European Social Forum Takes Off

A large number of representatives from England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Cyprus, Hungary, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey attended the weekend meetings.

Sami Evren, head of Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), gave the opening speech. "If they have the G8, World Trade Organization, World Bank, IMF, Multilateral Agreement on Trade and NATO, we have social forum processes," said Evren.

Trying Iraqi invasion

Besides the preparatory meetings for the ESF on the weekend, meetings were also held for the Mediterranean Social Forum, World Tribunal on Iraq, assembly of anti-war activists, and Women's Network.

The World Tribunal on Iraq is made up of a series of courts to try the Iraqi invasion. The last of those courts will assemble in Istanbul on March 20, 2005.

"We are legitimate because international establishments and institutions are not fulfilling their tasks," said Muge Sokmen, who spoke at the meeting.

At the meeting of the anti-war activists, a decision was reached in principle that all European countries would support a demonstration on June 26 to protest the NATO meeting in Istanbul.

"It is important that in this meeting, held for the first time in a non-EU country, a decision of support was reached," said Tayfun Mater from the Global Peace and Justice Coalition.

Besides technical issues about the ESF, participants also discussed the content and shape of the upcoming Social Forum.

Technical issues about the ESF were finalized on Saturday. The participants agreed on five topics to be discussed during the ESF meeting.

They decided that at least 13 major meetings would be organized in London on the following topics: War and Peace, Democracy and Citizens' Rights, Neo-Liberal Policies and the Counter Resistance, and Environment Right and Racism.

Participants also reached decisions on issues such as logistics, accommodation, translations and transportation. There were simultaneous translations in five languages during the Istanbul meetings.

The Babels International group, which participated in the organization as a volunteer, advocates that each participant is represented in their own language.

Peace and social justice

During the meetings on Sunday, participants talked about the direction of the Social Forum.

Participants discussed which issue, among anti-war activism and EU Constitution and social rights the Forum should emphasize.

In a speech, Pierre Khalfa of the ATTAC France, said ESF had certain gains up to this day. Khalfa said that although each country has different conditions, there should be unity on some common issues.

"The EU Constitution is a problem awaiting us. We have to create a powerful reaction against the neo-liberal policies," said Khalfa.

He said a connection should be created between general issues such as the EU Constitution and the daily problems of different social groups.

Participants who made the following comments after Khalfa's speech:

* Austria Social Forum: Politics should come before organization. The political activity of unions is inadequate. Wars should be taken as an outcome of the bourgeois society and we should fight against bourgeoisie itself.

* Greek Social Forum: The division in Europe over the Iraqi invasion was the main reason why the reaction, which started in Paris, did not continue. The global attack is coming from many different fronts and we should also respond in many different fronts. The NATO campaign presents us with an important opportunity to begin our reaction. We will be in Istanbul too.

* Italian Social Forum: The ESF has to have basic policies about social issues. We should increase the participation of unions. What do the unions do or propose about government decisions? Laborers should be our priority.

* German Social Forum: We need to prepare a declaration, which explains what ESF is and what it wants. We should do this before the EU Constitution is published and we should stand behind our demands. We will not be able to change anything later.

* Global Peace and Justice Commission (BAK): As ESF, we should support our American comrades and help them in their campaign against Bush. The election results in the U.S. do not only affect Americans but the whole world. It is not possible to defeat Bush in a channel other than Iraq.

* French Social Forum: We need to create a connection between the EU Constitution and the social and political debates in each country. The Social Forum should represent unity but also contain different opinions.

We need to include laborers

Alison Philcock from UNISON, the British Public Service Union, told Bianet that unions in Britain did not have an opinion about the EU Constitution and that they were not taking sides.

"This debate is even leading to some divisions among unions. Some say the EU Constitution should be rejected as a whole, while others say it would be enough to add a social dimension to it," said Philcock.

"On the other hand, the debate about the constitution has no relation to our daily problems." Philcock said this problem seemed far from the daily fights.

"Anti-war activism is very urgent at the moment," said Philcock about the emphasis at ESF on anti-war activism and social problems.

"But ESF cannot limit itself with just that. It will have to turn its eyes toward the working class now or later."(EU/YS/EA/YE)