When we discuss the relation of the PGA with the ESF, the most important question probably is: should the PGA be present at the ESF, and if so, how?

At the last ESF a parallel forum was organised called the Hub, a space with an accent on media-activism, coming partly out of discussions at the European PGA conference in Leiden. They will also be present at the next European Social Forum in Paris in November, organised by the French communist party and Attac France. We have always been a little bit unsure about wether the hub was to be seen as a 'PGA' project or not. We wonder how the organisers of the Hub see that themselves.

We hear already from some people that we should shift our focus from organising the PGA conferences to being critically present at the social forums. This leaves us completely dependent however on the agenda and organisation of the ESF and would mean having our meetings in a chaotic and hectic context.

We believe the experience of the Hub at social forums so far has showed how important it is to have our own spaces and our own organisation independent of the social forums. At least at our own meetings we will not be marginalised.

But if we are serious in wanting to achieve radical change, we will have to spread our ideas to groups that are currently outside the PGA as well. The question is how to be radical without being marginal. Next to our local surroundings, the European Social Forum is an important space to connect to other groups on the anti-authoritarian left. It is easy to be critical of the party politics in the social forums, but the point is to present alternative practices ourselves, to show people that the decentralised network model can work.

Then we also have to think on how to organise such a space, the hub was organised with the idea of spontaneity: the idea was that groups would arrive and start organising the forum from scratch. We see this model as problematic and believe there should be a good preparation that is visible and accessible for interested groups.

Then a critical presence at the social forums can be a good way for people to get to know the PGA and to strengthen and widen the PGA network. The question remains if it is possible for a loose organisation like the PGA, without any resources as funding and offices, to provide an alternative to the huge infrastructure of the political parties.