April 6, 2006

While it may not have roped in the 100,000 or so figure, or the ‘WSF celebrities’ that seem to go wherever the WSF is held, it did bring local people from all the four provinces to interact, be together and be heard. In a way it showed to all, especially its critics, that it was not, after all, just an NGO bazaar

Some call it a political jamboree of sorts, others a social movements mela. Yet another set calls it a huge rally against the the neo-liberal imperialistic agenda of the West. Opponents may even disparagingly call it an NGO bazaar while proponents term it the largest gathering ever of civil society.

Call the World Social Forum (WSF) what you will. But the good that came out of the one held in Karachi, from March 24–29, the third and the last leg of the polycentric events held this year, was that it was held after all, despite major hiccups –– visa conundrums, last minute drop-outs by some bigwigs, huge logistical issues, the forum requested by the Government of Pakistan not to invite Dalai Lama, venue change from Expo Centre to the KMC Sports Complex –– among a hundred other big and small.

But perhaps its biggest success can be attributed to the fact that it was not only held, it carried on for almost six days without anyone resorting to hooliganism, disruption or violence. People learnt to disagree patiently. Karachi showed to the world and proved to itself that it desires peace.

While it may not have roped in the 100,000 or so figure, or the ‘WSF celebrities’ that seem to go wherever the WSF is held, it did bring local people from all the four provinces to interact, be together and be heard. In a way it showed to all, especially its critics, that it was not, after all, just an NGO bazaar. It upheld the spirit of the WSF by bringing the real actors closer on one platform, those who are in imminent danger of being affected by the globalisation designed to bring about a further inequity to the world.

Although there were delegates from 48 countries, somehow the regional presence was missing. And those who did make it were the already converted. China, where the peasant movement is gaining ground and rapid urbanisation is taking place, was conspicuous by its very weak presence. It was represented by a modest ten-member delegation from the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CHINANGO) and had planned just one panel discussion on the importance of China’s economic growth for Asia’s development and prosperity. Malaysia, which can be a model of resurrection was also not there.

The WSF has come a long way, literally speaking, from the time it was held six years ago in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in January 2001. Attended by some 100,000 people, mainly from civil society groups, it decided to stand up against the World Economic Forum, held in the Swiss town of Davos, and attended by the business and political elite and viewed as supporting globalisation.

Still in its nascent stage, the WSF is going through growing pains and mulling over the kind of identity it seeks. Some feel that with politics in a crisis, globally, with very little people’s representation, the Forum should be vying for a bigger space in the political field. “It’s still too early to talk about organising politically at such a global level, but the idea is not totally bizarre. It’s practicable,” says Karamat Ali, convener of the Pakistan chapter of the WSF

And then there are some who feel the Forum is losing ground and will soon meet its demise. “The process has begun, we have taken the first step and I don’t see it dying out. For the people to remain interested, we have to handle this with creativity,” he says.

“The Forum is no replacement for real politics,” retorts firebrand Pakistani-born novelist, broadcaster and political campaigner, Tariq Ali, who feels that it won’t bring about any major social movement as that only comes about from the grass roots. He feels the only utility he sees of such forums is that “These are useful only in the sense that you exchange opinions.”

 

“This is a tremendous achievement by the Pakistani civil society,” says an impressed J.P Dardaud, of Freres des Hommes, a French labour union group. “I witnessed the vitality of the civil society firsthand. It is confronted with pressures, we, in France, don’t even know exist.” He was referring to the poor and oppressed Pakistani majority, driven on the one hand by a strong religious mobilisation and a dictatorship under heavy US pressure on the other.

The emptiness that engulfs the KMC Sports Complex is profound after six days of complete mayhem and merriment. No music, no rallies, no chants against the WTO regime and the IMF/WB, no Bush and US bashing. Garbage strewn all over, stall tables being folded and stacked neatly to be taken back, empty walls that had been filled by mounted pictures of street children and the recent earthquake. One wonders if after all this, will those who were so active make the world a better one?

At the end of the forum, when people begin to wrap up, close shops, go back home, exchange last-minute email addresses and take the last snapshot of the friendship that grew within the venue, they ask what now and what global solutions has it come up with?

“Without a doubt, I see an immediate impact. I see how energised people are. There will be a multiplying effect,” says an ever optimistic Karamat Ali. “Sometimes people draw strength for their struggle from numbers. It gives them hope and they don’t feel alone. So even if for some this amounted to network, I see it as a positive sign. This experience will stay with them forever.”

To Baseer Naveed, a trade unionist and a leading member of the resistance movement, “The lessons shared have been all worthwhile. We are so used to slogan-mongering that most of the energy is consumed doing just that. We learnt that along with that, we need to build our intellectual capacity.”

“All that is fine,” says Jamal Juma, a Palestinian peace activist, “ But we have to walk the talk now. Just discussing issues we all are aware of is not enough. It’s time we translated these into action,” he adds. What is missing in such forums, according to Juma, is “solutions, strategies and work plans.”

Ask Tariq Ali if such a forum will affect the military dictatorship and the answer is a prompt “No!” He thinks there won’t be a dent to the civilian veneer the military shrouds itself in. Tarek Fatah, who hosts The Muslim Chronicle, a weekly show on a Canadian TV channel, feels the same. “This (event) is like a drop in the ocean.”

And so whatever people may say, one thing is clear, this yearly occasion allows civil society to vent its opinions and draw attention to some of the perpetuating injustices that citizens around the world face, from military hegemony, to inequalities in global governance, to growing human rights violations and environmental degradation.n

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)