France, Alternative Libertaire AL #250 - Tunisia: WSF mixed
taste (fr, it, pt) [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
The eleventh edition of the World Social Forum was held in March. Despite its loss of
influence, the lock of the organizers and the presence of representatives of various
dictatorships, there is a meeting place for trade unions, associations and political. ----
The 11th edition of the World Social Forum took place from March 24 to 28 and for the
second consecutive time in Tunis. The organizers announce 40 000 to 50 000 participants,
20 000 are less than expected. This decline in attendance was partially due to the deadly
attack Bardo on 18 March. Probably also a decline in interest of the world for this event
militants whose political and contentious content has nothing to do with that of the first
edition in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001.
Radiation loss
On arrival at Tunis airport, advertising the WSF is made by Tunisair, which supports and
uses the event as other large companies. The Tunisian government on one hand and the UGTT
(almost unique union in Tunisia) on the other hand also carry the WSF.
During an interview on a Tunisian national radio, regional coordinator of the Union of
Unemployed Graduates (UDC) regretted that the WSF has lost its influence in social
struggles, and said to ask if he would do not a tourist event for Tunisia which seeks to
redevelop this sector of its economy, in crisis since the fall of Ben Ali. This may
explain the limited presence of Tunisian and non-Tunisian activists, largely due to the
WSF communication too focused on foreign public and the tariffs applied to the same public
(5 dinars or 2.5 euros).
The program is carefully locked by the organizers; Some proposals considered probably too
disturbing, being "forgotten" when assigning rooms (this was the case for the presentation
of his book The Revolution face of globalization of contemporary fundamentalism Mohamed
Amami, Tunisian activist exiled in France and member of Alternative Libertaire). However,
government delegations from defending their diet, such as those of Algeria, Syria,
Morocco, Iran and Brazil, are clearly visible.
Mediterranean libertarian Dating
That of Algeria perhaps too much so, even the taste of the organizers: 1,400 people sent
by the government to flood the Forum under the caps with the Algerian flag, is another
technique to invisibiliser challenge, which exchange that used in 2013 when the opponents
had been prevented from leaving the territory of Algeria! The Palestinian cause has
meanwhile been sometimes used as collateral to justify the presence of some delegations
supporting regimes that suppress popular uprisings, such as pro-Bashar Syrian delegation
and the Iranian delegation.
Anyway, the WSF remains a meeting place for these organizations. The debates are useful
primarily to trade unions, associations, cultural networks that exist outside of the WSF
and use this opportunity to meet.
We did the same with the libertarians: Mediterranean libertarian meetings were held from
27 to 29 March and brought together about thirty people. For Tunisia, the libertarian
Common (most of whose activists come Disobedience movement, which was active from 2011 to
late 2013), FFE (Federation of emancipatory forces), members of the UDC, including a
feminist co-founder of an association for the rights of women farmers. For France, AL, AF,
the CNT-F, the CGA. Also participating IFA (International of Anarchist Federations), the
CNT-AIT Spain, the Sicilian FA, the Italian FA, as well as individuals (France, Bulgaria,
England). It emerged from these meetings shared commitment to strengthen the links between
activists and libertarian militants on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Adeline and Marouane (AL Paris-Northeast)
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Tunisie-Un-FSM-au-gout-mitige
