History made as the post-revolution Arab region hosts its first World Social Forum

In the wake of the Arab revolutions, over 50,000 from around the world lend hope to aspirations for justice and dignity in the region and beyond.

Bhumika Muchhala

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FOR the first time in the 12-year history of the World Social Forum (WSF), a global gathering of social movements and activists, the Arab region hosted the Forum, which this year took place in Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. 

Through the week of 26-30 March, over 50,000 participants from 127 countries spanning five continents and representing a broad spectrum of social movements, including over 5,000 organisations, consecrated a resounding wave of solidarity in the city where the Arab revolutions first started in late 2010. 

Despite the heavy presence of state police across the city, there was an acute awareness that such a free expression of voice would not have been possible in previous years under the nation's long-time authoritarian regime.

In December 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi, an informal street vendor selling fruits in the alleyways of Tunis, self-immolated himself after his fruit-cart was confiscated by a municipal official.  His death was a tipping point, igniting the long-held frustrations of the Tunisian people who faced chronic unemployment, a lack of economic opportunities and taxes that kept on increasing. 

The rest is history, as the self-determination of the Tunisian people overthrew the deeply corrupt and repressive dictatorship of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.  Dubbed the 'Arab revolutions', the people's movement against dictatorships and unjust societies spread with visceral urgency to Egypt, Libya, Jordan and Yemen.

The theme of this year's 12th WSF was 'Dignity'.  Wide banners of white cloth painted with the slogan 'Dignidad, Dignite, Dignity' were strung across street intersections and throughout the El Manar University campus where the official sessions of the WSF took place.  The message of dignity was a universal force, redemptive to the sacrifices and struggles of the Arab peoples, and of communities worldwide aspiring for economic, social and personal dignity.  

Permeating through the Forum was a contagious energy of collectivity and interconnectedness.  Palestine movement activists, Libyan feminists, farmers' movements, political prisoners, youth activists, and campaigners resisting free trade agreements and the financialisation of nature, for example, all showed respect for each other in a spirit of fellowship. 

The Tunisian Organising Committee of the WSF welcomed participants, saying that the Forum was an opportunity for people to connect in their mutual struggles against the 'dictatorship of financial markets and dislocation of society from their communities'.   'The Forum is a place where people who are working to grow democracy, equality, solidarity, justice and peace, and those who are trying to protect the environment and the commons, can meet in solidarity and exchange with one another,' said the Organising Committee.

The WSF opened on 26 March with a massive march where thousands of activists travelled three miles from downtown Tunis to Menzah stadium, chanting in multiple languages and representing a plethora of movements from the Tunisian Popular Front to Catholic NGOs to ATTAC, a movement challenging global finance. 

Subsequent to the march, the opening ceremony saw female social movement leaders from Palestine, South Africa, Tunisia and the US taking the stage, including Besma Khalfaoui, widow of Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid, whose assassination in February triggered protests and rallies by the Tunisian people. 

Only women were chosen for the WSF's opening, as a direct response to the rise of conservative religious governments in the region, as well as patriarchal systems and institutions around the world.

Hamouda Soubhi, a social justice leader from Morocco, said, 'We decided this because women are at the forefront of the struggle in the region.  We are struggling for parity, we are struggling for rights. The new regimes want the constitutions to be more religious, and we want to take our stand against this.' 

In short speeches on the stadium's centre stage, women leaders offered a strong vision of a global movement for dignity and justice that is inexorably rising and unstoppable by the myriad forces of oppression.  The audience responded in thunderous applause.

Political messages and performances abounded

In the course of the WSF, El Manar University was host to an awe-inspiring 1,000 workshops, 100 films and 70 musical and dance performances.  The workshops spanned an impressive array of subjects, some regionally focused on Arab countries, but most topics were of a global and systemic nature. Organised as informal presentations by small groups of people in the university classrooms, the workshops broke into open discussion where participants engaged in debate and question-answer discussions. 

Farmers, feminists, rural women, activists, organisers, advocates, academics, lawyers and students spoke from their personal experience, sharing narratives of how they are affected by economic, social and political situations, and what their visions are for a way forward.

The vibrant political momentum from Arab youth and organisations surrounded the Forum, with clusters of young students and unemployed youth gathered together in rallies, chanting slogans or singing songs, playing traditional instruments and beating on djembe drums.  Groups of students coalesced in various corners of the campus, listing their demands and their vision for new Arab societies. Musicians, theatre artistes and dancers staged performances infused with political messages before small crowds who gathered to watch.

