Another World is Possible: Popular Alternatives to Globalization at the World Social Forum

400 Pages·2015·2.05 MB·English

by  William F. Fisher

critique confronts the world. Without dogma,
without new principles, it refuses to conform and
instead demands insurrection of thought. It must
be ruthless, unafraid of both its results and the
powers it may come into conflict with. Critique takes
the world, our world, as its object, so that we may
develop new ways of making it.
influence is a step from critique towards the
future, when effects begin to be felt, when the
ground becomes unstable, when a movement
ignites. These critiques of the state of our world
have influenced a generation. They are crucial
guides to change.
change is when the structures shift. The books
in this series take critique as their starting point
and as such have influenced both their respective
disciplines and thought the world over. This series
is born out of our conviction that change lies not
in the novelty of the future but in the realization of
the thoughts of the past.
These texts are not mere interpretations or reflections,
but scientific, critical and impassioned analyses of
our world. After all, the point is to change it.
TiTles in The criTique influence change series
Reclaiming Development The Lords of Human Kind
An Alternative Policy Manual European Attitudes to Other Cultures
by Ha-Joon Chang and Ilene Grabel in the Imperial Age
by Victor Kiernan
Realizing Hope
Life Beyond Capitalism Male Daughters, Female Husbands
by Michael Albert Gender and Sex in an African Society
by Ifi Amadiume
Global Governance and the New Wars
The Merging of Development and Marxism and the Muslim World
Security by Maxime Rodinson
by Mark Duffield
Planet Dialectics
Capitalism in the Age of Globalization Explorations in Environment and
The Management of Contemporary Development
Society by Wolfgang Sachs
by Samir Amin
Another World is Possible
Ecofeminism World Social Forum Proposals for
by Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva an Alternative Globalization
edited by William F. Fisher and
Patriarchy and Accumulation on a
Thomas Ponniah
World Scale
Women in the International Division
of Labour
by Maria Mies
Grassroots Post-modernism
Remaking the Soil of Cultures
by Gustavo Esteva and
Madhu Suri Prakash
Debating Cultural Hybridity
Multicultural Identities and the Politics
of Anti-Racism
edited by Pnina Werbner and
Tariq Modood
A Fundamental Fear
Eurocentrism and the Emergence
of Islamism
by S. Sayyid
More criTical Praise for Another World is Possible
‘This new edition reminds us not only of how original
and timely the World Social Forum was and what a
global impact it had, but also of how changing times
are challenging the WSF a decade and more later.
Strongly recommended.’
Peter Waterman, co-editor of World Social Forum:
Challenging Empires
‘A fascinating and valuable reflection of
political reality’
Roger S. Gottlieb, Tikkun
abouT The eDiTors
William F. Fisher is professor of international
development and social change in the International
Development, Community, and Environment
Department at Clark University, USA.
Thomas Ponniah is a professor of philosophy and
politics in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at
George Brown College in Toronto, an affiliate of the
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies,
and a summer lecturer at Harvard University.
anoTher WorlD
is Possible
WorlD social
foruM ProPosals
for an alTernaTive
globalizaTion
eDiTeD by
WilliaM f.
fisher anD
ThoMas
Ponniah
WiTh a foreWorD by
boavenTura De
sousa sanTos
Zed Books
London
Another World is Possible: World Social Forum Proposals for An Alternative Globalization
was first published in 2003 as Another World is Possible: Popular Alternatives to
Globalization at the World Social Forum by:
in Canada: Fernwood, 8422 St Margaret’s Bay Road (Hwy 3),
Site 2A, Box 5, Black Point, Nova Scotia B0J 1B0
in Malaysia: Strategic Information Research Development (SIRD),
No. 11 Lorong 11/4E, Petaling Jaya, 46200 Selangor Darul Ehsan
in South Africa: David Philip Publishers (Pty Ltd),
