In less than a decade the global capitalist system has come to a new stage of crisis – a crisis of accumulation, of structure, of credibility and of its own supposed democracy that rings hollow, as political parties, presidents and State structures fall short of defending the sovereignties and interests of the majority. On the other hand, the economies of the great powers are collapsing and Japan, the European Union and United States want to take advantage of the crisis to strengthen their own individual situations. The supposed market and the liberation of the borders of the world that would bring distribution of riches has provoked nothing but growing poverty, unemployment, irremediable effects on the environment, flight of capital, displaced populations and millions of migrants.

The large transnational corporations have lost their legitimacy, as have the governments and the scaffolding they have built to globalize neoliberalism in the third world. The lack of responsibility of companies like Monsanto and Novartis with their genetic contamination and the use of chemicals in foods to increase their profits, along with the production of transgenic foods; the exploitation of Nike laborers and of other maquiladoras such as General Motors and Chrysler; the defects in Firestone tires, the environmental depredations of Texaco Oil and Shell Oil in South America; the gigantic monopoly of Microsoft; the transgenic foodstuffs of Gerber, McDonald’s and Maseca among many others; the climate change brought about by toxic emissions; the melting of the polar ice cap and other consequences of the uncontrolled growth that the large transnational companies support with the dismantling of State apparatus – all with no controls. Thus, at the end of the 90’s some of the large transnational companies entered into crisis and merged to avoid competition. Monsanto buys other companies and Novartis merges with others; Daimler Benz, Chrysler-Mitsubishi, Renault and Nissan merge, as do Mobil Oil and Exxon, among others. The oligopolies in diverse areas of the world economy are taking charge of pricing, markets and the rules of the game of the supposed free trade.

Today, this process of neoliberal globalization is boosted by political, military and cultural support bases. The thirst to accumulate riches has gone hand in hand with the reduction of salaries, the deregulation of corporations, diminishing social spending and the role of the State as redistributor of riches and social referee, along with the privatization of businesses and public services. This has resulted in the destruction of nature and of the equilibrium of the economy and, and in the exploitation of the feminine work force for the accumulation of capital. Cultures have been destroyed and electoral and representative politics have lost credibility. Thus, the system adopts a new dialogue; signs contracts to contain poverty, protocols to diminish (but not stop) environmental deterioration; adopts a new ecological language in favor of the poor, of the indigenous, of women. It forms small and miserly funds to combat the misery that it provokes.

The corporate mercantilist system responds to the same antidote. But in light of the end of Keynesian economics, the welfare state, of neoliberalism that does not satisfy the needs of the majority, and the end of Soviet socialism, some believe that there is no other viable development model than the current one, that there is no economic alternative in the face of an untouchable market. These voices ask for the adoption of a positive attitude to face globalization, the Third Way, that considers that the protection of the economy and the national culture are postures of the extreme right, and they reject the protection of the State.

Nonetheless, the Vice President of the World Bank in 1997, Ajay Chibber, affirmed that “There is general recognition that the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of minimizing the role of the government… we believe that the government is essential for development.” The State cannot renounce its responsibility to guarantee its population access to health, education, full employment, and to eradicate poverty. Or as stated in the 1997 Report on Human Development of the United Nations Program for Development: “In all the normative spheres the State should advance the interests of the poor and encourage markets that benefit the poor.”

So, what is the alternative? Many more are asking than we think. Reinforced neoliberalism? Democratic socialism? The center left? The right or extreme modernized right? State terrorism or authoritarian governments? Military politicians? Or what arises from the democratic participation of everyone, evolving to a model of inclusive development. Only by participating in this process, in this route with the global society will be we able to find the alternative. The battles against globalization generate hope and their own proposals, directed at delegitimizing the system and the cycle that feeds neoliberal globalization; they construct convergences of anti-system fights and they formulate alternatives and new political expressions; linking, strategic and organic alliances.

The reaction of the global society is against the fiscal paradises that rich countries impose on the rest of the world to benefit transnational companies; and for the recognition of all rights for everyone; for the cancellation of external and eternal debts that have been paid various times by poor countries; against economic neocolonialism; for the forcible dismantling of state apparatus; against the growing concentration of lands in the hands of agro-industries; for the supremacy of economic, social and cultural rights over market logic; for democracy and transparency in international organisms; for health, education and cultural identity priorities. Against military spending and for the sovereignty of nutrition and the eradication of gender inequalities. For a central role of the State in defense and the promotion of human rights; for quality employment and the protection of the environment; for the suspension of negotiations with the World Trade Organization and the tax on international financial transactions. The global society demands democracy and an inclusive economic and political project. Nonetheless, the answer has been an isolation of power, the imposition of its own project, and growing repression.

