RE: AUT: ESF in London

[".: s0metim3s :." <s0metim3s@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just read through one of the blog entries by
someone from RedPepper.  First, can someone fill
me in on who they are, where, what?

Secondly, I was struck by the phrase "manage
conflict," which appeared more than once.  I was
wondering when the point was reached where it
became a question of "managing conflict," and to
what end.  It's not clear what the purpose of
"managing conflicts" is, or who imagines that this
is their role.  Ok, maybe it's a little bit clear:
Leaving aside the origins of the Social Forum idea
(which is nevertheless constitutive of the whole
problem), the entire premise of the Forums has
been to substitute 'policy development' for
protest, or to explain the demise of the recent
protests (trot-style) according to the absence of
a coherent programme.

Parts of the Italian Social Centres embraced the
Fora (proposed I think by Attac) because they
wanted to secure themselves after the events of
Genoa. Other parts of the anti-summit networks
elsewhere more tentatively embraced them because
the anti-summit cycle had run out of steam.  Where
this was the case, they became, as in London,
adjuncts to the 'main event.  Others still are
likely to have embraced the idea, where they got
to 'share' platforms, because they wanted an
audience, to be flattered, etc.

But I doubt that the Social Fora will amount to
anything more interesting than the expression and
discussion of the conflicts which surround them.

If only for that reason alone, attempts to
'manage' those conflicts implicitly leave
undisturbed the emphasis on developing 'the right
programme' or 'set of ideas' which, then, will
result in the world becoming a better place.
Aside from those who regard this as part of a
wider process of developing platforms and
constituencies for government (Euro parliamentary
elections, or municipal elections, or similar),
what possible consequence would there be, let
alone in assuming that one needs to "manage
conflicts"?

Angela
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