PARC
considers the WSF held in Nairobi a unique opportunity for
social movements; national, regional and supranational networks;
civil society organizations; coalitions and progressive groups
across the world to gather at one open venue where they
explicitly shared their perspectives and agendas pertaining to
global common concerns besides the concerns and issues of their
respective home countries.
For us, the
WSF was an exceptional occasion for two reasons: (1) we actively
contributed to the formation of a united Palestinian delegation
to the WSF with a united message representing the OPT,
Palestinians in Israel and the Palestinians in exile. And (2) we
participated in this large and lively gathering of human rights
advocates, political activists and social change promoters.
We deemed
our participation an extremely important opportunity to find
ways and mechanisms to integrate the concerns of our unique area
which witnesses the long standing issue of colonization and
racial discrimination into the global agenda of the
participating groups. And to express our viewpoints and position
on global issues and concerns such as globalization;
colonization; policies of the WB and IMF; North South relations;
food security and sovereignty and other thematic subjects that
were discussed during the WSF. On the other hand, we hoped to
strengthen our networking relations with our partners and
establish new contacts with prospective solidarity groups and
donor organizations.
Generally
speaking, PARC's delegation achieved the preset goals. We
actively participated in a number of panels (as main speakers),
demonstrations and events. We screened the Iron Wall film
produced by PARC in the Palestinian tent in the cooperation with
the UK based organization War on Want. We held tens of meetings
with political parties, NGOs, networks and Kenyan local groups.
Upon our returning home, we held an in house meeting to evaluate
the WSF and PARC's participation. Following the meeting in which
we had in depth discussions and analysis, we wrote a
comprehensive report and presented it at the evaluation meeting
of the Palestinian delegation that took place on February 3,
2007. Our report was the only written document presented to
attendance.
Though we
are not very much satisfied with the performance of PARC's
delegation and the Palestinian united delegation, we think that
the WSF experience was unique and will open up lots of
opportunities to improve and develop PARC's advocacy and
lobbying competence as well bettering our networking efforts
with the international organizations. We managed to start new
contacts with potential supportive groups.
General Remarks
on the WSF:
-
Theme & Agenda:
The WSF
agenda reflected important themes like social justice; gender
equality; global solidarity with the devastated economies of the
southern counties and with the victims of imposed colonialism
and its associated neo liberal globalization; etc. However, we
noticed that the discussions and deliberations on these hot
issues were superficial and insignificant. They were unable to
influence and challenge the raised issues for many reasons:
-
Weak
participation and contribution of the social movements and
progressive parties.
-
Organizational weakness and lack of sufficient publicity for
thematic panels and workshops.
-
Difficulties in finding panels locations by participants
made the latter skip the panels.
-
Weak
media coverage of the forum's activities and discussions.
Compared to the Euro-med Social Forum which witnessed a
heavy participation of media including satellite channels,
broadcasting agencies, newspapers, etc., this Forum received
poor coverage and attention. We noticed no wide spread
international Arab satellite channel, for example Al-Jazeera,
attended the forum unlike the Euro-med meeting in 2005. Even
local Kenyan TVs were not interested that much. Most of the
stories and reports they broadcasted covered the concerns of
the Kenyan accommodation and transportation business
corporations who were disappointed at the unexpected losses
they encountered.
-
We
assume that the WSF Secretariat has to assume a major
responsibility for the insufficient coordination with the
Kenyan WSF Secretariat on one hand and with the various
coalitions and networks on the other.
We believe
that the WSF is at a standstill in terms of influencing the
social change agenda and creating an alternative space or
horizon for change instigators. We are afraid to say that the
WSF might become one of the channels or mechanisms to contain
the forces of change. We are alert of its becoming a means of
subjugating the social movements across the world to the
principles of the globalization game.
On the other
hand, it was noticed the invisibility of many rampant issues
like the Palestinian Israeli conflict though we know that
partially the Palestinian delegation has to be blamed for their
insufficient efforts to highlight it. In this regard, we noticed
less support and indifferent attitude towards the Palestinian
cause unlike last years. It was noticed that our cause did not
receive the same attention and primacy like other issues for
example the Iraqi question though we deem the latter is very
important.
-
Logistics:
-
Weak
organization and coordination. Participants faced lots of
problems in registration, obtaining the forum program,
finding panels and workshops, etc. The information team was
not knowledgeable or informative. Some participants
complained they did not receive a single help from this
team.
-
Weak
logistic support. Rooms accommodating panels and workshops
were poorly equipped. Most of them lacked audio facilities
like microphones, visual facilities like LCD, etc.
-
Lack of
focus in terms of facilities. Participants have to run from
one place to another to look for internet, computer and
printing services.
-
Lack of
personal security and protection against thefts and absence
of police intervention and reaction towards raised
complaints.
-
Arabic
language was not one of the official languages at the WSF.
Many Arabic speakers did not give interventions at panels
and workshops because of lack of translation.
-
Participation:
-
It was
noticed that the participation of the Arab left and
progressive parties and groups was very weak in terms of
quantity and quality compared to the large number of Arab
non- governmental organizations.
-
Delegations from Europe and North America were beyond
expectations compared to the large number of delegates from
Latin America and Africa. Sometimes, participants from the
South and developing countries felt they were talking to
each other and not to the right people whose respective home
governments are responsible for the disastrous situations in
these of parts of the world.
-
Grassroots movements and community based groups were almost
absent. For example, we were informed that the
organizational committee (the Secretariat) did not give many
Kenyan groups who represented the poor and marginalized
segments access to the Forum venue. This thing raised a
legitimate question about the seriousness of the WSF in
adopting the struggle against the shocking and demoralizing
situations of the poor across Africa and other parts of the
world as a part of rights based approach to development.
-
Many
participants felt there's been a lot of repetition of other
forums even some of them asserted that the WSF 2007 is a
setback compared to previous years.
Conclusion:
The WSF
Secretariat has to depict a new accumulative framework/ process
that can build on the previous achievements with much focus on
updated agendas, plans and programs. The new structure must
boost the anti- globalization concepts and mechanisms. It should
create the right scope and horizon for the forces of change to
achieve the desired global social change.
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