All these demands figure in multi-sector, multi-class, multi-ethnic, multi-national, multi-thematic events throughout the world. The challenge is in reconstructing the long term, the utopia, and the society that we want in benefit of everyone. The earth, the ecology, work, agriculture and the education that we dream of. We also have to draw up a plan for the mid-term, constructing processes and generating mobilization and resistance to capitalism. In an immediate sense we have the alternatives of survival, of searching, of experimenting new ways, viable and possible alternatives today, according to the regional plan in a world context. On this route there is a great richness of global society, to which we now turn with a very small example of how the globalization of hope is being constructed and woven together:

1)      Summer of 1996. MEXICO. First Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, in Chiapas.

While the government of Mexico was implementing the war in Chiapas the provoke the suspension of the dialogue with the indigenous people, in sympathy with the great transnational interests that demanded more commercial reception and privatizations, the EZLN, after continental meetings, convokes the Intercontinental Meeting in the Aguascalientes of the Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas. More than 6000 people of diverse sectors and countries gathered together to share, reflect, and suggest alternatives against the neoliberal model. A peaceful and civilian meeting in the midst of war.

2) Summer of 1997. SPAIN. Second Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism in diverse cities of Spain and Cataluña.

From this meeting comes the initiative to form a network that fights against the WTO. Just after, the People’s Global Action is conceived in 71 countries, and one of its principal initial battles was against the Multilateral Investment Agreement, whose negotiations failed in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that brings together 29 of the richest countries in the world, but whose content was negotiated in diverse international scenarios inside the WTO, to where the antiglobalization fight was transferred.

3) December of 1998. BRAZIL. Third Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, in Brazil.

The EZLN convokes the last registered meeting to date.

4) June 18, 1999. INTERNET. Global Day against Financial Capitalism by Internet “J18”.

On this day “hackers” from various countries launched cyber-attacks against transnational companies.

5) August 1999. INDIA. International Conference of People’s Global Action.

Delegates from many countries prepare for protests in Seattle, US, against the WTO.

6) April 1998. CHILE. First People’s Assembly of the Continental Social Alliance.

The movement against the Free Trade Area of the Americas arises here, parallel with the Second Summit of the Americas where governments of the continent negotiated free trade in the hemisphere. A systematic reflection on the effects of free trade begins, and the search for alternatives that brings together hundreds of organizations in the Americas.

7) March 8, 2000. UNITED STATES. World Woman’s Strike and World Woman’s March in New York.

Thousand of women from all over the world protested outside the offices of the United Nations, demanding respect of the rights of women. On this International Woman’s Day, throughout the world people carried out acts of civil disobedience and protest marches.

8) April 1-10, 2000. Worldwide. International Week against Genetic Engineering.

 “Resistance is Fertile” was the slogan in at least 14 countries where actions and protests were carried out against the genetic manipulation of foods and animals. From the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, New Zealand, Philippines, Spain, Canada, Belgium, Holland, etc., information forums were held against Monsanto, along with workshops, concerts and other actions.

9) May 1, 2000. Worldwide. Global Action Day, Resistance and Carnival against Capitalism.

Organizations from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Finland, Russia and France among others, participated on this worldwide protest day.

10) June 30, 2000. Worldwide. Global Mobilization against the trial of José Bové.

The leader of the Campesino Confederation of France who destroyed a McDonald’s in protest of the transnational companies that benefit from the policies of the free market.

11) October 9-12, 2000. MEXICO. Second Continental South-North Assembly “People of the Americas constructing alternatives to neoliberalism” in Chiapas.

More than 120 organizations and indigenous networks from 18 countries of the American continent, set forth 6 focal points of their Action Plan in San Cristobal de las Casas: for a just integration, and against the Free Trade Area of the Americas; for the development of the people and against external debt; for a focus on gender and against the exclusion of women; for peace with development for all and against militarization and the Plan Colombia; for an integral rural development and against the exclusion and poverty of the farmlands; for respect of the indigenous people, their territories, autonomy and natural resources and against their exclusion, the plunder and privatization of their biodiversity. Their Third Assembly will be in 2001 in Cuba, while regional assemblies continue to meet.

12) January, 2001. BRAZIL. First World Social Forum in Porto Alegre.

