[fse-esf] Social movement knowledge seminars at ESF

[Tord Bj ö rk]

This message below was sent according to my mailbox late July but for some
reason it never got through to the list. I send it again although some of
the merging information are outdated (and it is hard to know the final
version on all them as well), the content of the seminars are basically
there. The link to global justice movemen events include some 500 dates on a
wiki that you can add on to.

Tord Björk 


Social movement knowledge seminars at ESF
 
 
There has been some merging going on between different seminar proposals
related to the issue of social/popular movement analysis, global justice
movement and social forum process. As these seminars can be seen as having a
knowledge interest in common it could be useful to see to possibilities for
exchange of information in the prepatory process on articles of interest and
possible follow-up activities as well as timing of the seminars to enable
linking of discussions.
 
We propose that the organisers of these social movement knowledge seminars
cooperates on at least three specific initiatives:
 
1. Selection of commented articles on the net.
 
2. Developing an all-european and global calender of historical events in
the emergence of the global justice/alter globalisation movement.

This has started with the help of Assocation aktivism.info at
http://www.aktivism.info/wiki/index.php/Global_Justice_Movement_Chronology

Built on earlier attempts by euromovements, Folkrörelsestudiegruppen,
Tidsskriftcenter and other.
 
3. Joint presentation of social movement knowledge seminars at ESF in a
english newspaper initiated by Finnish and Swedish environmental and
solidarity movements in cooperation with other activist organisations in the
Nordic countries to be spread during ESF. The presentation need to include
why analysis and discussions on popular movements, NGOs, political parties
and the future of social forums are important. There might also be a similar
newspaper in Swedish which also is of interest as half the participants are
planned to come from Sweden.
 
The following merged seminars we have found trying to promote experience
exchange and general knowledge on popular movements, We have soemewhat
artbnritary putt hem in five different cathegories. A) Activities addressing
the global justice movement and general popular movement cooperation
globally, inside Europe or learning from social movements in the South. B)
Critical analysis of social movements and civil society and the role of
science C) Social movements and forms of engaging people as non-violent
direct action or communication techniques. D) The relationship between
social movements and other actors as political parties and faith-based
organisations. E) Ideology and social movements. F) Activities to plan broad
joint actions.
 
A.
 
Two seminars on Global Justice Movement, WSF and neoliberal globalisation
 
The two mergers that so far has gone most far are on Global justice movement
and WSF including the new phase of the neoliberal globalisation. Arci Italy
together with Italian cooperation partners and Friends of the Earth Europe
together with Nordic cooperation partners and Russian Institute on
globalisation have agreed upon a seminar on Global justice movement
yesterday, today, tomorrow being merged with the altermondialist movmenet
who we are?. Speakers will represent activist movements from India, Kenya,
Latin America, CIS countries and Western Europe. There will also be a
discussion on the linkage between global justice movement and WSF with
additional speakers. It is closely linked to a seminar by Arci supported by
FoEE and others on the future of WSF.
 
Popular movement cooperation dialogue
 
Another seminar evolved by merging Can popular movements change daily life?
and dialogue between old and new movements into Popular movement cooperation
dialogue. FoEE have proposed a popular movement seminar focused on how five
major global social movements, workers, peasants, environmental, feminist
and indigenous look upon on their experience and how they cooperate with
other movements. Speakers from the leadership of movements from the third
world and Europe has been invited. Brunnsviks Folk High School have
organised dialogues between Attac and trade unions in Sweden and want to
exchange experience on how to organise such dialogues between old and new
social movements in different countries.
 
East-West integration of European movements and politics
 
There are some seminars that might be possible to merge into a seminar of
the future of an integrated All-European movement for alternatives and how
to challenge East-West relationships and the global power of capital. They
are mainly initiated by CEE and CIS movements but have a subject of interest
for all European mopvments and the future of ESF. The seminars are Social
movements in post-soviet countries and the problem of their integration to
European movment of social alternatives - Organization of Marxists, Ukraine;
EU-Russia and European East-West relationships, Association aktivism.ínfo,
Nordic and Building Alliances Between Eastern and Western Europe for a
Better World - Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej (CEO). There is also another
proposals for an assembly that is related: Western Balkans regional
networking and alliance building/Linking more intensively to the Western and
central European movements - Citizens movement "Dosta!" - Association of
citizens "Why not" - Sarajevo. But here the situation is uncertain and the
information might be outdated.
 
