European Social Forum - Tous Ensemble!

For the first time, the European Social Forum (ESF) was held in Britain this year and, also for the first time, NUS sponsored the event. Tens of thousands of delegates from across the world descended onto London to try and make sense of our, ahem, unique transport system, stay in the Millennium Dome (nice to see it serve a useful purpose at last!) and debate progressive politics. The agenda was packed: education, Trade Union and workers' rights, LGBT liberation, the emancipation of women, anti-racism; you name it, it was discussed at the Forum. It was incredibly inspiring to be among so many passionate, committed activists from so many diverse backgrounds and interests in the movement. Here, you thought, was the potential for a real alternative to the international 'Summits' and corporate gatherings of the global elite. It was fantastic that NUS had a part to play. The event - and the role of NUS - did not pass without controversy, and I'll be covering that in a separate e! ntry.

I saw the ESF as incredibly important, not only in terms of bringing movements together, but also in energising reactivating our movement. Much of my time in the weeks during the build-up to the event, and at the Forum itself, was spent working with No Sweat, the workers' rights and anti-sweatshop campaign. We held a successful meeting as part of the Forum and hosted a comdey benefit night with Mark Thomas.

Some people in our movement think that NUS politics is about playing apolitical games at the expense of principle, backbiting and climbing as far as they can up the bureaucratic ladder to feed their ego. I think they are not only wrong, but very sad.

From their ego-centred approach I would counter-pose that of the participants in the ESF, a place where the diverse strands of the radical and progressive movements come together to discuss how to change the world, to liberated the oppressed and fight for the basic human rights that are denied so many. I believe that this is the starting point our movement must have if it is to have any relevance It is important to remember that there is a society outside the bubble that encapsulates so much of what NUS and Student Unions do. Thousands of students from around the UK were involved in the ESF and it was a privilege was share the event with you all.

The Blogs on this site represent the individual views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or practices of the National Union of Students.

All links in blogs will open in a new browser window.

The permanent URL for this specific blog entry is: http://www.officeronline.co.uk/blogs/alanclarke/270155.aspx