More than 12,000 people from different sectors, organizations and local and worldwide networks from more than 80 countries came together while the Economic Forum was meeting in Davos, Switzerland. In a highly organized and unprecedented Meeting, the participants focused on more than 400 roundtable discussions on the experiences and alternatives to neoliberal globalization. From there, important initiatives arose and other processes for articulation were drawn up. This forum will meet each time that the Forum in Davos meets.

13) April 22, 2001. Worldwide. Earth Day.

In more than 180 countries, diverse actions, workshops, educational activities, consciousness-raising activities and protests were held in defense of the planet, the ecology and the natural resources of humanity that are being seriously threatened.

14) April 2001. CANADA. Second People’s Assembly of the Continental Social Alliance, Quebec.

Within the framework of the Third Summit of the Americas, in the face of the signing of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, thousands of people of the entire American continent met to protest against this economic integration, to reflect, analyze and formulate alternatives.

15) May 9-10, 2001. MEXICO. Forum of Analysis and Alternatives to the Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP) in Chiapas.

More than 120 organizations from Mexico and Central America, after a thorough diagnostic of the Free Trade Agreements, biodiversity, migration problems, human rights violations and the impact of the agriculture sector on economic policy, among other topics, and considering the Plan Puebla Panama, these groups decided to fortify a network that looks for alternatives to this expression of regional commercial integration.  This Forum unleashed a process of reflection, information and a search for alternatives in diverse countries and regions. The Second Forum will be in the month of November, in Guatemala.

16) June 11-15, 2001. COLOMBIA. VI Congress of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, in Leticia.

In this event the indigenous organizations from 8 Amazon countries met to analyze the effects of climate change, the destruction of biodiversity, the expulsion of indigenous peoples from their territories where strategic resources are located, the militarization of Plan Colombia, the plunder of cultural and genetic patrimony, among other aspects, with the goal of defining action plans and proposals for joint action.

17) June 14-17, 2001. MEXICO. First Biological and Cultural Biodiversity Week, in Chiapas.

More than 170 organizations, institutions and private citizens from 18 countries reflected and discussed themes concerning the problems of transgenics, nutritional security, free trade agreements, the Plan Puebla Panama, agrotoxins, biopiracy of natural resources, corn, etc. The Second Week will take place in Guatemala in June of 2002.

18) June 25-27, 2001. CATALUÑA. Barcelona 2001: Another World is Possible: Let’s Globalize Resistance and Solidarity.

The Third Conference on Economy and Development organized by the World Bank during these dates was cancelled upon seeing the parallel organization of protests that were carried out during the event. Counter-conferences and artistic activities as well as discussion forums were carried out in a parallel manner.

19) July 15-21, 2001. Worldwide. World Protest Week against External Debt.

Before the meeting of the G-8, in many countries of the world protest activities were carried out to manifest the rejection to external debt that the poor of the world have paid over time and again.

20) July 15-22, 2001. ITALY. World Social Forum in Genoa.

Thousands of people gathered in this Meeting that was carried out simultaneously with the meeting of the G-8.

These are not all the examples, nor the only ones. Spontaneously, other agendas arise from the global society. For some examples, from July 20-22 in San Salvador, El Salvador, the First International Meeting for Peace in Colombia and for Latin American Solidarity, where thousands of people from more than 15 countries will gather to analyze the Plan Colombia in relation to militarization, social processes, ecology, and other aspects, to formulate a plan of action. From August 12  - 14 in Mexico City, the First International Meeting of World Social Movements will meet as a result of the Porto Alegre meeting against neoliberal globalization. From 8 –18 August, the Third Latin American Congress of Campesino Organizations and the Second Latin American Assembly of Farm Women will meet in Mexico City. For the month of September, an international Meeting will meet in Cuba on Nutritional Security; at the end of September and beginning of October protests are scheduled against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, United States. Other agendas are planned to prepare alternative forums to the meetings of the World Bank in Qatar, and the Second World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil in January of 2002, parallel to the Davos Forum.

Like these, we could enumerate countless Meetings of global society, of networks and forces in search of alternatives. Jubilee 2000, Via Campesina, ATTAC, Shout of the Excluded, World Rainforest Movement, etc. give testimony that world society is alive. They all have agendas that generate or unleash local, national and global processes, alternatives and coordinated and articulate proposals, with continental or worldwide action plans. Globalizing hopes. In all these meetings and initiatives, people reflect on the local fights with a global perspective, from the macro to the micro, from local alliances to global, from the fight of a few to a world for everyone.

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