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World Social Forum 2005: WILPF’s
Participation Now and in the Future
Regina
Birchem
WILPF International President
24 February 2005
The World Social Forum
The 5th World Social Forum (WSF), Porto Alegre, Brazil,
26 - 31 January 2005 was the largest WSF held so far. More than 155,000
persons from 135 countries participated in 2500 activities held in 250
tents, warehouses, or bio-structures made of natural materials such as
straw or of bricks made from recycled products. The Youth Camp in Harmony
Park with 35,000 youth was integrated in the area of the WSF meeting sites
along the Guaiba river and lake. In the past, the Youth Camp – which
has its own self-governing processes and program -- had been separated
from the other WSF events.
Members of Women’s International League for
Peace and Freedom (WILPF) have participated and reported on every World
Social Forum since the first one held in Porto Alegre 2000. The theme,
“Another World Is Possible”, expressed in so many colorful,
musical, intellectual, multicultural, and social events captivates one’s
imagination. John Lennon’s song “Imagine” is a spontaneous
expression of the renewed hope and energy participants glimpse in working
towards another world of peace and fairness. Arundhati Roy’s words
at the end of WSF Three, ”Another world is not only possible, she
is already on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing”
is quoted often because is resonates with the WSF experience.
How far we are from this other possible world is obvious
as well. We were confronted at every turn with the problem of providing
drinking water in steamy summer Brazil for 155,000 participants, enough
“Pi-Pi Ecological” portable toilets, space for 35,000 campers
in the Youth Camp, understanding each other’s language, limiting
the use of paper, and the penetrating odor of the polluted river. It is
troubling to be a foreign visitor to this city while we witness the poor
of Porto Alegre scramble to pick up cans, bottles and cardboard to sell
for re-cycling. I borrow from the title of Paul Loeb’s book: “The
Impossible Will Take a Little Longer: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope
and Fear.”
I personally had to deal with a little sadness especially
during the huge opening evening march and demonstration. The 2003 WSF
was held before the Iraq War when we hoped that we could stop it by the
will of the people not to have war. Not only did we not stop the war,
it is still going on in 2005 and so is the Palestine struggle –
and Darfur, prisoners tortured and abused…
Feminist Dialogue
Two days prior to the opening of the WSF, the Second
Feminist Dialogue was held at a hotel in the center city with approximately
300 women from around the world participating. There was weak representation
from eastern Europe, China and the Asia Pacific. The first Feminist Dialogue
was held in Mumbai in 2004 associated with the 4th WSF . It was decided
in India to hold another Dialogue in 2005 separate from the WSF organizational
structure with the aid of foundation funding.
One outcome of the Feminist Dialogue was to address
rising fundamentalism around the world and its challenge to basic human
rights. During the Dialogue, in the opening WSF march of 200,000 participants
through the streets of Porto Alegre, and throughout the Forum the issue
of fundamentalism in its various forms was analyzed and confronted in
seminars and street theater. At the intellectual level in group discussions,
we asked what is “fundamentalism”? Is there “fundamentalism”
in all of us?
Margarita Munoz, WILPF-Colombia, and I were able to
participate in this Second Feminist Dialogue.
Women, Peace and Security Workshop
We organized a workshop on Women, Peace and Security:
Implementation of UN Resolution 1325 scheduled for 8:30 to 11:30 the third
day of the forum, 28 January, in Structure 101 of Terrain 7: Peace, demilitarization
and struggle against war, free trade and debt (Paz, desmilitarizacion
y lucha contra la guerra, el libre comercio y la dueda). This was one
of eleven “terrains” or meeting areas.
Examples of how 1325 is used in the political situations
of Colombia and El Salvador led to an audience-wide discussion of the
meaning and significance of 1325 in various conflict situations. We discussed
women’s role in peace, in war and conflict, and in the peace making
process.
Time was also spent on the meaning of a concept of
human security that is not based on military solutions to problems. One
panel speaker addressed the role of corporations in sustaining and benefiting
from war and conflict. Resolution 1325 exists in a world at war. How do
we eliminate war? Is this legal mechanism a means to have such a world
or is it being co-opted to bring women equally into the military culture?
The discussion, which was dynamic and interactive,
led to the recommendation that trainings in Resolution 1325 be given at
future social forums. This is consistent with the WSF Charter of Principles
to provide a meeting place to debate alternatives in building a globalization
of solidarity which respects the human rights of men and women of all
nations.
Interpretation in French, Portuguese, Spanish and
English by voluntary language translation specialists made the seminar
possible.
WILPF and the Future of the WSF
In 2006 the World Social Forum will be “mundialized”
– spread out through the world in regional social forums following
the methodology and political criteria of the WSF Charter of Principles.
The aim is to make the WSF decentralized and closer to the reality of
social movements world-wide and vice-versa. The 2007 WSF will be in Africa
– where in Africa is still to be decided.
The WSF itself is in flux – perhaps at a crossroads.
There is a call for more action proposals and outcomes and not just talk.
There is also the struggle for grassroots and community organizations,
such as the landless peoples movements, to be heard and not to be sidelined
by established NGOs.
Some points for discussion:
1. WILPF as an international organization with a long
history has much to contribute in terms of exploring alternatives. And,
because we are a long-term established NGO we have much to learn and should
participate as listeners and learners as well as vocally sharing our struggles
and ideas.
