Dear RN, One thing I particularly like about the posting below is that it articluates very well what we are for; there is so much we oppose and that we must speak out about because most of our neighbours are insulated from the knowledge of it, that sometimes it becomes too easy to forget what we are working towards. What we want was, to a large degree, manifest in the very way the WTO protests were organized and carried out. Leadership was exercised by many individuals, and people seemed not to need to choose designated leaders as has so often been the case in the past. It was natural too, to listen to the voices of those most directly affected by corporate globalization, even if their names are not household words. all the best, Jan ******************************************************************************* From: "Viviane Lerner" <•••@••.•••> To: "WAND" <•••@••.•••>, "Women's Net" <•••@••.•••> Subject: The Beginning of a Global Movement Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 14:00:52 -1000 The Beginning of a Global Movement http://www.saidit.org/dec_article2.html by Adriene Sere In my 18 years of political activism, I have never witnessed so much political change happen in one single week, right before my very eyes. Thousands of activists shut down the WTO with nothing but determination and unarmed human bodies. The protests helped bring a halt to the Third Round of negotiations between powerful world leaders who wanted to trade in more of the earth’s forests, compromise more laws protecting public health, and open up our public services for sale to corporations. With little help and every hindrance from the corporate media, activists brought this secret new oligarchy, quickly expanding its powers over democracies around the world, into public view. And there was one more amazing outcome from the week: the emergence of a transformative solidarity among a vast diversity of people, leading to what many are calling the beginning of a movement for global democracy. The success of the week wasn’t, of course, just luck. The unique power of this effort, in my view, resulted from a combination of three factors: the decentralized basis of organizing; the integration of marginalized voices as voices of authority; and the wholistic and responsible vision of this new movement. There were no clear “leaders” behind this week of teach-ins and protests. Instead there were hundreds of organizers who committed months of their time to create and coordinate events. There were no “followers.” People were motivated to organize because of the facts they learned about the WTO and corporate globalization--not because of a particular ideology or a fad or a charismatic individual. Because of the decentralization of the movement (and the decentralized nature of its main organizing tools, email and the internet), outreach extended far and wide. People could get involved where they already were, where they were most knowledgeable, where they could best use their talents, working with others who shared their main concerns and organizing approach. There was no line of authority. Activists simply took power into their own hands, and coordinated their efforts with others who were doing the same. Because of this, the events and actions were creative, pervasive, and empowering, and they manifested at every turn, on every issue affected by the WTO. The power of decentralization made itself most clear in the successful civil disobedience-- coordinated primarily by Direct Action Network--which temporarily shut down the WTO. Ecofeminist author Starhawk, who participated in the action, recently wrote in an article dispersed through email: “No centralized leader could have coordinated the scene in the midst of the chaos, and none was needed--the organic, autonomous organization we had proved far more powerful and effective. No authoritarian figure could have compelled people to hold a blockade line while being tear gassed--but empowered people free to make their own decisions did do that.” A decentralized structure can make a mesh strong and effective. But there also has to be unity threading together the decentralized structure. In this movement, that unity was motivated by a common threat--the WTO. But a common enemy does not in and of itself bring about meaningful unity. The unity that we witnessed grew strong and held together in large part because of organizers’ and participants’ commitment to equality and sharing of power. Sexism, racism, and other isms evaporated like I had never seen before. That commitment to equality wasn’t happenstance, either. After years of identity politics, feminism, and the persistent struggles in the developing world against exploitation by rich nations, the dominant classes finally shared power with the marginalized--effortlessly, it seemed, and with respect. Gender balance and fair representation of people of color were the norm, rather than the exception (though unfortunately, there were exceptions). During the teach-ins, the marginalized who had directly experienced the harm of corporate globalization were acknowledged as the experts. Even in casual interaction during this week, sexism and other divisive behaviors seemed to evaporate. Everyone seemed to prioritize the necessity of stopping the WTO. There seemed to be a power and purity to the resistance, so strong that it could not be contained or smashed when faced with the collective brutality of every law enforcement agent in the area, plus the National Guard. The sense of solidarity continued in protests all week long, on the streets and in the jails and in the 24-hour-a-day vigil outside the jail. Such bonds of solidarity cannot coexist with the weakening forces of sexism and other bigotries. The third element of success was vision. Like most leftist activity, the week of teach-ins and protests was a response to an emergency--the existence and possible expansion of the WTO. But vision was built right in. The focus was not solely on what we oppose, but also what we are for: sustainable farming, empowerment of women, local control, diversity, globalized workers’ rights, indigenous rights, the priority of democratic law, protection of the environment and endangered wildlife, fair and responsible trade, respect for basic needs. These goals were weren’t briefly mentioned only to be passed right by. For instance, women from developing countries spoke about the devastation of cash crop export industries, and they also spoke about the importance of sustenance farming to their lives and cultures. Some spoke about the oppressive working conditions of maquiladoras, and also about how the effort to fight the oppression was unifying women. Audiences heard about the homogenizing impact of pro-corporate trade, but we also heard about how crucial diversity is to the environment, to indigenous cultures, to the world. The values underlying the teach-ins and the resistance emerged from an understanding of and respect for wholeness; a humble understanding of the human relationship to nature; a commitment to long-term social responsibility; a knowledge and acknowledgment of interdependency; and an honoring of the small, the immediate, the local, all the while keeping an eye on the big picture. These are values that have been guarded by women, more so than men. These values spring from the necessities of life, and women have tended to be the ones to care for life, against all odds. Women have had to know what is required to care for life, and have suffered oppression in part because of their efforts to meet those requirements. During this week of teach-ins and resistance, these values, long associated with women, were put forth by a broad-based, mixed-gender, all-ages movement. It was the commitment to these values on the part of such a diverse population that gave this week its foundation and tremendously powerful meaning. The movement that was born at the cusp of the millennium in Seattle, in the face of a planetary crisis, carries so much significance and potential because it aims to make these life-honoring values the basis of our economic infrastructure, as well as our social and cultural relationships.Therefore, it could be argued, this not only signals the beginning of a new movement for global democracy. It set an example for transforming patriarchal, destructive societies into a world based on decentralized equality, empowerment, and the careful honoring of life. All contents © 1999 Said It
