Hebe Bonafini criticizes WSF
Lena | 03.02.2002 17:17
The leader of the collective "Motheres of Plaza de Mayo" -Hebe Bonafini- has pointed out that there is a reformist detour within the World Social Forum.
She said that the organisers have not invited her to the Forum 2002 because last year she shouted at George Soros during a videoconference between the Economic Forum in Davos and the Social Forum in Porto Alegre.
Hebe Bonafini said that WSF is losing its distinguished qualities because of the "presence of some political leaders. The Organisers of the WSF have invited these leaders but they have not invited activists".
According to Hebe Bonafini "...if the WSF fails to invite people such as the zapatistas, Fidel Castro and the mothers of Plaza de Mayo, it means that the organisers are turning the Social Forum into a reformist organisation".
She said that the organisers have not invited her to the Forum 2002 because last year she shouted at George Soros during a videoconference between the Economic Forum in Davos and the Social Forum in Porto Alegre.
Hebe Bonafini said that WSF is losing its distinguished qualities because of the "presence of some political leaders. The Organisers of the WSF have invited these leaders but they have not invited activists".
According to Hebe Bonafini "...if the WSF fails to invite people such as the zapatistas, Fidel Castro and the mothers of Plaza de Mayo, it means that the organisers are turning the Social Forum into a reformist organisation".
Lena
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Porto Alegre
04.02.2002 14:30
black activists thought they were seriously under-
represented and held mass demonstrations to state
their case (they were immediately put on the schedules).
The Zapatista's and revolutionaries etc. should do the
same.
Incidentally, I've heard rumours that the Zapatista's
are reformists. Subcommandante Marcos says 'We are
rebels not revolutionaries'.
Another quick point, does anyone share my view that
Naomi Klein is a pretty lightweight thinker, who is now
increasingly out of date (her whole approach seems to
belong to the 80s & 90s days of identity politics & one
issue activists, rather than the militant anti-capitalist
politics of today).
Constantly seeing her "No Logo" all over bookshops, & hearing her being spoken of as a leading spokeperson of our
movement slightly irritates me. "No logo" is an OK book, but
it's not a classic. I personally think the only reason she
is elevated by the media is because she is not that left-wing and not a revolutionary.
One other point, while Cuba has many good points compared
to other third world countries, and Castro has spoken out against Globalisation, Imperialism and on behalf of poor countries. Fidel Castro is a dicatator,
and as someone who cleaves to the authentic marxist tradition of revolution from below, and workers democracy,
I think we should keep him at arms length, or if we do invite him to our meetings be highly critical, and cross
question him on how he can be a revolutionary and a dictator.
Thomas Munzer