World Social Forum under fire by critics

''Kuumba Chi Nia' --Kuumba Chi Nia is a Mathaba author.

Posted: 2007/02/02 From: Mathaba @ http://mathaba.net/news/?x=549805

The World Social Forum held Jan. 20-25 in Nairobi, Kenya comes under fire by critics. Diversity may be the order of the day but “not everyone was equally represented,” according to Firaze Manji, director of Fahamu and editor of Pambazuka News. Grassroots women’s organizations, feminists, social movement, African organizations with a “vociferous anti-capitalist and (anti-capitalist) globalization meetings and discussions attended the forum” Manji wrote, but proponents of “imperial expansion” showed, she noted.

The WSF was more of a trade fair with “the usual gaggle of quasi donor/international NGOs claimed a greater presence than national organization.” She noted the presents and sponsorship of the Kuwaiti owned telecommunication company CelTel? who had exclusive rights at the WSF.

“I think everyone was disappointed by the surprisingly low turnout: estimates of 30,000 to 50,000” to what mounts to talking heads with an audience of helpless people.

Patrick Bond, director of the Centre for Civil Society analyzed the event as a “triumph of radical rhetoric and yet, too, witnessed persistent defeats for social justice causes-especially within the WSF’ own process.”

Kenya Social Forum coordinator, Onyango Oloo was frustrated that there was an “arrogant disregard for the concerns raised by Samburu women raped over the years by British soldiers dispatched on military exercises” in Kenyan communities.” He continued that attention was not given to “tensions persisting with neo-colonial era, settler farmers and indigenous Kenyans who were displaced from the land and the minority communities who are targets of state terror, evictions and denunciations.”

A level of anti human behavior further displayed itself when Ugandan Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender? and Intersex activist from Sexual Minorities Uganda presented her hard copy to organizers, who trashed it. She nevertheless took the mic and rebuke homophobia as not being African. Kasha as she is called was booed.

New Internationalist editor, Adam Ma’ant noted “Oxfam branded 4x4 cruising around flaunting, the many well resourced charity and church groups decking out their stalls with glossies and branded goodies, all reinforce the suspicion that portrays the WSF has become too institutionalized.” He also riffed on Kenya Airways who was a sponsor, but “the same company that has for years allegedly denied the right to assembly of its workers organized under the Aviation and Allied Workers Union.”

I will offer what I think is a better way to organize WSF next year. First, WSF must become self-reliant independent of capitalist finance. The masses need to be heard regardless of gender or sex. Workers and peasant groups need to take priority and their voices have to be heard far more than, celebrities. The issue of land and displaced indigenous people must be address honestly with viable solutions. The geo-graphical location will dictate most of what follows, but the masses need to move beyond movements and move to establish a political party independent of any of the mainstream political parties that are not revolutionary.

The WSF members must become more ideologically focused. That can only come from the traditional culture of the various nationalities. The leaders and head organizers of the WSF need to engage the masses in ideological struggle daily, leading up to the next WSF. These are but some of the things that can be accomplished post WSF.