For example, the Palestinian youth delegation held five events in the course of the five-day Forum, whose topics ranged from 'The Youth's Social and Economic Conditions and Examples of Revolutions from the North and the South' to 'The Role of the Youth in Leading the "Revolutions" - Global Support of the Palestinian National Struggles to End the Occupation and Apartheid'.

The liberation of Palestine and self-determination of Palestinians was a consensus position at the Forum, which concluded with more than 10,000 people marching in commemoration of Palestinian Land Day.

In the tens of thousands of people present, composing the largest agglomeration of civil society in the world and representing millions more who wanted to come but could not, there was a palpable sense of a new world being born. Also perceptible was support and unity from the global community for the movements of the Arab region that are, despite formidable odds, carrying forward their vision towards justice and dignity.

Declaration of the Social Movements

The WSF produced a Declaration which was read out at the concluding rally and Assembly. The Declaration (whose full text can be found at: http://www.global-square.net/declaration-of-the-social-movements-assembly-wsf-2013-29-march-2013-tunisia/) affirmed that 'the Social Movements Assembly is the place where we come together through our diversity, in order to forge common struggles and a collective agenda to fight against capitalism, patriarchy, racism and all forms of discrimination and oppression'.

The Declaration stated at its outset, 'We affirm that decolonisation for oppressed peoples remains for us, the social movements of the world, a challenge of the greatest importance.'

With respect to the Arab region the Declaration said, 'Now, we are at a crossroads where retrograde and conservative forces want  to  stop the  processes initiated two years ago with the uprisings in the Maghreb-Mashreq region that helped to bring down dictatorships and to challenge the neo-liberal system imposed on the peoples. These uprisings have spread to all continents of the world inspiring indignation and occupation of public places.'

'War, military occupations, free-trade neoliberal treaties and "austerity measures" are expressed in economic packages that privatise the common good and public services, cut wages and rights, increase unemployment, overload women's care work and destroy nature.'

'Such policies strike the richer countries of the North harder and are increasing migration, forced displacement, evictions, debt, and social inequalities such as in Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and the Spanish State.'

'They re-enforce conservatism and the control over women's bodies and lives. In addition, they seek to impose "green economy" as a solution to the environmental and food crisis, which not only exacerbates the problem, but leads to commodification, privatisation and financialisation of life and nature.'

The Declaration called for action on several fronts, and articulated its visions on the following:

* First, against transnational corporations and the financial system, including the international financial institutions of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation.

* Second, the Declaration called for the cancellation of illegitimate and odious debt, which was defined as 'a global instrument of domination, repression and economic and financial strangulation of people'.

* The Declaration called for climate justice and food sovereignty, 'because... global climate change is a product of the capitalist system of production, distribution and consumption.  Transnational corporations, international financial institutions and governments serving them do not want to reduce greenhouse gases.  We denounce "green economy" and refuse false solutions to the climate crisis such as biofuels, genetically modified organisms and mechanisms of the carbon market like REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which ensnare impoverished peoples with false promises of progress while privatising and commodifying the forests and territories where these peoples have been living for thousands of years.'

 The Declaration called out against violence against women, 'often conducted in militarily occupied territories, but also violence affecting women who are criminalised for taking part in social struggles. We fight against domestic and sexual violence perpetrated on women because they are considered objects or goods, because the sovereignty of their bodies and minds is not acknowledged. We fight against the trafficking of women, girls and boys.  We defend sexual diversity, the right to gender self-determination and we oppose all homophobia and sexist violence.'

 The Declaration called for 'peace and against war, colonialism, occupations and the militarisation of our lands.  We denounce the false discourse of human rights defence and fight against fundamentalism, that often justify these military occupations such as in Haiti, [Libya], Mali and Syria. We defend the right to people's sovereignty and self-determination such as in Palestine, Western Sahara and Kurdistan.'

 Finally, the Declaration stressed the 'struggle for the freedom of organisation in trade unions, social movements, associations and other forms of peaceful resistance. Let's strengthen our tools of solidarity among peoples such as boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel and the struggle against NATO and to ban all nuclear weapons.'

 The Declaration pronounced the need to democratise mass media and build alternative media, 'that are fundamental to overthrow the capitalist logic'.

The Declaration concluded by announcing, 'Inspired by the history of our struggles and by the strength of people on the streets, the Social Movements Assembly call upon all people to mobilise and develop actions - coordinated at world level - in a global day of mobilisation' on a date to be decided.                                  

Bhumika Muchhala is a researcher with the Third World Network.

*Third World Resurgence No. 271/272, Mar/Apr 2013, pp 63-65