Counter-Conference: Thematic areas and workshops
Thematic areas
Workshops
1. Democracy, participation and repression
Neoliberal globalisation further reduces institutions presenting themselves as democratic to pure form: international economic institutions, free trade zones, their military instruments, and the new empire of multinationals are making daily decisions which affect milions of people and the future of humanity, without consulting anybody. All this has given rise to resistences which are increasingly the targets of repression. It is high time to elaborate new forms of participative democracy, and to reconstruct civil society.
1.1. Democratising the economy
Socialisation of the economy - Democracy at work - Social economy.
1.2. Local powers and democracy
Cities and globalisation - Participative democracy as a vector of freedom.
1.3. Neoliberalism and repression
Globalisation, poverty and the prison system. Liberty and democracy. Criminalisation of social movements. Rights of immigrants recently arrived.
1.4. Culture, education and information
Art as a form of denunciation. The media and the ideological aparatus of the state and of education. Daily life and associations.
1.5. Alternatives proposed by local social movements
New forms of socialisation as a basis for critical thinking: cooperative movement, radical unionism, social movements, neighbour communities.
1.6. Globalisation and the national question
Uniformising processes. Loss of identities. Democratic participation as a way to reassert sovereignty.
2. Social and labour rights
In spite of the international UN agreements on social and economic rights signed by many countries, reiterated abuses of human rights, increasing inequality, and the carrying out of market oriented policies e.g. by the World Bank, demand analysis, denounciations, and the elaboration of alternatives related to concrete action.
2.1. The European Union and globalisation
The EU since Maastricht, effects on social rights and proposals by unions, NGOs and European economists.
2.2. Globalisation and its effects on education and health
Education and health as basic rights. Sinking Welfare State and inequality.
2.3. Labour deregulation and precarious work: the consequences of globalisation and emerging social and labour demands
2.4. The response of social and labour organisations to globalisation
The experience of international union movements, coordination of NGOs, unions within multinationals and in the EU.
2.5. Privatisations and their effects on citizens
3. Environmental rights and the agrofood model
Confronted to a model of exponential development which has little to do with human necessities, which destroys natural resources and leave numerous communities without any means of subsistence, confronted to a model of growth which is monocultural, consumerist and unsustainable, we need to explore alternatives and resistence strategies.
3.1. Agrofood
Alternatives and resistence to the replacement of traditional farming with agrobusiness. Denounciation of multinationals.
3.2. Energy
Analysis of the impact of the current choices with regard to energetic production, management and consumption. Denounciation of multinationals
3.3. Water management
Privatisation trends. Impact of large water projects. The need for a new culture of water.
3.4. Environmental debt. External debt.
Critique of the current growth model. Relation between the 2 debts. Consequences of liberalisation on key sectors (energetic, water, services...)
3.5. Environmental rights as esential rights
Impact of globalisation on eco rights. Eco education for sustainable developt
4. Migrations
The question of migration is analysed from the point of view of its causes and consequences; both in the countries of emigration, and in the "receptor" countries.
4.1. The countries of origin
Causes and processes. Case studies: Ecuador, Maghreb, Africa and Asia.
4.2. Receptor countries
Comparative study of legislation. Racism. The response of civil society.
5. Globalisation and militarisation
The globalisation process goes hand in hand with increasing militarisation, impulsed above all by the US and by the so-called Western Block. We wish to analyse and respond to this situation, by providing a space for reflection on militarisation and peace in a context of globalisation
5.1. Worldwide military expenditure (R&D, military industry and arms trade)
Military expenditure and arms purchase as key factors impeding development of poor countries. Local & global alternatives.
5.2. Militarisation worldwide
The new race towards massive destruction armament. Forms of action.
5.3. Civil disobedience and non violent direct action
The State as agent of violence and control. Countervailing forms of action.
5.4. Other forms of militarisation. The Schengen agreement and Europol
The construction of a European repressive aparatus. The closing of fronteers and repression of dissidence as fundamental objectives of these policies.
6. Globalisation and development
Development policies promoted by the international institutions and governments have opened up the way to renewed froms of colonialism and promote the transformation of all forms and life into market opportunities. We wish to unravel these mechanisms and discuss alternatives to these policies.
6.1. Towards a new arquitecture of the international financial system
Abolition of these institutions or citizen control? Solutions to external debt, sustainable development, reform of credit agencies.
6.2. Socio-economic alternatives
Universal basic income, fair trade, Tobin tax, social economy, ethical funds, abolition of external debt etc.
6.3. Social movements of resistence and fight against globalisation
Analysis of movements (MST, MOCASE, Zapatist movement, Debt Movement, ATTAC, ...) and strategies for international coordination.
6.4. Latin America: globalisation and new colonialism
The impact of structural adjustment, dolarisation, FTAA, Colombia Plan etc. Spanish multinational corporations in LA.
6.5. The economic European and US project in the Arab region. Economic liberalisation and immigration control.
The dismantling of national postcolonial Arab projects. The US economic intervention. NATO s "mediterranean dialogue". Israeli-turkish militarisation. EU/US competition in the region.
7. Women and globalisation
Neoliberalism and its policies of budget cuts in service provision and of privatisation have led to a backlash in social and labour rights for women. IMF and World Bank policies do not recognize the rights of women, nor of the sick or of children. In parallel there has been increasing discrimination against lesbian women for their sexual choices. We wish to examine women s movements and thir contribution to social transformation.
7.1. Poverty
Global privatisation and public cuts policies and their effects on women here. Wealth distribution, unemployment, precarity, and wages. Rights of immigrant women.
7.2. Violence
Causes and consequences of violence. Poverty as a form of violence. Rights of women over their own body. War violence over women and violation of human rights.
Full programme of 'official' events with times and meeting places