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Veterans on ESF: Good politics, bad organisation

I had the pleasure to speak with many veterans on their view of ESF in Malmö. As I myself never been to ESF earlier it was of interest to me to know what they thought. Contrary to many predictions ESF in the Nordic countries was not an organizational success nor a political backlash or deradicalization. Many of the most critical voices regarded it as the politically best ESF so far.

What have impressed especially is the broad scope of issues, that the debates were getting deeper into the questions and that the panels were not so big which made it possible for the audience to participate in the debate. Nicola from Focus South stressed that the Nordic moderators were good at listening to the mood among the audience and get it involved.

Asbjörn Wahl from Action for the Welfare State in Norway said that the trade union participation was a lot bigger than at earlier ESF, something he was proud of. This was also the case for the environmental movement, peasant movement and indigenous movement. In general it was completly or more than full at smaller seminars and workshops on climate, research on social movements, development critique, indigenous people and many other issues.

Christoph Aguiton, veteran in European popular movement cooperation an active in organizing marches against unemployment, WSF and ESF had talked to many other veterans in Malmö. He stated that many people visiting ESF for the first time by natural reasons are positive while veterans that has been participating many times can be a lot more critical. His judgment is that 2/3 of the veterans looked upon the political result of ESF in Malmö as positive or very positive. 1/3 had a negative opinion. This is mainly people working with traditional issues as the public sector and labor issues were they felt that not one single person from the Nordic countries came to important assemblies and seminars which during a long period have been the core of the ESF process and were there was great hope to now get Nordic sister organizations on board.

Pierre Georges who was an inspirer behind the open space and closing session was surprised about that so few turned up at the Assembly of Social Movements. He sees of course the idea of an open space and closing session as a good idea but as the situation was with so little interest for the ASM and the lack of a critical mass to make the closing session a good experience had it not been functioning well to only go on as if nothing had happened.

The environmental movement could be happy about a comment among those that saw a need in organizing a complete alternative to ESF with so called radical assemblies. Fria Tidningen writes about this initiative "- Action network is a radical alternative to the ordinary ESF and is more radical, a possibility for radical voices to be heard, says David Endre. In the ordinary ESF it is a bit more, without sounding bitter, a bit more mediocre". What we have heard is that a certain wonder was spreading around when the discussions on climate at ESF were more radical than those at the alternative ESF.

Everyone saw the demonstration as very good and a height. The solution of the problem of what should be the main slogan for the demonstration became somewhat of an anticlimax. Into the very last minute people from the continent persisted in that there should be a main banner were Europe should be included. (The official parole of the demonstration was Poere to the people ­ No to capitalism and environmental destruction. Added when translating this text.) When the demonstration finally started there were no main banner at all. The banner was there but none wanted to carry it. One wished instead to carry the union flags. That may say something about the lack of responsibility for the common goal but that the demonstration was so appreciated by so many also says something. Not the least did the Dalit women from India keep the spirit high singing political songs in hindi right in front of the black block.

The organizational problems were obvious and nothing we discussed so much in detail as the political assessment. Veterans in the process have a tendency to have great understanding for practical problems which follows from organizing an ESF. Pierre Georges pointed at that if the Nordic countries would not had taken the responsibility there would have been no ESF at all.

Mirek Prokes, veteran from Czech republic was content. It was the broadest participation from CE countries so far with movements from at least 14 countries present. From Albania activists travelled three days by bus to come to here. All delegations from CEE countries were pleased when finally their return travel was secured. The exception was the Hungarian Social Forum Coordination Committee who had been troubled by some practical problems.

Christoph Aguiton was obviously pleased. He went as far as stating that ESF in Malmö was the most unified manifestation of different European social movements during all his 38 years as activist, yes it was necessary to go back to the 19th century to be able to experience something similar.

Tord Björk

(This was written in Swedish and sent on the NOC list 22.9. It was published on a blog by Anders Svensson. It caused some reactions. There seems to be still different rumors about the main demo banner, but so far none have in written protested against the version above.)

Kenneth Haar from Attac Denmark referred to the seemingly "bitterness" he found in the statement by Aguiton which he also saw reflected in a statement by an Italian trade unionist in the ASM complaining about no Nordic attendance in the final plenary on labor on Saturday morning. Haar explains why there was no Nordic interest by the fact that at the same time as this plenary on labor took place there was the last and conclusive seminar on the Laval and other EU cases of highest importance to the Nordic trade union representatives.  He continuous: "The organizers of these seminars has done a whole lot to get Southern European involvement but succeeded only partially." That few or noone from Nordic trade unions participated in the preparation for main Call of action from ASM, Haar believes "is due to the lack of transparency which signifies ASM ­ few understand the process, and where shall they get to now more? Not in the program ­ by logical reasons. The result is a final statement that in its political priorities is very French. / This should be stated, as the Nordic trade union movement this time really have been good at using ESF this time. The bitter tone, which can be read from Aguitons contribution is therefore totally lost and totally preposterous."

Asbjörn Wahl made a short comment on the Nordic list stating the reason being the simulatanous timing of the two activities. He also says that he made NOC aware of the problem of the unfortunate clash but without reaction.

Aktivism.info states in their coming report on ESF as a fact that actually at least one Nordic trade union representative was present at a labour activity when continental trade unionists asked for Nordic comments. The Nordic trade unionists chose then to leave discreetly the room.

Tord Björk
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291 31 Kristianstad
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Tel: +46 (0)44 12 32 94
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E-mail: tord.bjork(at)mjv.se

Comment of Alex Callinicos on Tord Björk

It doesn't sound to me as if this assessment was based on a very scientific sample. I'm delighted that my friend Christophe Aguiton is so pleased with the Malmo ESF. But, writing as, like him, a 'veteran' of the ESF since before the process formally began, back to Porto Alegre in January 2002, I found the Malmo ESF small, fragmented, and dispirited. I agree the demonstration was excellent - if anything larger than 15,000 - but my hunch is that this was despite the organizers rather than thanks to them.

The Forum itself was totally lacking in the kind of energy generated by the convergence of different movements that characterized the greatest of the Social Forums. This is a much more serious problem than disorganization: there was plenty of chaos in Florence, but nobody cared.There may have been seminars in Malmo that were valuable for particular networks of activists, but in a way that's the problem. This was an event for activists that failed, except in the demonstration, to reach a wider public. By contrast, you felt at Florence, but also at Paris and London, that the ESF was reaching deep into society. It's true that the Assembly of the Social Movements produced a good set of mobilizing calls, but it was a fraction of the size of its predecessors - even at Athens the Assembly was large and lively - and led by the same people who ran the previous Assemblies, something that they, as 'veterans', would, I'm sure, agree isn't a particularly healthy sign.

Nevertheless, the demonstration shows that what has given the Social Forums their power - the convergence of different struggles - continues to capture people's imagination. We must hope that the Turkish comrades are more successful in translating the potential the Social Forums still have into reality.

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