[R-G] ESF: 'Florence besieged by army of freethinkers'

[ProletarianNews]

Guardian. 8 November 2002. Florence besieged by army of freethinkers.

FLORENCE -- Florence was yesterday under siege, not from hordes of
violent anti-capitalists intent on destroying the city's artworks, as
the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, predicted earlier this
week, but from legions of emerging political and social ideas which many
believe could refresh global democracy and the traditional European
left.

While the authorities have played up a possible repeat of the Genoa G8
clashes last year that saw one man killed, tear gas, running battles and
deep embarrassment for the Italian government, the 25,000 people who
have gathered for the first European social forum are mostly locked in a
bewildering variety of debates and discussions at an old fort.

No one denies that obscure fringe elements may seek to settle scores
with the police at tomorrow's anti-war march, which is expected to
attract 100,000 people, but yesterday's emphasis was firmly on peaceful
change and the evolution of political ideas rather than revolution.

The forum, set up as a pro-democracy organisation to bring together
broad social movements, says it has no intention beyond stimulating
debate and giving a voice to people who are marginalised, or who seek
political change. Its agenda is set by the participants and it expects
to issue no formal statement of aspirations -- or indeed, to reach any
conclusions.

Six thousand armed police are on standby, but a demonstration by 5,000
people against a nearby US air force base outside Florence passed off
peacefully.

Despite this, all McDonald's restaurants in the city, Shell petrol
stations, many exclusive shops and small traders barricaded their
premises or closed up. But many locals were appalled that the
authorities and press had, they alleged, deliberately misrepresented the
four-day conference. "Red Tuscany welcomes you," said one defiant
shopkeeper.

One of the participants at the forum, Dr Tony Caravas from Athens, said:
"This is a coming of age for the anti-globalisation movement. For the
first time people have gathered from across Europe and other continents,
not to oppose an organisation or world leaders, but to come up with
ideas for change. There are people here from very many political
traditions and cultures who want to find new ways to resist what is
happening in the world. Now the problem is to describe the world that we
want."

Michelle Roberts, a teacher from Bordeaux, added: "This is the new
politics. People are excited. Everyone has come for the same thing -- to
understand what is happening, question the present system of politics
and propose changes."

The 25,000 people of all ages, from 475 groups and more than 100
countries, are meeting in halls and many smaller workshops around the
city.

The more than 400 debates range from anti-militarism to vegetarianism,
world debt and social control, to African development, industrial food,
religions, European responsibilities, migrants, human rights and energy.

Yesterday dissidents and high profile authors and politicians spoke,
including the Italian Nobel literature prizewinner Dario Fo, the French
farm leader Jose Bove, US activists Ralph Nader and Naomi Klein, Tariq
Ali and Vandana Shiva.

"In four days here I can learn more about what is happening in the world
than I could in four years watching TV," said a local student. "This is
my education. We are not told what is happening in the press, we are
spoon-fed what the authorities want us to hear."

High on the agenda are the perceived erosion of democracy, the role of
political parties, alternatives to privatisation and the threat of
multinationals.

"The background to all debates is the growing worldwide opposition to
the 'neoliberal' politics espoused by G8 countries," one conference
organiser said.

The name and form of the meetings is borrowed from the influential world
social forum held annually in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This adopted the
slogan "another world is possible" and was set up to counter the world
economic forum held in Davos, Switzerland, each year, which attracts
leading financiers, politicians and establishment thinkers.

"What is being attempted is a loose organisational form to the anti
capitalist movement," a forum spokesman said. "The sheer volume and
diversity of ideas means we'll never get point by point consensus, but
there are key things like war, racism and neoliberalism that we can
agree on."

Trade unions, communist groups, socialists, environmentalists,
anarchists and greens are all represented.

Most say they have put aside their traditional rivalries, at least for
the duration of the meeting. "Out of this chaos of ideas and
experiences, we can all learn and and change our views," a French
socialist said.

"It's an incredible symbol of hope," said Caroline Lucas, Britain's only
Green MEP. "It shows there is a great deal of common ground between
disparate groups and people."

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ProletarianNews
http://www.utopia2000.org
with photos




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