Action Briefing Dec 2004 - Jan 2005
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Steve finds another world at the Forum

'ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE' proclaimed the advance publicity for the third European Social Forum (ESF), a three-day festival of international debate, protest and celebration in London. Well, it had to be worth a look.

The themes of the Forum were rather a mouthful, encompassing War & Peace, Democracy and Fundamental Rights, Social Justice & Solidarity, Corporate Globalisation & Justice, Opposition to Racism, Discrimination & the Far Right, and Environmental Crisis. The event was based at Alexandra Palace with a major offshoot in Bloomsbury, and over 500 plenary sessions, meetings, seminars and workshops with nearly 3,000 speakers throughout the Capital. I was attending as both environmentalist and Socialist, so how could I possibly choose what to do in 21/2 days . . ?

Full details of the programme had appeared a little late, so I found myself 'dipping in' to any interesting-looking session which happened to be close at hand. An infrequent traveller to London, I never even made it to Bloomsbury, which I regretted, as some of the best environment-themed meetings took place there.

Stimulating
Judging by the rapt expressions of attendees at every meeting, however, there is no doubt that the Forum succeded in putting on an intellectually stimulating programme of events. I was interested to hear more about the ban on the wearing of religious garments and personal adornments in the French education system, which had hit the headlines that same morning. Here as elsewhere, adequate translation facilities between English and several other languages were provided. The ESF was certainly an event 'by the people, for the people'. There were few mainstream politicians in evidence, although I did enjoy a nice chat with Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein!

As so often happens on these occasions, the most memorable event I attended was the most unexpected. On Sunday morning, before the march and rally in Trafalgar Square marking the end of the Forum, I decided to go to an art exhibition near where I was staying. This had been cancelled, and the impromptu event in its place was a talk on Tom Paine given by comedian and radical thinker Mark Steele. As one much influenced by Paine, I immediately knew that Mark had a profound knowledge of his subject. Mark is currently on BBC Radio 4 at 6.30 on Thursdays.

I enjoyed making endless circuits of the Exhibition Hall in Alexandra Palace as much as anything, calling at the many stalls representing just about any organisation from anywhere in Europe and beyond that one could name. At every one of these I enjoyed spontaneous and stimulating conversation, and I learned a very great deal. The stall at which I spent most time was (naturally) the one run by Friends of the Earth...

My warmest and most abiding memory of the ESF is not only the welcome and hospitality of Friends of the Earth, both Head Office in Underwood Street and London local groups, but the efficiency with which they fixed me up with lodging at two days' notice after the ESF Accommodation Office, who had promised to find me a cheap bed when I bought my ticket, informed me that they were full up. Former Birmingham FoE Campaigns and Project Worker Jenny Thatcher, now working for FoE in London, put me in touch with her colleague, Tamsyn East, who not only found me a room but invited me to various social functions so that my evenings as well as my days in London were very pleasantly occupied. They also made for very congenial companions on Sunday afternoon's march. Thank you, Friends of the Earth.

Infernal Combustion
FoE’s most spectacular contribution to the Forum was the 'Infernal Combustion' trailer parked in the large tarmac'd area immediately outside 'Ally Pally'. A dramatic audiovisual presentation of the petroleum oil industry's less savoury business practices was showing inside the trailer, and I gathered enough stark statistics about President Bush’s favourite black stuff to make me very glad indeed that I had left my car at home.

The ESF was not without its detractors, and much criticism has been levelled at the organisers, particularly over the role of sponsorship. It is true that the two main conference halls were the Great Hall and the UNISON Hall; it is true that the presence of the Socialist Workers' Party (SWP) and George Galloway’s RESPECT Coalition was somewhat overpowering at times (as far as I could tell, FoE had the only pitch in that area not occupied by SWP stalls); and it is true that the young man who attempted to set up a free tea stall inside the building was quickly bundled out by Security. But in my opinion, the event was a success and I believe that most of the 20,000 attendees would agree. Actually, my main complaint was that in the whole of Alexandra Palace there was just one cash machine, which understandably had a queue longer than that for the loo!

The ESF alternates with the World Social Forum, which will be held next year in Brazil. This was the third ESF and my first. The next ESF is in Athens in 2006, and I certainly hope to be there. But I shall make sure I plan my programme a little better.

Steve Wheeler