Women Activists Excluded from the ESF
hh | 26.10.2004 12:56
The letter published in today’s Guardian shows how political parties involved in organising the ESF excluded women activists and women's groups which did not support them. These same parties similarly organise the Stop The War Coalition(and Respect), and used the STWC as cover for their ESF activities.
The Socialist Workers Party (An erstwhile Lenninist Sect), the Communist Party of Britain (ertswhile Stalinists, now a Social Democratic Sect controlling the Morning Star), and Socialist Action (erstwhile Leninist now Commercial/political Manegerial Sect) which is party of the Labour Party, its members in the GLC work for Ken Livingston.
These parties had some support from a few CND and Trade Unions bureaucrats who were either in the parties, or were promised promotion of their own organisations interests, and some few willing fools - sought to exclude grass roots, anarchist, and libertarian organisations which were considered opposed to party interests.
It is good to briefly refect on the organisation process. The Parites achied what they wanted by weight of numbers, bullying and well rehearsed disruptive tactics to get rid of other ESF orgainsers. Often though, the opposition on the organising committee were easily outmanouvred, or were easily duped, and lulled into traps, or seduced at various stages. Opposition could have been firmer and more united, and emphatic. There are many now who opposed the SWP and co. who once showed them at least tacit support, and too often gave them authority by engaging in their agenda.
When these groups sought to protest peacefully for democracy, and against exclusion, during the ESF, they were smeared as thuggish racist. Thankfully, the lies were self-evident to the rest of the left, and theconsequent backlash against Socilaist Action and the Socilaist Workers Party is well deserved.
On a positive note, the following Guardian Newspaper letter adds something substantial to the debate - which has been started in IM - of how the ESF can be turned round after London 2004, a low-point in its short history, and developed as catalyst for revolutionary change.
The Socialist Workers Party (An erstwhile Lenninist Sect), the Communist Party of Britain (ertswhile Stalinists, now a Social Democratic Sect controlling the Morning Star), and Socialist Action (erstwhile Leninist now Commercial/political Manegerial Sect) which is party of the Labour Party, its members in the GLC work for Ken Livingston.
These parties had some support from a few CND and Trade Unions bureaucrats who were either in the parties, or were promised promotion of their own organisations interests, and some few willing fools - sought to exclude grass roots, anarchist, and libertarian organisations which were considered opposed to party interests.
It is good to briefly refect on the organisation process. The Parites achied what they wanted by weight of numbers, bullying and well rehearsed disruptive tactics to get rid of other ESF orgainsers. Often though, the opposition on the organising committee were easily outmanouvred, or were easily duped, and lulled into traps, or seduced at various stages. Opposition could have been firmer and more united, and emphatic. There are many now who opposed the SWP and co. who once showed them at least tacit support, and too often gave them authority by engaging in their agenda.
When these groups sought to protest peacefully for democracy, and against exclusion, during the ESF, they were smeared as thuggish racist. Thankfully, the lies were self-evident to the rest of the left, and theconsequent backlash against Socilaist Action and the Socilaist Workers Party is well deserved.
On a positive note, the following Guardian Newspaper letter adds something substantial to the debate - which has been started in IM - of how the ESF can be turned round after London 2004, a low-point in its short history, and developed as catalyst for revolutionary change.
Women must be heard
Tuesday October 26, 2004
The Guardian
A major problem for grassroots organisers, especially if we are women, is that neither Stop the War nor the unions are independent of political parties, and both sabotage any organising that doesn't serve their interests (Letters, October 25).
Women are central to achieving real economic and political change. Yet women were silenced at the recent European Social Forum, in which Stop the War and various unions had a controlling hand.
Fifty organisations from 12 countries asked the ESF to hold a women's day. We were turned down - so we called our own. The ESF then hurriedly convened a short women's assembly chaired by those who opposed the women's day. When we finally spoke at the closing plenary, many agreed that a women's day should be integral to the ESF. They also agreed that there is no place at the ESF for police being called on protesters, and for pro-war Iraqi men being given a platform, while anti-war Iraqi women, asylum seekers and Haitians opposed to the US-French coup are not.
Anna Thorburn -Global Women's Strike
Tina Baguma - All African Women's Group
Charo Luque Galvez - Mujeres de Negro, Spain
Eva Thun - Women's News, Hungary
Katarzyna Gawlicz - Wroclaw University, Poland
Renata Franmartino - Unione Donne Migranti Per La Pace, Italy
Sara Callaway - Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike
Anna Kaminska - Pre-Election Coalition of Women, Poland
Asun Navarro - Collectiu 8 de Marc, Alcoi, Spain
Carolyn Kagan - Director Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dee Coombes - Liverpool Committee Against the Destitution of Asylum Seekers
Domenico D'Anna - Segreteria Provinciale Modena, Confederazione Generale
Italiana Lavoratori - CGIL, Italy
Ingrid McClements - Scotland
Katarina Ferro - ARGE Feminismus, Austria
Katarzyna Szumlewicz - Poland
Maggie Ronayne - Global Women's Strike, Ireland
Marek Krakowski - Poland
Margarita Morales - England
Mariangela Casalucci - Manchester Social Forum and MI5, allegedly, in a personal capacity
Owen English - Indymedia Oxford, in a personal capacity
Payday men's network - England, Italy
Sara Williams - Global Women's Strike, Spain
Stephen Porter - Independent Venezuela Network, Chesterfield
Tuesday October 26, 2004
The Guardian
A major problem for grassroots organisers, especially if we are women, is that neither Stop the War nor the unions are independent of political parties, and both sabotage any organising that doesn't serve their interests (Letters, October 25).
Women are central to achieving real economic and political change. Yet women were silenced at the recent European Social Forum, in which Stop the War and various unions had a controlling hand.
Fifty organisations from 12 countries asked the ESF to hold a women's day. We were turned down - so we called our own. The ESF then hurriedly convened a short women's assembly chaired by those who opposed the women's day. When we finally spoke at the closing plenary, many agreed that a women's day should be integral to the ESF. They also agreed that there is no place at the ESF for police being called on protesters, and for pro-war Iraqi men being given a platform, while anti-war Iraqi women, asylum seekers and Haitians opposed to the US-French coup are not.
Anna Thorburn -Global Women's Strike
Tina Baguma - All African Women's Group
Charo Luque Galvez - Mujeres de Negro, Spain
Eva Thun - Women's News, Hungary
Katarzyna Gawlicz - Wroclaw University, Poland
Renata Franmartino - Unione Donne Migranti Per La Pace, Italy
Sara Callaway - Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike
Anna Kaminska - Pre-Election Coalition of Women, Poland
Asun Navarro - Collectiu 8 de Marc, Alcoi, Spain
Carolyn Kagan - Director Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dee Coombes - Liverpool Committee Against the Destitution of Asylum Seekers
Domenico D'Anna - Segreteria Provinciale Modena, Confederazione Generale
Italiana Lavoratori - CGIL, Italy
Ingrid McClements - Scotland
Katarina Ferro - ARGE Feminismus, Austria
Katarzyna Szumlewicz - Poland
Maggie Ronayne - Global Women's Strike, Ireland
Marek Krakowski - Poland
Margarita Morales - England
Mariangela Casalucci - Manchester Social Forum and MI5, allegedly, in a personal capacity
Owen English - Indymedia Oxford, in a personal capacity
Payday men's network - England, Italy
Sara Williams - Global Women's Strike, Spain
Stephen Porter - Independent Venezuela Network, Chesterfield
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