Some 20,000 people are registered to attend the European Social Forum in Forence, Kay, From Noverber 6-10,
including more than 1,000 from Britain. Under the slogan 'Another Europe is Possible' the Forum aims to bring together, consolidate and carry forward global justice struggles. It will culminate in a massive anti-war demonstration on Saturday November 9.
The hope is that there will be significant representation on the British contingent from trade unions and NGOs as well as from students and socialists. The ESF has the support of key unions nationally, including UNISON, NAFTHE and the CWU, as well as many local union branches.
The challenge for the left at the ESF will be to find a way of working positively with those who come from diverse political backgrounds - with those who want reforms of the system rather than its transformation. The key is to positively promote socialist alternatives without alienating those who don't share them and to build the broadest possible movement.
The ESF also provides an opportunity to bring together the antiwar and anti-capitalist movements. It can help to galvanise the antiwar movement in countries like France where it has been slow to develop.
And what of the future beyond Florence? One of the strengths of the movement in Genoa 2002 was the involvement of 700 local political and community groups in mobilising for the demonstration. This meant that out of Genoa groups were able to take key ideas back into their campaigning in the community.
Similarly, work has to be done in Britain to ensure that the issues raised in Florence and the existence of the Social Forum get the highest possible visibility amongst striking workers and campaigners against war and privatisation. There can be a tendency in Britain to see the global justice mobilisations as separate from trade union campaigns for better pay and community campaigns against privatisation. An important task following the ESF will be to pull these campaigns into a broad anti-capitalist movement.
After Florence early meetings should be held to bring together ESF participants and agree plans for reporting back to every organisation and campaign around the country.
The strength of the Stop the War Coalition is both in organising demonstrations of 400,000 people and in effective local mobilisation against war by local groups.
Similarly the success of the ESF will be judged by the ability not just to get large numbers over to Florence but also to take the energy and excitement of the forum back into every workplace and local campaign. .•• RMT will intervene in some of the key debates taking place ... ••
RMT's decision to participate in the ESF comes after a debate at our Annual General Meeting in June this year, which decided;
"The process known as globalisation' is no more than the imposition of the conditions and policies which favour the growth of power and influence of