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 WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - MUMBAI-INDIA
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A report by Dr. Leo Rebello (Website : www.aidsalternativa.org)
I shall give you day to day news of the World Social Forum being held in Mumbai, India
from 16th to 21st January, so that you can get the ring-side view of it. So, here is the first day's report.
The World Social Forum is not an organisation, not a united front platform, but …an open meeting place
for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences
and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo-liberalism
and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a society
centred on the human person. (From the WSF Charter).
The first WSF was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001 and the response was overwhelming. About 20,000
persons from some 500 organisations participated. So, it was decided that the WSF be held annually.
This is the 4th WSF and the theme is Another World is Possible. This is the biggest, maddest event with
some 1,20,000 persons from 120 countries participating. Inspite of multitude, there was great discipline and the
khakee (the police) simply had nothing to do.
The inaugural session started with Pakistan Sufi rock band Junoon along with Indian drummers belting out
three popular numbers. South African troupe Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre followed with their stage shattering
dance.
91 years old Capt. Lakshmi Sehgal, associate of Subhsh Chandra Bose presided over the inaugural function.
The co-president, V.P.Singh, former prime minister of India could not come due to illness. The Chairman of the Reception Committee, Dr. Shanti Patel, 83 years old, former Mayor of Mumbai, Member of Paliament and Union Leader made a mistake in his welcome speech. He said during this century we will ensure that we have a better world (obviously he forgot that we were only 3 years into new century and there were 97 years more, when none of us would be present. Who has the patience to wait for 97 years for a better world? We want it today. We want it now.
The other speakers included Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Ahmed Ben Bella (Algeria), Chico Whitaker (Brazil) one of the founders of WSF, Jeremy Corby, antiwar Labour MP, Mustafa Barghouti (Palestine), Abduk al Rekabhy (Iraq), Arundhati Roy and Shabana Azmi from India. The speeches were not inspiring. Whatever is known was spoken. That America is a big bully, that Israel is building a wall, that IMF, WB, WTO should go. But no one touched on how to do it. There was no keynote address. There was no agenda, no vision, no leadership visible.
Till 21st January, 1200 workshops and seminars will be held and activists from 81 countries will be contributing
their experiences. Delegates have come from 120 countries. Some 2000 media men have descended to cover the event.
Meeting halls can accommodate minimum 100 persons and maximum 8000. To cater to the delegates, 110 stalls
have been put up. Food is as cheap as Rs.20 (1/2 dollar) to as as high as Rs.300 (6 dollars). Water bottles were
available for sale, but refill is Rs.5, which poor participants and tribals can ill afford and was inadequate. The total
cost for this extravaganza is Rs.10 crores (100 million rupees) and already there is a criticism that this money has
come from rich NGOs which get grants from the MNCs.
Simultaneously, Mumbai Resistance is also being held across from the WSF venue. There about 10,000
delegates have registered. Mumbai Resistance is a motley group of radical thinkers, NGOs working
at the grass root levels, communist parties, etc. Police in mufti are keeping watch on them.
Mumbai Resistance and the critics say that : (a) WSF is an ineffectual forum; (b) debates lack consensus;
(c) no clear strategies or solid alternatives; (d) it can at best be dismissed as a large festival event.
(e) It it ill-focussed talking shop.
Judging by the inaugural function and since I know most of the organisers, speakers (those who spoke today
and those to follow), I would agree with the above criticism. I shall also attend the Mumbai Resistance and
give you a run down on them too.
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Re: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - MUMBAI-INDIA (Re: Elmamoun khider)
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WORLD SOCIAL FORUM, Bombay, 2nd Day's report by Dr. Leo Rebello
Today was the second day of World Social Forum packed with diverse forms of interaction :
plenary sessions, conferences, panels, round tables, seminars, workshops, cultural events,
solidarity meetings, rallies and marches. There are so many groups and people jostling for
media attention, that the media, for once does not does not know what to chew on.
The main issues are sidelined and the Press reports little tidbits like the organisers did not
recognise Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Well, that is fact. I was personally a witness to it
yesterday, that one of the members of organising committee was telling the Chairman of the
Reception to Committee to shift elsewhere and I had to intervene.
As is the habit of the mainline media, "if a dog bites a man it is not news, but it a man bites
the dog, that is news", most papers tomorrow will report two unhappy incidents.
