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Social Forum : tens of thousands of activists from across Europe flocked to London
by Open-Publishing - Thursday 14 October 2004Activists plan for a better world at Social Forum
By Jeremy Lovell
LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of activists from across Europe flocked to London on Thursday for three days of speeches and seminars hoping to push politicians to get back in touch with their disaffected electorates.
The European Social Forum (ESF) is an umbrella organisation of groups with a bewildering array of aims and interests ranging from racism and religion to world trade and the war in Iraq.
"Across Europe voter turnout at elections is falling. We want politicians to look at events like this and begin asking why they are not engaged with the younger generation," an ESF spokesman said on Thursday. "These people are involved, but they are being ignored by the established political parties," he added, indicating crowds of people queuing to register for the event that opens on Friday and ends with a demonstration in central London on Sunday.
Dreadlocked Austrian student Severin Zotter, 22, said he had come to find out how to change the world.
"I want the world to have people, not money, at its centre," he said.
Now in its third year, the 2004 forum has six main themes and as many subtexts as there are visitors.
"The themes this year are war and peace, globalisation, the environment, social justice, human rights and racism," the ESF spokesman said.
"The war in Iraq will be a dominant theme, but I expect that the main outcome from this weekend will be a debate on how to end the split between the northern and southern hemispheres due to globalisation," he added.
With 15,000 people already registered for the three days of events, the organisers expect that up to 50,000 might actually turn up judging by the turnout at Florence in 2002 and Paris in 2003.
Aleida Guevara, daughter of slain revolutionary icon Che Guevara, will push the Cuban campaign to force the United States to lift its economic embargo of the island and accuse U.S. President George W. Bush of messianic ambitions.
"It is extremely dangerous for humanity that the president of the mightiest power on the planet publicly says that he speaks with and acts on behalf of God," she wrote in the left-leaning Guardian newspaper which is sponsoring the event.
Azmi Bishari, a member of the Israeli Knesset, will talk about the Palestinians, Tony Benn, leftist elder statesman of Britain’s ruling Labour Party, will discuss British politics and former Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella will talk about his country’s independence war.
Thengiwe Mtintso, a member of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, will discuss the oppression of women, and Iraqi trade unionist Subhi al Mashadani will appeal for an end to the U.S.-led occupation of his country.