The European (anti-) Social Forum?

If another Europe is possible, it will most unlikely emerge within the ESF. And if the current forms of society in Europe and the rest of the world are criticised as  exclusive and marginalising spaces, then the Foum in Firenze is anti-social, - so we could argue.

This is not an attempt to be contraire at any cost or to sabotage the product of good intents. But we must seriously reflect upon the fact that the 'Fortezza', in which the ESF is mainly held, is an exclusive space: entrance fee is 10.- Euro! That is the setting. If you want to participate you must pay, and what is so different or new about that? Of course the creative and imaginative participant gets a free press accreditation, which also includes access to the media centre where this is written. Yes, that is correctly perceived: there is not only an outside exclusionary border, but within, as well, there is a border. Your 10 Euro does not buy you access to information technologies.

But let us forget about these 'minor' issues and move on to the (lack of) substance or contents of the promised land and its sacred secrets for the chosen few.

We are in the 21st century and it seems plausible to suggest that a different Europe, or world for that matter, would most likely be a result of novel ways of organising a gathering like the ESF and that the structures, contents and people within the ESF were progressive, radical and, more importantly, imaginative thinkers. However, it is disappointingly well known what takes place here. It is a Marxist bookfair - a commercial space for the distribution of 19th century revolutionary literature and merchandise. We find the usual Che T-shirts, banners and posters randomly scatttered in the otherwise Terra Marxista. Why, at the dawn of the 21st century we should congregate around a philosophy of lifelessness is beyond me - it is boring, reductionistic and not very inventive at all. The very strong focus on critique of capitalism, on revolution indeed, appears to be a dead idea. Resistance is futile and revolution is nonsense. Any critique of a system is what keeps it dynamic and thus anti-capitalism is simply a refinement of capitalism in effect. If another Europe is possible then it must be build on another language and mindset than the ones that created it in the first place, or what?

Revolution makes no sense unless the people are ready for it, meaning that perceptions must change and that, so it seems, is a long evolutionary process and not an overnight sensation. Once the majority perceive the world differently, the world is different - or at least the (r)evolution is happening by itself. The advocacy of revolution is irresponsible and arrogant: let us have the power and we will sort you out. A completely outdated mode of thinking, I am afraid.

Patronising and belittleling.

It takes 7000 years to change the whole world, but we're having fun changing ours.

Why am I in Firenze then? Well, there are other gatherings taking place. Take a look at the 'Hub'. I shall not say more about it, but simply point you to it - make up your own mind:

http://www.inventati.org/hub/

Unfortunately this f**** computer just crashed and several paragraphs could not be retrieved. A report on a talk by Vandana Shiva is lost. I cannot be asked to write it again, so that's it for now.

Maybe I can just add that I spent more than an hour in Ancona Airport waiting for the local chief of the Guardia di Finanza to turn up and take a look at me. Many questions were asked in between and answered to the best of my ability. They did not like that I had 20 VHS tapes and some CD's containing films about the G8 and the Genoa Social Forum. 'Are you in the black block', one of them asked me - and i said 'yes, of course I am' and laughed. We all laughed.

The strangest thing to happen during that hour was that one of the 'soldiers' asked me if he could buy one of the films. He would have to ask his superior first, 'obviously' and with his puzzled and reluctant consent the independent documentary 'genova città aperta' is now in the hands of a 'soldier' of the Guardia di Finanza - whattaya know?