DEMOCRATIC FORUM IN A DICTATORSHIP'S BACKYARD
Sebastian Rodrigues | Sun Mar 26 11:06:09 UCT 2006
By: Zofeen T Ebrahim
FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2006
Karachi - For the Pakistan council of the World Social Forum, the first blow to holding the anti-globalisation jamboree began on Oct. 8, 2005, when the massive earthquake literally took the steam out of its preparation efforts. What followed was an endless round of debates among civil society whether to hold the event or let it pass. After lurching from one indecision to another, it was decided to hold the WSF after a respectable mourning period of three months, when both human as well as financial resources would be re-diverted back to the forum.
For the Pakistan council of the World Social Forum, the first blow to holding the anti-globalisation jamboree began on Oct. 8, 2005, when the massive earthquake literally took the steam out of its preparation efforts. What followed was an endless round of debates among civil society whether to hold the event or let it pass. After lurching from one indecision to another, it was decided to hold the WSF after a respectable mourning period of three months, when both human as well as financial resources would be re-diverted back to the forum.
As if that were not enough, the unending saga of the visa issuance took precedence over all tribulations. In fact, a last -minute venue change from the neat, clean state-of-the-art Expo centre to the dilapidated Sports Complex grounds on Kashmir Road seemed almost miniscule.
Despite a million problems, big and small, an unperturbed Karamat Ali, a member of the WSF Organising Committee takes time out to respond to a volley of jabs.
Why does it appear that the WSF International Council's (IC) interest in this third polycentric event - WSF Bamako and WSF Caracas were held in January – has waned with many of the bigwigs dropping out? Why did it hold the review meeting in Nairobi when the Karachi WSF was still to be held? Do residents of Karachi know what is happening? Is the military regime uneasy about this cauldron of a robust democratic movement brewing in its very backyard? But most of all, ask many sceptics, why hold this event in Pakistan, a country under military rule with a terrible past record with violations of women's rights?
"All the more reason why we should be having the Forum here," emphasises Ali. "Governments need to understand and open themselves up for popular participation. As for our weak civil society, it will only gain strength by such democratic dos."
As for holding the event in a country with a bad score card on women's rights, Ayesha Azfar, a journalist with a leading English daily, says: "A forum like this is meant to sensitise people, not just governments, to such global issues. By ostracising countries on the grounds of bad gender/human rights score card, you're not doing the people a favour, and not equipping the marginalised with the kind of awareness to tackle such problems.
"Moreover, it is this people-to-people contact that is imperative here, and not a chastisement of the government," she adds.
Explains another senior journalist and a rights activist, Zubaida Mustafa: "Isn't that what WSF is all about - to create awareness of issues such as gender equality and women's role in society, politics and development?"
"Besides, the organisers of the Forum are not responsible for the injustices against women. They themselves are fighting against gender discrimination and violence against women," says Mustafa, who feels the presence of WSF participants will give strength to women's rights activists in Pakistan.
Ali denies the charge that the International Council has lost interest in this third regional orum. Explaining why the Council held its review meeting before the Karachi forum was held, he says: "This was scheduled much in advance, as the 2007 WSF will be held in Nairobi. The assumption was that by then all the three polycentric events would've taken place. The members of the Kenyan Social Forum as well as the African Social Forum were not ready to postpone it till after the Karachi event." In any case, says Ali, there will possibly be another review after the event here.
While there have been many last minute drop-outs, among the WSF bigwigs, Jeremy Corbyn, Waha Karr, Jose Correia and will still make it to the opening on Mar. 24. But plans to have the opening plenary addressed, among others, by Bishop Desmond Tutu and India's author and activist Arundhati Roy, and the closing plenary among others, by the Dalai Lama, has not materialised.
A major problem faced by the Pakistan Organising Committee has been a shortage of funds. As a last resort, the committee appealed to the International Council (IC) for financial support to the tune of 5 million Pakistani rupees (83,333 U.S. dollars). "That's nothing new," says an unruffled Ali. The same happened in Brazil when they ran into a huge deficit."
While host governments of most past WSFs have provided substantive financial support, Ali explains: "We never sought that kind of assistance from our government. Earlier we were holding the event at the Expo Centre for which we didn't need much help. However, when the venue was changed, we went to the city government and requested them use of their premises and I must say they've been amazingly cooperative."
Going through its own set of growing pains, the WSF is not without its contradictions. Most agree that politics is in a crisis with people's representation at an all-time ebb and thus WSF should emerge as a party or a political movement. Of late, civil society is vying for bigger space in the political arena.
On the other hand, there are party poopers within the body who feel it will soon fade into oblivion and that it was never meant to be formalised or institutionalised.
Ali, however, feels differently. "Its' still too early to talk about organising politically under one umbrella, yet the idea is not totally sinful. For, after all, even political parties were not what they are like now. They have evolved and gone through a metamorphosis. In the same way, so will WSF as ideals shared do translate into newer actions later. " In any case, Ali feels that the process that has begun should not be allowed to fade. "And it won't --if we're watchful and handle it with creativity."
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