be inevitable ? How much of the annual production of Aluminum goes
to boost the war industry and the luxurious living of the rich ? If war and luxurious are not inevitable, why should mining
be inevitable ? Can we not reduce mining to its one hundredth part? It mining is reduced to a bare minimum it will be qualitatively
a very different thing. It may lose the cruelty and glamour associated with modern mining.
The 20th century radicals did
not bother about this aspect because they tended to believe that you can use modern technology anywhere you like and produce
great wealth and then distributed that wealth by using state power. This illusion has been belied, but no proper debate has
yet taken place. We know now that we cannot acquire the technology unless the multinationals are willing to give it. They
do not give it cheaply, so when we start using the technology, the mining process itself gives rise to so many inequalities.
In non-technical language, globalization means integrating the developing economies with the world's most powerful economies.
This process benefits the powerful economies in a total manner, and it is they who take all the initiatives. Others either
okay the proposal or seek concessions and moderation. Whenever the superpowers concede in a small way, it is considered a
big achievement for the poor country. Is the WSF, or some significant part of it, going to take a stand NOT to integrate poor
countries' economies with the most powerful economies ? If it does, it will have to give a call to the developing countries
to quit the WTO. A debate on this is not yet on the agenda of the WSF.
An ideology for the WSF will be evolved if statements
of policy are laid down in response to the following propositions :
1. We should advocate a policy of quitting the W.T.O.
2. Patriotic governments of developing nations should adopt a policy to stop asking for loans from the World Bank / IMF.
3. The whole world needs a civilization change, marked by the reduction of economic disparities between nations and classes.
Towards this, the WSF should strengthen and sharpen the concepts of (1) small and appropriate technology and (2) self-reliant
communities which will produce all basic necessities of life in their own respective regions.
4. There should be no global
trade in articles of daily necessity that can be produced in every region. Even trade within the nation should adopt the economic
philosophy of self-reliance of the communities.
5. Trades and markets desist from multiplying human wants and commercializing
the basic elements of nature like air and water.
6. Mining must be drastically reduced so as to bring about a qualitative
change in its impact on people and business.
And so on. The WSF should provides an atmosphere for the launching of a strategy
of ideas and actions that will define a break with the old order the concepts that shaped it, " Another World" must mean another
civilization. The same appeal is extended to Mumbai Resistance 2004 (Mr-4). We are not convinced that Mr-4 is armed with a
vision that will replace the present global economy. Centralization of wealth production and the desire for limitless prosperity
was the economic aim that inspired both America and the Soviet Union in the20th century. America has now risen to the status
of a global empire, and the Soviet Union has collapsed. The peoples of the world, especially those of the third world, need
a new philosophy of sustainable living and sustainable production. Without this basic component, socialism cannot be revived
in the 21st century. So both MR 2004 and the radicals inside WSF are facing the same challenge.
KISHEN PATTNAYAK
Bhubaneswar
E-mail : patanaik_kishen@vsnl.net
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