My colleague in the youth camp, workshop or in a simple chit-chat in the garden area was certainly my ally “against everything that is out there” and we only needed to discuss – clamorously if possible – what we were going to develop to replace the actual. Strangely I barely heard about process of transition from old to new, despite some groups in favor of a revolution, the only unique way to delete the cruel reality created by our capitalist society.
In some declarations, in the workshops or conferences, it was acclaimed and sometimes created excitation when someone has raised a word against neoliberal globalization, but it was hooted and strongly criticized when other tried to develop an alternative way. The diversity of the alternative paths found would be a positive point if they could hold at least a common principle: dialogue.
The necessity of groups telling about their importance, independence and specially holders of the best idea to create a truth society was disgusting. Among speeches and conferences, or either taking over workshops promoted by others, representants of the democratic ideal was shouting words of order and most of the time, but not oddly, against something or someone.
I re-learned how it is simple to be against something. There was several groups around me in which I could take a couple of slogans by heart and a word finished by a famous –ism. Done. I was a legitimate protector of... of what? It doesn´t really matter, because I was at least against the neoliberal.
I´m surely not sentencing the organizations and people who were in the WSF to criticize a model they see is prejudicial to a huge fraction of the world´s population, sometimes a fraction that not even include themselves. What I do sentence is the individuality, or the restricted collectivity that the left-wing always fought against and unfortunately was present in several moments in the WSF.
Even considering the act of mobilize the world´s population a restrict and without ambition objective to a forum of this amplitude and possibility, it is sad that not even this mobilizing character of the forum worked properly. The WSF was held in Brazil and most of Brazilians themselves have no idea about what the WSF is and lots of people only relates it to left-wing agitation.
Perhaps the WSF can be represented by a person with his arms crossed, moving his head in sign of reprobation and with a letter containing arguments against something on his hand
This person is possibly young in will and at the same time rich in experience, but every part of his body wants to move towards a different path, only saying that they won´t go forward.
We are not dealing with simple subjects and we don´t expect to see in a couple of meeting days and dialogues about several issues a developed solution – not at least partial – for the proposed problem. Something that we could expect and it is frustrating that the forum had barely explored are practical actions and proposals that a common citizen, inside his/her work environment, can develop to become aware or modify the visible problems we see around the globe.
No one is mobilized or becomes sensitive about social issues looking at protests at television. The citizen that watches protests like the television wants to show him or the citizen who simply is offended or injured in a certain way won´t stay in the manifestant´s side, even if the revindication is noble. Although I believe that people should express their ideas in the way they feel like, we are not exploring the little actions we can make, only leaving space for big manifestations and glamorous speeches.
The WSF was a place of legitim, important and necessary manifestations. So bad that the forum was restricted in those to show the world the reason why we want to change our present society. What a common citizen can do to know this reality and maybe engage to modify it?
« return.