Learning from social movements in other parts of the world
 
There are a number of seminar proposals on social movements outside of
Europe and their relevance for Europe. Especially many on Latin American
social movements but also on social movements from other parts of the world.
How the merging develops here is not known to me.
 
B.
 
Civil society - popular movements or NGOs?
 
The three seminars above are mainly leaders of movements and organisers of
social forums initiating a debate with the participants of the seminar.
There is also a need for a seminar were also independent analysis can be
presented and discussed. Two such analytical seminars have been proposed.
One by Left International Forum on NGOs and WGOs to discuss how
professionalisation of popular movments and the NGO phenomena influences
society in different parts of the world and the social forum process. The
Other By Dag Hammarskjöld foundation Global Civil Society - Internationalism
Beyond Eurocentrism? Building on their tematic issue which included analysis
from all parts of the world and WSF. This is also well on its way with some
uncertainties regarding Hungarian cooperation.
 
Social Movements, libraries, historians and researchers
 
The workshop Who writes our history? (- Association aktivism.info) who focus
upon the attempts to put a terrorist stamp on all antiimperialist liberation
movements and earlier social movement revolutions have been merged with a
workshop on libraries and social movement research into: Social Movements,
libraries, historians and researchers about the role of researchers,
activists, historians and librarians in the construction of societal,
cultural and informational commons on the road to another Europe. Topics to
be taken up: Freedom of information and public libraries in the age of 'the
war on terrorism'. Who writes our history? Activist and militant research on
social movements.
 
C. 
 
Civil disobedience, repression and lobbyism
 
There are two seminars on civil disobedience:
- Mass Blockades: Lessons and Perspectives from the Block G8 Actions 2007
- From Genova to Rostock: Civil disobedience and direct action as legitimate
forms of resistance intheme 10
 
One one:
- Youth Workshop: Neue Formen des Protestes
 
Two that can be be merged on Repression of movements in theme 3
- Repression of popular movements; preventive repression
 
D.
 
Religion, global justice movement and social forums.
 
Two seminars on this subject have been prposed to merge; The role of the
worldsvisions and of the religions in social struggles of european social
Forums - No siamo chiesa and Religion and Global Justice Movement - Swedish
Church in Malmö i theme 10.
 
Movements, parties and governments
 
A number of seminars on this topic have been proposed to merge: The
relationship between social movements and left -green parties;
- Center-left governments and radical social movements: A conflict that
cannot be resolve
- An Analysis of the crisis of political Left -Transform! Italy
- Movements and political parties - Transform! Italy
- Together? For the communication and cooperation of left parties, trade
unions, social movements
- Towards the emergence of the post-altermondialism : building new
articulations between social movements, political forces and actions of
progressive governments - Memoires de Luttes
 
E.
 
Ideology and social movements
 
Socialism in theme 10
- The Marxism: the theory of socialism and alterglobalism
- From "real socialism" to alterglobalism (90 yeras anniversary of
revolutions in Russia, Germany, Hungary)
- 1) How and why the Altermondialisme needs Marx? feminismes,
anticolonialism, class struggles which joints?
- Marxism: theory of Socialism and Alterglobalism (problems of
generalisation of experience of Social Forums and New Social movements)
Socialism in theme 2: Radical social chnage against climate change with
socialism as part of the workshop (can be on the way to be merged)
- From local activism to socialism, somewhere...
 
Gandhianism
- Engagements with Gandhi, two workshops probably being merged in theme 5
 
- Ecofeminism, in theme 2
 
F.
 
Social movement campaign
 
And finally most social movement oriented of all actvities:
- Open Space (DAY 3) a European mobilisation in 2009 about EU politics
 
If you have more seminar specifically addressing knowledge on social
movements and the global justice movement in general (and not on issues)
please add to the list.
 
 
 
Tord Björk

Finlandsgatan 2
291 31 Kristianstad
Sverige/Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)44 12 32 94
Mobile: +46 (0)738 44 68 50
E-mail: tord.bjork at mjv.se