One incident in which disabled people on wheel chairs blocked the entry to Media centre
for about 5 minutes to draw the attention of inadequate arrangements for them. And in another
incident one foreign journalist was sprayed with some chemical and looted of his camera, passport,
and everything, while our Khakee (mumbai police dozed. They are in full strength, but out on
picnic, as always. Infact, they are not happy doing this job, because they have to buy food, books,
etc.) Infact, this experience will do them good, because no one bothers about them.
To attend something like 300 events, some unnecessary, where speakers themselves do
not know what they are saying and what they want, is difficult. So, today, I went out in a chaffeur
driven car with my family to three venues of happening.
First stop was Mumbai Resistance. More police than the participants! Because, Mumbai
Resistance consists of some 300 organizations, some of which also subscribe to armed struggle.
While WSF's slogan is another world is possible, MR is saying we need to fight for it. And
I agree with them, though I may not agree with their method of fighting. Because tit for tat will
make us meat fit for big cats!
Dr. Darshan Pal, convenor, MR 2004 says : "The truth is that globalization was never meant to improve
our lives. This is evident from the fact that today, more people are poor, hungry and oppressed than at any other time in history. Five billion out of the world's 6.3 billion people don't earn enough to live decently.
A billion people go hungry every day, of which 200 million are malnourished children under 5 years. Two billion people do not even have safe water to drink. Globalization has instead been designed to make more money for the monopoly capitalist banks, corporations and governments in industrialized countries".
MR slogans are : Strengthen People's Struggles. Resist Globalisation. Smash Imperialism. Build a People's World.
The inaugural programme of MR was lacklustre. So, from there we drove to Don Bosco ground Matunga, to witness what was happening at the Intercontinental Youth Camp 2004. The venue is central, the arrangements were better than at WSF in Goregaon, and there were about 10,000 young persons who had converged there. With Peace Boat from Japan also having brought some youth peace activists from Japan and Korea.
"Education for All : Can Globalisation Provide It?" session was in progress. Someone recognised me and I addressed the youth for about 5 minutes. By then, it was lunch time and we took a walk of the venue and met some Tibetan monks who could not communicate in English or Hindi, but gave a cheery smile and handed over a booklet on Tibet's strugle for freedom, which I plan to read later.
Back to the main venue of WSF, in Goregaon, after about 30 minutes drive, we participated in the Global March of Children, where Kailash Satyarthi had invited me to be the Guest of Honour along with Mahesh Bhatt, a prominent Hindi film producer. We also took a walk of the Exhibition area and among others found a stall of Falun Gong. They gave a me a free CD and literature of their exercises meant to improve health and literature. Mr. Suren Rao explained that All Falun Dafa activies are conducted by volunteers and are free of charge. There is no membership and no donations are accepted. He said he would visit me, at mutual convenience and also told me to download books, audio and video clips from Galun gong websites : www.falundafa.org
The founder of Falun Dafa is Master Li Hongzhi. In early 1999, an official report placed the number of Falun Dafa practitioners in China at over 7 crores -- a number larger than the membership of the Chinese Communist Party. Therefore, despite its peaceful nature, and great improvement of health of Chinese people, the President of China aided and abetted by the transnational pharma MNCs who could not invade China with drugs, ganged up and thus began a brutal crackdown against Falun Dafa in July 1999. So, the message is : Falun Dafa tried to create Another world, a better world and the forces of darkness tried to crush them. But can with the coming of light darkness persist?
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Re: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - MUMBAI-INDIA (Re: Elmamoun khider)
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WORLD SOCIAL FORUM -- 3rd Day / 18 January / Report
by Dr. Leo Rebello
Today, 18th January, 2004, some 650 Parliamentarians organised the World Parliamentary Forum
on Another World is Possible theme. It will continue tomorrow.
The opening session, instead of at 10 am, started at 11.30 am, but the lunch break was
sharp on time, proving thereby, that when it comes to eating, business can wait!
The intentions were good, speeches so-so, and from Indian side following MPs were
present : Ram Vilas Paswan, R.S.Gavai, Ramdas Athavale, Abu Asim Azmi and Manoj
Bhattacharya. R.S.Gavai chewed tobacco and discreetly removed it from his mouth and
threw it on the ground where he was sitting next to me in the front row, when he was
called on the stage. I am sure he must be following this loathsome habit in the Parliament too,
because old habits die hard.
