Verena Glass
Agência Carta Capital
Mumbai – The World Social Forum (WSF) started officially on this Friday (16) with an opening ceremony marked by harsh criticism to what was called the US imperialist project and the neoliberal policies it has imposed to the world. Aimed at by nine speakers, US foreign policy was held accountable both for the loss of thousands of lives in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine and for the increase in poverty, inequality and human rights violations in developing countries. The issue was vehemently pointed out by Iranian lawyer and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Shireen Ebadi. At the same time, the WSF was considered as the main opposition force facing the "neoliberal empire", for it has become popular all over the world and gathered an increasing number of social actors able to strengthen each other and challenge the "empire’s interests".
In most speeches, the main points were the situation in Palestine and Iraq. To Mustafa Barghouti, one of Palestine’s main social leaders, the military might of countries like the US and Israel is superseding democratic institutions and controlling even the media and world public opinion. "The "wall of shame" (aimed at separating Palestinian and Israeli territories) envisaged by the Israeli government means a sure death to the Palestinian people. Seventy percent of Palestinians already live below poverty line. Not resisting occupation is like asking a woman not to scream as she is raped". Appealing to the solidarity of WSF participants, Barghouti reminded them of the struggle for independence in India and South Africa’s apartheid. "There’s no room for neutrality", he sustained.
Amir Al Rekabi, from Iraq’s pro-democracy movement and India’s former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral adopted similar tone. According to Rekabi, international solidarity is crucial for Iraqis in their fight for sovereignty and against American occupation, which has put the country for sale to multinational corporations. Gujral, in turn, who sent the WSF a letter, said he rejects the idea that there is no alternative to neoliberal imperialism, and that "the winds of change, which rose in the far away land of Porto Alegre, have crossed two continents and came to blow on our coasts. This is the occasion for us to celebrate our solidarity".
Elected years ago as one of the eight most beautiful women in the word by People magazine, writer Arundhati Roy made the toughest speech against the US. Linked to India’s most radical movements, she said that the poor and the terrorists have been levelled by American policy. According to her, American imperialism is becoming both a world police force, by using power and weapons, and an economic power, through the might of big multinational corporations and by imposing the neoliberal economic model to the world. "No country in the world is off the aim of American missiles. But the new genocide is now carried out above all through economic power. Discussing imperialism is like discussing the pros and cons of rape", Roy sustained. And she concluded by saying: "the new American project wants injustice and inequality. We want justice. So let us considered ourselves at war".
Translated by Roberto Cataldo Costa
