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Solidarity Trip to Another World: Where Other Worlds are Possible and Surviving
by the CJWP delegation to the 4th World Social Forum
(Ching-In Chen,
Derek Chung, Joy Liu and Stella Ng)
posted 6/9/04
16.Jan.04 Inquilab Zindabad! -- NESCO grounds, Goregaon East, Mumbai, India
Zindabad! Chants. Drums. Dust. Everywhere we look people are clamoring for the possibility of a better world. 500 Tibetan monks form a seamless stream of deep red and gold, carrying the large flags of Tibet. Dalits (sometimes derogatorily referred to by others as Untouchables in India’s Hindu- caste system) and Adivasis (the indigenous peoples of India) dance and drum por la revolución: inquilab. Political posters and flyers cover every space. Artisan collectives have set up dozens of booths fitted with fabrics, art, food and gifts. The sounds, sights and smells of the Fourth World Social Forum are overwhelming, and an indication of what is to come in the next six days in Mumbai.
As activists from the United States, we see what we have been systematically trained to overlook and unknow – immense resistances worldwide to the injustice of corporate globalization and the vibrant hope for a better world. The Forum offers us a chance to know in every sense of our being – from the never-ending songs, guerrilla theaters, film screenings, presentations, artwork, marches and energy -- that more people around the world are tuned into the effects and intentions of Capitalism, Globalization and the Bush Empire (its legacy/history and current manifestations), than we are often times permitted to see, know, or be affected by.
The World Social Forum offers an overwhelming selection of workshops – over 1700 during six days, with three time slots per day. The Forum organizers deliberately put together only a small fraction of those, usually the ones with the big names and the largest audiences. The remainder are “self-organized” – each organization that attends the WSF has the opportunity to register to present workshops; those that are accepted are given the space and time to run their workshop. This is one of the things that make the WSF unique – it’s considered a more open, democratic process, allowing space for a wide variety of perspectives, and providing conference delegates the self-determination to choose what is important to them. The WSF is a moment in a process – it’s a piece of the movement where people from around the world touch bases and build connections, coordinate with other campaigns, learn from each other’s struggles and strengths, and bring it back home. With so many options, participants can have a wide variety of experiences based on many factors.
photo
by Derek Chung