Outside, the Tibetans protested silently against Mr. Nilotpal Basu, Coordinator of the Preparatory
Committee of Indian Legislators for the WPF 2004, because he wrote to them to "conform to the
formal position of many participating countries" and was not able to accept the participation
of the Tibetan parliamentarians. Mr. Pema Jungney, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile,
who later spoke at a panel discussion on Tibet, also pointed out this discrimination to the participants
in Hall A-10, at the WSF. The topic was Make Tibet a Zone of Peace and Ahimsa (Non-violence).
In the afternoon, at the WPF, two sessions were held on War and Peace and Post Cancun :
G20, G95, EU.... I was asked to speak. I said that UN headquarters should be shifted to India,
talked of Asian Union (my pet suggestion for last 10 years) with one currency, open boundary, like
we have between India and Nepal between SAARC countries, diverting the military funds for
development, not allowing Israel to build the 300 kms, 60 feet high wall to keep the Palestinians
away from Jerusalem, dismantling World Bank, World Hell Organisation, WTO, etc. so
that poverty, depravity, inequality is ended.
Today being Sunday, there was bigger crowd at the WSF and more pageantry, including fire works
display. I participated in following forums : AREANA's discussion on How to defeat Imperialistic Hegemony,
where I repeated the above ideas again, to thunderous applause. On the atrocities on Dalits, their leaders felt
that the discrimination should be stopped at once. At the Communist Writers Forum, speaker after
speaker vent his spleen against communalism, fascism, criminalization, etc. They forgot Corruption.
And no solutions were offered.
I asked the Head of the Media Centre as to why when we are supposedly looking out for Alternative Vision,
the same wrong paradigm HIV=AIDS=Death and more ARVs, cheaper ARVs, easy availability of ARVs
etc. was discussed ad nauseam? He had no answer. So, I suggested that he should facilitate and organize
a Press Conference for me so that I can bring it to the notice of the world that HIV/AIDS is a racket, that
we need to work FROM AIDS SCARE TO AIDS CARE, that there are cheaper, safer, more effective
herbal, homoeopathic medicines available and that one need not live or die with AIDS. He has reluctantly agreed.
Only time will prove whether he meets his commitment or this HIV/AIDS lie will continue to misguide people
even at the WSF.
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Re: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - MUMBAI-INDIA (Re: Elmamoun khider)
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WORLD SOCIAL FORUM
- 19 January - 4th Day Report
by Dr. Leo Rebello
Today, 19th January, 2004, from 9 am to 1 pm "Towards World Parliament" workshop was held at the World Social Forum. 50 persons from 20 countries participated in the discussions. Nicola Vallinoto of the World Federalist Movement (www.wfm.org, Italy, was the convenor. Dr. Leo Rebello, Co-President of World Constitution and Parliament Association chaired the session.
Following persons spoke :
- James Arputharaj, Sri Lanka, World Federalist Movement.
- Rasmus Tenberger, Germany, The Global Democracy Experiment.
- ######## Burkhart & Mona Lee, USA, Bike for Global Democracy.
- Dr. Sichendra Bista, Nepal, eParliament.org
- Rob Wheeler, France, Forum for a World Parliament
- Dr. Carmo D'Souza, India, Lecturer in Goa Law College.
- Mikael Nordfors, Norway, Vivarto Co-operative.
- Troy Davis, USA, World Citizens Foundation.
- Werner Bulling, Germany, Citizens Initiative for For the Europe of the Citizens.
- Prof. Andrew Strauss, USA, Widener University, School of Law.
- Manuel Mononelles, Campaign for Indepth Reform of International Insitutions.
- Prof. Seshrao Chavan, President, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Aurangabad Chapter, India.
- Shishir Srivastava, Dy. Head of World Unity and Peace Education Deptt. CMS, Lucknow.
The talks were followed by comments from the audience in which every one participated.
Following resolutions were adopted unanimously.
1.. Establish World Parliament by 2010.
2.. World Democracy as the main theme at the next WSF.
3.. Website on World Parliament with weblinks to other Mundialist organisations.
4.. Network or Federation of World Democracy Organisations.
5.. World Parliament E-Forum to evolve World People's Basic Manifesto.
