Scottish Socialist Party International Committee
Mobilise for the European Social Forum
Scottish Socialist Youth on anti-globalisation demo in Brussels
The European Social Forum will be held in Florence, Italy between the 6th and the 10th November 2002. This forum is the European equivalent of the highly succesful World Social Forum which has been held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It will in effect be a European Forum for the diverse movement against corporate globalisation.
Who will be there?
The ESF aims to bring together activists from a broad range of campaigns and from diverse political viewpoints to discuss and debate. There will be socialists, anti-capitalists, greens, trade-unionists, NGO's and many more.
- The European Trades Union Congress is likely to support the event and trade-unions from France, Italy and Russia have already signed up.
- Social movements and campaigns like the Italian Social Forums.
- Campaigning groups like ATTAC.
- A multitude of individual campaigns around questions such as the environment, anti-war, Palestine, immigrants rights, democracy and many more.
The event is expected to be attended by 20 000 or more activists from around Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Special emphasis is to be given to including campaigners from Russia, Eastern and Central Europe.
What will be discussed?
The event will include wide-ranging discussion around a series of themes in Seminars and workshops. It is not a conference but there will be many opportunities to make concrete links with other campaigns and individual activists.
Although the final programme has yet to be decided the following topics and themes have been proposed for discussion:
Topic - Neo-Liberalism
- The EU.
- Privatisation.
- Social Policy.
- The Environment, GM foods, agriculture.
- Unemployment, insecurity and workers rights, women workers.
- Central and Eastern Europe and Globalisation.
Topic - War and Peace
- Nato, the EU and US imperialism.
- Europe and the 'Clash of Civilisations'.
- Europe and the conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir, Colombia.
- Internal repression and civil liberties.
Topic - Rights, Democracy and Citizenship
- Democracy in the EU - national, regional and local.
- Women and equality.
- The Extreme Right, nationalism and chauvinism.
- Fortress Europe and immigration.
- Media, Technology and Freedom of Information.
There have been many more suggestions and if there is a campaign you are involved in, it will probably be discussed somewhere in Florence. If you would like to run a workshop or discussion, you can now register this via the ESF website - http://www.fse-esf.org/.
The Forum will be a great chance to meet activists from around Europe, to discuss ideas, network and make invaluable international links.
Socialists and the ESF
The ESF isn't an explicitly socialist Forum. Rather it is a broad event which reflects the diverse campaigns and viewpoints that exist within the movement. Controversially political parties will not be formally recognised at the event. But as in Porto Alegre they will be present in one form or another.
Socialists need to argue for their ideas at this event. We need to share our analysis and experiences with other activists. We will have plenty to learn from other activists and currents, but we also have something to teach. We have the example of our own experience fighting for working class people in Scotland and the successes we have had.
The movement against corporate globalisation is a growing one. In countries like Italy and Spain we have seen millions march and come together in Social Forums. In Italy Rifondazione Comunista (The Party of Communist Refoundation), which is a mass party of the Italian working class, has played a key role in this process. They argue:
- Socialists need to make themselves relevant and engage in the anti-globalisation movement, or that movement may shift to the right.
- Socialists urgently need to cooperate with each other internationally and begin to rebuild the influence of socialist ideas in society.
The SSP agrees with this. We are internationalists. That is why we have joined Rifondazione, The LCR and many other parties in participating in the conferences of the anti-capitalist left and that is why we should go to the European Social Forum this November.
How to Get There.
Already dozens of members of the SSP have signed up to attend the ESF. The campaign is also being taken up by the Socialist Womens Network and the Scottish Socialist Youth. Globalise Resistance, which the SSP supports, is also mobilising to get the largest possible contingent from Scotland. SSP members involved in other campaigns are also bringing delegations, for example the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the anti-GM crops campaign.
By the end of July registration will open up via the ESF website - http://www.fse-esf.org/
Travel - The best way to travel to Florence is to fly. Low-Cost airlines currently fly from London Stanstead to Bologna and Pisa. This is the best route. There are connecting flights from Scotland (Prestwick and Edinburgh). If you want to go by plane, you are advised to book your flights as soon as possible, as the number of cheap flights are limited. At the moment you can get your travel for around £50, but this will go up as fewer seats become available.
To let us know that you want to go to the ESF and for further advice about travel, please contact us at sspinternational@hotmail.com
Accomodation - There are two choices for accomodation. Firstly Florence City Council will be providing free basic accomodation for thousands of activists. You will need a sleeping bag. To be included in this, please provide your name as soon as possible. Alternatively you can book your own accomodation in a hotel or hostel separately.
Finance - Many trade-unions are sponsoring the event. Contact your union to sponsor yourself or another participant. Organise a fund-raising event or collection.
Find Out More
The international committee is encouraging all branches in the SSP to discuss this event and the political questions around it. If you would like a speaker please contact us at sspinternational@hotmail.com
Regions should also think about having public meetings on the topic over the next couple of months.
More Information
European Social Forum website
SSP International Committee
Mobilisation for the ESF (England)
Globalise Resistance Scotland
email: sspinternational@hotmail.com