A Socialist Guide To The ESF


    THE EUROPEAN Social Forum (ESF) is now celebrating its third year,
    following previous gatherings of over 50,000 people in Florence and Paris.
    With its slogan "Another world is possible", the ESF can attract many,
    particularly young, people who are questioning the system as it stands and
    wondering if a better one could exist.
    As the ESF gathers in London, Judy
    Beishon examines its significance and looks at how it’s organised.

    THE ESF is an off-shoot of the World Social Forum, (WSF) which following
    its first event in Porto Allegre, Brazil in 2001, drew up a description of the
    WSF as being: "an open meeting place for reflective thinking, free exchange of
    experiences and interlinking for effective action, by groups and movements
    opposed to neoliberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any
    form of imperialism".

    The issues discussed at the forums are a reflection of a wave of mass
    protests internationally in recent years – especially in Latin America –
    against the effects of neo-liberalism and globalisation.

    Together with these has been the rise of the anti-capitalist movement,
    which began with a huge demonstration against global capitalism in Seattle in
    December 1999 and continued against every meeting of the major international
    capitalist institutions since.

    Anti-globalisation leaders

    ESF participants coming to London will have the opportunity to hear leading
    campaign activists from around the world, who will graphically describe the
    hardships and attacks on living standards suffered by ordinary people in
    Europe and world-wide today.

    But unfortunately, while many have earned authority in the
    anti-globalisation movement through their work, there are few who will offer
    an analysis of why the capitalist system is an increasing nightmare to live
    in.

    This would require a Marxist analysis, as it was Karl Marx who laid bare
    the workings of the capitalism, providing an essential tool for explaining its
    past achievements and present failings.

    Some speakers will propose measures that can be campaigned for, with
    welcome aims such as to reduce the gap between rich and poor, or to improve
    the environment. However, they are often unable to explain how their goals can
    be won, partly because many of them don’t base themselves on working-class
    struggles, which are vital for winning major concessions from the capitalist
    class.

    Also, despite the slogan "Another world is possible", virtually all the
    main speakers will speak in reality only of a continued capitalist world, with
    attempts to improve this or that aspect of it.

    But many of the improvements they argue for would not be achievable for
    even a limited time, never mind on a permanent basis, while we live under
    capitalism – a system that is run on the basis of a drive for profit by a
    super-wealthy minority in society.

    It is even less possible for them to explain how gains can be won and
    maintained at a time when the world economy is far from healthy – both from a
    Marxist estimation and according to many top capitalist economists, it is
    hovering on the brink of further crisis.

    Political parties

    A number of leading speakers are even members of major pro-capitalist
    political parties that are carrying out attacks on workers’ living standards.
    For instance, Ken Livingstone is Mayor of London for New Labour, a party whose
    leaders are in the forefront of the neo-liberal onslaught in Europe.

    How does this fit in with the Charter of Principles of the WSF, which
    declares opposition to "neoliberalism and to domination of the world by
    capital"?

    The WSF and ESF were originally intended to be anti-capitalist forums, but
    as with any event, ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’. It is not just
    workers’ organisations, such as trade unions, that are financing the London
    ESF. The chief financial backer is Ken Livingstone’s Greater London Authority
    (GLA), which is far from being an anti-capitalist body.

    It is also true that despite the fact that the WSF Charter states there
    should be democracy with no censorship or restrictions, the finances of the
    London ESF are shrouded in secrecy, instead of being open to inspection and
    debate.

    Unfortunately, the Charter expresses confusion on the role of political
    parties. It states that parties can have no part in the forum process, but
    also that "government leaders and members of legislatures" can participate in
    a personal capacity.

    To try to abide by this, the London ESF has selected many speakers who are
    members of political parties, but have presented most of them as representing
    themselves, or a campaigning organisation they belong to.

    They sweep under the carpet the fact that they are also leading members of
    political parties with specific ideas.

    A desire to exclude pro-capitalist parties from the ESF is understandable.
    Why include members of parties that are supporting or carrying out
    privatisations, public sector cuts, intervention in Iraq and so on? But
    excluding anti-capitalist parties makes no sense in a forum that is discussing
    how to achieve a better world.

    Socialist alternative

    The Socialist Party and our sister parties in the Committee for a Workers’
    International are involved in many campaigns internationally that are
    generally in keeping with the WSF Charter. We can also play a vital role in
    promoting Marxist analysis and a socialist alternative. However, we, like
    other parties, are only supposed to participate on the basis of covering over
    our central ideas and concentrating purely on some of the many campaigns we
    are involved in.

    Democracy

    Decision-making in the ESF should be more democratic. The Charter is
    ambiguous on how decisions should be arrived at, but it has become a general
    rule that decisions are made by consensus with no votes taken. Having full
    democratic discussion to reach consensus where it is possible to do so, should
    be supported.

    However, in a movement that encompasses a large number of organisations
    with very different ideas, it is impossible to arrive at consensus on every
    issue in every meeting. Unfortunately, in the UK forum, when consensus has not
    been reached, a small group of organisers (mainly from the GLA, backed up by
    members of the Socialist Workers Party) have steamrollered through their own
    proposals.

    Rather than taking this authoritarian approach, even though some practical
    decisions may have to be based on the views of a majority of organisations
    present, great care should be taken to ensure that all minority views are
    heard at the ESF events organised.

    When a minority (including a Socialist Party representative) in the ESF
    Programme Committee argued that general secretary of the PCS civil service
    trade union, Mark Serwotka, should be invited to speak at the London ESF, the
    proposal was rejected by the group in effective control of the meeting.

    The PCS is entering the front line of the struggle in defence of public
    services following the government’s announcement of 104,000 civil service
    redundancies. Having the PCS leader speak would have helped mobilise support
    for this vital battle. But the mistaken approach shown in the ESF preparatory
    meetings can lead to lost opportunities for building for victories in the
    workers’ movement.

    Young people, in particular, are horrified to be facing a world of
    increasing inequality, war, unemployment, discrimination and pollution. In
    addition, there is now the threat of terror operations internationally on the
    scale of 9/11 and the Beslan school attack of this year.

    With the fear for the future all this generates, the idea of the ESF is
    attractive to those looking for an alternative. Socialist Party members and
    members of our sister sections in the Committee for a Workers’ International
    will be campaigning during the ESF to publicise Marxist ideas, explaining
    clearly how a socialist world is possible.