Social summit in Brazil ends without clear statement

More than 60,000 anti-globalization activitists participated in the social forum Keystone

Swiss delegates to the World Social Forum summit in Brazil have reported that they are satisfied with the summit - despite its lack of clearly articulated goals.

The Swiss delegation included four members of parliament and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

Dora Rapold of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation said she was impressed by the quality of discussions at the gathering in Porto Alegre, which was billed as an alternative to the World Economic Forum meeting in New York.

The social forum agenda included discussions on such topics as the equitable use of tax funds, and the problems associated with globalisation.

The theme of the gathering was “Another World is possible” – a statement against apathy and hopelessness.

Critics of the gathering in Porto Alegre, however, questioned the meeting’s effectiveness.

Some complained that delegates repeated similar views and failed to launch a clear message against the unchecked spread of globalisation.

New aims

“The new and unexpected thing for me from Porto Alegre was that the movement made an attempt to define itself – for justice, development and democracy, ” Rapold said.

The meeting was not an “anti-meeting”defined by opposition to the WEF talks, she said. “Many of the demands made here, will inform United Nations conferences,” she said.

The conference heard repeated calls for the creation of new discussion sites in which to develop fresh models of human and economic development.

Call for World taxes

Susan George, head of ATTAC (Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions for the Aid of Citizens) said it was important that world powers remove obstacles to fair development.

“In the south, nothing is possible without he cancellation of debt,” George said.

The Porto Alegre forum heard repeated criticism of how the World Trade Organisation, supported by the IMF and World Bank have institutionalised US and European Union interests.

One view was that the WTO be linked to the UN and its authority reigned in. Proposals include the introduction of controls on markets and financial-transaction taxes.

George said revenue from the taxes could be used to develop poor countries.

“A few years ago such an idea was taboo,” she said.

In the mean-time parliaments in France and Canada have lent support to the tax.

Walden Bello from Focus on the Global South said the growth pluralistic regional systems were crucial, perhaps modelled on a democratised EU structure.

“Naturally we need global rules,” Bello said. “However they must be broad and flexible, not based on force and must be based on moral foundations.”

Tensions

Despite the general tone of consensus, some felt the forum needed a harder edge.

Internal critics of the forum said it was typical for fledgling movements to focus more on agreements than on differences.

However Fin Teivo Teivainen from the Institute for Global Democratisation said the movement had to remain open-minded.

“In order for us to develop, we must learn to contradict ourselves,” Teivainen said.

One advantage of such an approach would be the ability to build a broad alliance of supporters – vital if the movement hoped to tackle for forces of Globalisation.

Despite the criticism and the lack of a clear message, some delegates said the forum should continue.

Peter Niggle from the Workers Union of Aid Organisations said the meeting’s value was as a meeting place, rather than as a formal organisation. Such a body would have no future, he said.

by Hansjörg Bolliger in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Translated by Jacob Greber.