World Social Forum reports in Adelaide

Bob Briton

Last Thursday three Adelaide women who attended the World Social 
Forum (WSF) in Mumbai, India, in January summarised their 
experiences for a local audience gathered in the Pilgrim Church 
hall. All three presentations were infused with the enthusiasm 
that seems to have characterised the event. The slogan of the 
world gathering, that "Another World is Possible", had obviously 
struck a chord with these participants.

Professor Fran Baum spoke about the discussions and declaration 
coming from the forum on questions of public health. The 
ambitious and very general nature of the tasks set for world 
people's movement was noticeable from the overheads. As related 
to health issues, these tasks include the defeat of corporate 
globalisation, the end of war and occupation and resistance to 
privatisation.

A boycott of the benefactors of the war on Iraq is being 
developed and support was given to the million-signature campaign 
[visit www.TheMillionSignatureCampaign.org] demanding that the UN 
and the world's governments give adequate funding for public 
health services.

Social planner Rochelle Woodley-Baker at first wondered about the 
relevance of her specialisation in a city of 20 million 
inhabitants where seven million sleep on the streets. During her 
presentation Rochelle showed images from a display on questions 
of social justice in India including an unforgettable one of a 
newborn on a heap of rubbish.

She came away impressed by the way so much common ground was 
found and communicated from such a diverse and large gathering. 
The size and variety can be gauged by the fact that a newspaper 
was produced on each of the five days of the event giving details 
of over 300 workshops on offer daily!

Rochelle pointed out that an opposition "Mumbai Resistance" forum 
was set up near the WSF venue. This was brought together on a 
much narrower basis than the main gathering. Only those declaring 
that socialism was the answer to the problems of capitalist 
globalisation could participate. Most left parties, including the 
Communist Party of India (Marxist), attended the broader main 
event.

Organisers of the "Mumbai Resistance" event accused the latest 
WSF of sidetracking activists into discussion and away from the 
type of direct action demonstrated in cities like Seattle. They 
further maintain that the WSF has been corrupted by accepting 
contributions for some costs from agencies of governments of 
various European countries, for example.

Ruth Russell attended the WSF as a representative of the 
Australian Peace Committee, the Quakers, the Women's 
International League for Peace and Freedom and MEDACT. Last year 
Ruth went to Iraq as a human shield during the US invasion of 
that country. She travelled to India for the forum with other 
delegates aboard the Japanese Peace Boat.

Among the discussions Ruth took part in was whole day workshop on 
strategies for the world peace movement. The emphasis was on the 
task of building capacities in the participants' countries to 
prevent the slide to war and on methods for turning people into 
activists.

Questions from the audience reflected some of the debate that 
took place at the forum. There was a healthy and respectful 
discussion about whether socialism or efforts to re-regulate 
capitalism were ultimately desirable.