2. Regional and local Social Forums are important
events towards which we could put our energies because these are close
to the reality of our experience in our regions. For example, WILPF members
participated actively with different challenges and outcomes in the European
Social Forum and the Boston Social Forum in 2004.
3. WILPF could plan to have its organizational international
meetings (annual International Executive Committee or triennial Congress)
connected with other events such as regional or world Social Forums. It
is an ambitious idea, but could we explore the feasibility of having our
next International Congress in Africa in 2007 at the time of the WSF?
Or in Mexico City at the time of the World Water Forum when there will
be people’s alternatives to privatization and the IMF/WB strategies?
4. On 27 January in Davos and in Porto Alegre there
was an attempt to dialogue between the two cities: the World Economic
Forum in Davos, the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. Representatives
from North and the South met to deal with the common agenda: globalization
and democracy. Their intention was to form a bridge between the two events.
It is called the Helsinki Process. Where does the Helsinki Process fit
in? Does it truly offer a “bridge” between Davos and Porto
Alegre? Is a bridge possible?
5. During the Feminist Dialogue much energy was put
in discussing “multi-sectionality” and how to revive a true
“feminist movement”. For example, though everyone present
might have rated militarism, peace, human security, war and occupation
very high on her list of priorities of global issues, there seemed to
be a quiet gap in language and understanding with those who choose to
focus on reproductive rights, equal right to be in decision-making positions,
or the right to free artistic feminist expression. The commonality may
be there but it is undefined.
6. Planning and fund-raising for WILPF participation
should begin early – at least by October before the January world
forums. It should be set within WILPF’s overall over-all program
goals.
The participants whose participation was enabled
by the grant form the Pond Foundation heartily thank the donors. We are:
Regina Birchem, WILPF International President, Marta Benavides, WILPF
International Vice President, Margarita Munoz, WILPF Colombia. At least
eight other WILPF members funded their own participation in the 5th WSF.
FROM TWO OTHER WILPF PARTICIPANTS:
From PhoeBe ANNE (sorgen)
WILPF-USA, Berkeley, CA
I can tell you that the WILPF panel was one of my
highlights, because of the good translations, multi-national perspectives,
and especially because you organized it so well using wise feminist procedures....chairs
arranged in circle and reserving time for not only for Q & A but also
for general introductions of all present and networking/conversation.
This is an important model and only one reason why WILPF needs to present
more workshops at future Social Forums.
WILPFers also have an important role in attending
and speaking up at other workshops during Q & A , and speaking on
other panels. Astonishingly, many of the WSF panels were all-male. Most
workshops did at least have Q & A at the end. At many all-male panels,
womyn audience members earned applause during Q & A afterwards by
saying things like, "I am the 4th female speaker out of 16 total
thusfar. We are half of all species. Our perspectives are priceless and
our voices must be heard." (Some moderators, even males, requested
that more female audience members comment during Q & A when most had
been male.)
From Pat Willis,
WILPF-USA, Crystal Coast, NC
WILPF at the WSF 2005
The World Social Forum 2005 was a most exhilarating
experience with over 155,000 progressive-minded people gathered to strategize
on how to make this world of ours a better place for all its living creatures.
Global economic and political imperialism, patriarchy, environmental devastation,
racism, and many other institutionalized forms of oppression brought together
peoples from all over the world who made alliances, friendships, formed
new organizations, created new ideas and strategies, and who helped to
create the moving and hopeful experience of “un otro mundo e possivel.”
For myself, meeting and working with WILPF members
from different parts of the world was an especially wonderful part of
my WSF 2005 experience. WILPF people are the best people. I am a fairly
new WILPF member and I have been very pleased to meet such brilliant,
concerned people who have a very incisive analytic of many of the conditions
that oppress all people, but especially subjugated peoples. I was also
particularly pleased to discover multitudes of strong, vibrant, and young
feministas from the global south, such as those of the worldwide Marcha
Mundial des Mujeres.
WILPF’s session at the WSF 2005 on UN Resolution
1325 went very well with women and men participating in discussions on
the positive impact and inadequacies of the resolution. We had several
participants tell us it was the best session they had attended. But it
was only one session and perhaps WILPF should think about multiple sessions
at future world social forums.
While the WSF and other regional social forums have
not been historically and currently very feminist or woman friendly, and
while it is often a struggle to get what are often called “women’s
issues” onto some of these agendas, it is nonetheless imperative
that WILPF and other feminist organizations continue their activism at
the social forums all over the world. Even though sometimes I have felt
that feminists might be better off to forego venues where patriarchal
ideology is so entrenched that it is a struggle just to have our issues
recognized and valued, it would be a mistake to disappear ourselves from
these venues. We get disappeared enough as it is, therefore we must fight
for our spaces at the social forums. The global southern feministas are
a great example of women struggling in these venues despite hardships
and setbacks from androcentric organizers. I think we would do well to
take them as an example of feminist fortitude.
Another World Is Possible!
Photo by Catia Confortini, WILPF-USA.
Building Biostructures, Photo by Catia Confortini,
WILPF-USA.
Water was a major issue! Photo by Catia Confortini,
WILPF-USA.
The Diversity Boat. Photo by Regina Birchem,
WILPF International President
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