99 Garfield Road, Claremont 7700
in the rest of the world: Zed Books Ltd., 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK
This edition published in 2015 by Zed Books Ltd,
7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK
www.zedbooks.co.uk
Editorial copyright © William F. Fisher and Thomas Ponniah 2003, 2015
Individual chapters copyright © individual authors 2003
Foreword copyright © Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri 2003
Foreword copyright (this edition) © Boaventura de Sousa Santos 2015
The rights of William F. Fisher and Thomas Ponniah to be identified
as the editors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance
with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988
Set in 10/13 pt Monotype Bembo by Long House, Cumbria, UK
Cover designed by www.alice-marwick.co.uk
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of Zed Books Ltd.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78360-517-0 pb
ISBN 978-1-78360-519-4 pdf
ISBN 978-1-78360-520-0 epub
ISBN 978-1-78360-521-7 mobi
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements xiii
Foreword to the critique influence change edition
BOAVENTURA DE SOUSA SANTOS xvii
Preface to the critique influence change edition
THOMAS PONNIAH AND WILLIAM F. FISHER xxi
Foreword to the first edition
MICHAEL HARDTandANTONIO NEGRI xxvii
Preface to the first edition
WILLIAM F. FISHER AND THOMAS PONNIAH xxxi
Introduction • The World Social Forum and
the Reinvention of Democracy
THOMAS PONNIAH andWILLIAM F. FISHER 1
PART I
The Production of Wealth and Social
Reproduction 21
Overview: Key Questions, Critical Issues
WILLIAM F. FISHER andTHOMAS PONNIAH 23
1 External Debt: Abolish the Debt in Order to
Free Development
ERIC TOUSSAINT andARNAUD ZACHARIE
30
COMMITTEE FOR THE ANNULMENT OF THIRD WORLD DEBT
2 Africa/Brazil
Conference Synthesis
JACQUES D’ADESKY (FACILITATOR) 38
3 Financial Capital
Controls on Finance Capital
ATTAC, FRANCE 41
CONTENTS
4 International Trade
Conference Synthesis
BERNARD CASSEN ATTAC (FACILITATOR) 51
5 Transnational Corporations
Issues and Proposals
JOSHUA KARLINER CORPWATCHand
KAROLO APARICIO GLOBALEXCHANGE 55
6 Labour
(i) A Strategic Perspective on the International Trade Union
Movement for the Twenty-first Century
CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS (COSATU) 62
(ii) A Global Strategy for Labour
JEFF FAUX ECONOMICPOLICYINSTITUTE 78
7 A Solidarity Economy
(i) Resist and Build
ECONOMIC SOLIDARITY GROUP OF QUEBEC 91
(ii) Conference Synthesis
SANDRA QUINTELA INSTITUTE OF ALTERNATIVE POLICIES
FOR THE SOUTHERN CONE (FACILITATOR) 97
PART II
Access to Wealth and Sustainability 107
Overview: Key Questions, Critical Issues
WILLIAM F. FISHER andTHOMAS PONNIAH 109
8 Environment and Sustainability
(i) The Living Democracy Movement:
Alternatives to the Bankruptcy of Globalization
VANDANA SHIVA FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
115
AND ECOLOGY
(ii) Conference Synthesis
SARA LARRAIN INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON
GLOBALIZATION, CHILE (FACILITATOR) 125
CONTENTS
9 Water – A Common Good
Conference Synthesis
GLENN SWITKES INTERNATIONAL RIVERS NETWORK, USA
andELIAS DÍAZ PEÑA RIOS VIVOS/AMIGOS DE LA TIERRA,
PARAGUAY (FACILITATORS) 130
10 Knowledge, Copyright and Patents
(i) Intellectual Property and the Knowledge Gap
OXFAM, UK 136
(ii) Conference Synthesis
FRANÇOIS HOUTART TRICONTINENTAL CENTRE (FACILITATOR) 144
11 Medicine, Health, AIDS
Conference Synthesis
SONIA CORRÊA IBASE andDAWN NETWORK (FACILITATOR) 150
12 Food
People’s Right to Produce, Feed Themselves and Exercise
their Food Sovereignty
APM WORLD NETWORK 161
13 Cities, Urban Population
Conference Synthesis
ERMÍNIA MARICATO (FACILITATOR) 173
14 Indigenous Peoples
(i) Indigenous Commission Statement
DIONITO MAKUXI, PINÁ TEMBÉ, SIMIÃO WAPIXANA,
JOEL PATAXÓ, LURDES TAPAJÓS and
LUIZ TITIÁ PATAXÓ HÃ-HÃ-HÃE 180
(ii) Conference Synthesis
PAULO MALDOS CENTRE FOR POPULAR EDUCATION, BRAZIL
(FACILITATOR) 182
PART III
The Affirmation of Civil Society
and Public Space 187
Overview: Key Questions, Critical Issues
WILLIAM F. FISHER AND THOMAS PONNIAH 189