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After 1.00 pm, I reached the venue of World Parliamentary Forum to participate in the second day's deliberations.
Because of yesterday's protest, today Mr. Pema Jungney, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, was allowed to speak. He urged the WPF to support them in their just demand and help to make Tibet a Zone of Peace and Ahimsa. Because of translations, and since the FM frequency not catching, some speeches in Portuguese, Spanish and French could not be understood. The Indian Parliamentarians who spoke included : Ram Vilas Paswan, R.S.Gavai, Ramdas Athavale, Manoj Bhattacharya and Nilotpal Basu, the convenor.
Dr. Leo Rebello urged the World Parliamentarians to create a Better World. He enumerated for them some world problems, which they cannot afford to neglect :
(a) Nuclear weapons, threat of nuclear war and nuclear winter.
(b) Other weapons of mass death and destruction.
(c) Conversion from armaments to a peaceful world economy.
(d) Nuclear energy production and unsolved waste disposal problems.
(e) Third world debt and development : Imminent collapse of global financial infrastructure without basic changes.
(f) Transition to New World Economic Order for adequate development, full employment at useful work for all, and global economic equity.
(h) Rapid increase of carbon dioxide in atmosphere, which may result in cataclysmic climatic changes. CO2 increase coming from burning fossil fuels, massive de-forestation, and de-mineralization of soils.
(i) Acid rain and transnational air pollution.
(j) Threat of a new ice age or melting polar caps. Global campaign to prevent such a disaster.
(k) Global transition from fossil fuels and nuclear energy to safe and sustainable energy supplies.
(l) Stopping the use of land to produce tobacco, alcoholic beverages, harmful drugs, sugar, and to satisfy meat industry.
(m) Drought conditions which are increasing and spreading, resulting in starvation and migration of millions of people. Causes and cure.
(n) Mal-distribution of world food supply, resulting in wide spread of malnutrition, resulting in widespread mental malfunctioning leading to threat to civilisation.
(o) Transnational pollution of fresh water supplies leading to shortage of pure drinking water and water riots.
(p) Ocean pollution which threatens Earth's fish and oxygen supplies.
(q) World wide use and abuse of pesticides harmful to people.
(r) Rapidity of technological changes, resulting in technological unemployment,
social and community instabilities, unforeseen adverse ecological impacts.
(s) Vast disparities between hi-tech economies versus low-tech economies. The process of technology transfer so as to benefit everyone.
(t) Tariffs, trade barriers, vast disparities in wage levels, inequitable access to resources and markets, movement of industries to low wage countries.
(u) Regulation of MNCs which manipulate, buy over or destroy even sovereignty of the state.
(v) Big dams which silt up quickly, cause ecological damage and displace people.
(w) Unsolved local problems due to supra-national factors leading to instabilities and dictatorships.
(x) Ethnic, religious, racial and political intolerances, regional wars, and problem of refugees.
(y) Terrorism: many forms, many causes.
(z) Global planning for wise use of natural resources as common heritage of humanity.
Farewell dinner was hosted by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who was present. I was on the table with the CM, Ram Vilas Paswan, MP and former Union Minister, R.S.Gavai, MP and others. Food spread was lavish and food was tasty. I have always maintained that no one can compete with us when it comes to food variety.
Reading through this morning’s newspapers, two things hit the eyes. An editorial in the Indian Express which called WSF a bubble and Free Press Journal reported the arrest of a South African High Court Judge in Bombay for "raping" Lizzane Solome Isacacs.
Briefly, Judge Sirajuddien Desai, 53, and Lizzane, 27, who is working as Project Manager of AIDS Awareness Resources Trust, are from South Africa. She was invited by the World Social Forum and was given a room on 3rd floor of Hotel Taj President, while Judge Desai was on the 9th floor room. She returned after dining and wining at Athena Club at 2.30 am, and visited the judge's room along with her colleague and had another round of wine with him. Thereafter she left with a friend. So far so good. But she called Judge Desai on his mobile again and with his permission she went to see him again (this time alone) at 3.30 am. He "raped" her and she shouted, but the room was closed and no one came to help her. Later she reported the incident to the hotel staff and they in turn called the police. Who is guilty? Judge or the AIDS project manager?
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Elmamoun khider
bunbun
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست