Strategy for the Alternative to GlobalisationGustave MassiahThe work of Gustave Massiah gives the reader a basic understanding of the two opposing views on the world economy, the sociopolitical forces involved and the organisational challenges facing the World Social Forum.We have been told by the media about the World Economic Forum which brings together the Establishment to wheel and deal in Davos, Switzerland. Since the 1990s, however, the world-wide movement which poses an alternative to globalization has also been meeting in the form of the World Social Forum (WSF). Whereas the Davos meeting bring together up to 3000 invited members of the 1%, the most recent meeting in March 2013 brought together 58,000 activists from 4300 social movements in 110 different countries to discuss networking for basic change. Clearly, it is assuming a transformative importance of considerable dimensions.Even though the crisis of globalizing capitalism has largely confirmed its analysis, many are arguing in favor of the need for a second wind for this critical alternative movement. Consequently, what follows is a great interest in this work by Gustave Massiah, a major actor over a period of many years in the alternative movement, who shows the many features of its dynamics, but which also offers new perspectives for its further development and growth. In this remarkable book, he gives the reader a sense of how the 99% are challenging the 1% in an epochal confrontation to the power structure; the World Social Forum shows that, with alternatives, “another world is possible”.Massiah contends that the world-wide economic crisis which began in 2007 is not simply the result of ‘free-market’ neo-liberalism, but rather has deeper roots in the globalization of capitalism. He demonstrates how the ‘anti-system’ resistances of those who stand for another form of globalization are posing an alternative based on equality and access for all to fundamental rights. Massiah examines the two basic questions facing the alternative movement: firstly, its relationship to power and to politics; secondly, the social foundation of the movement’s alliances with the transformative social, ecological, political and cultural forces. The author draws our attention to the opportunities which the economic crisis offers to articulate alternative practices and public policies. This kind of analysis can encourage the emergence of a new solidarity on a large scale which, tomorrow, can give birth to a new world system fundamentally different from the current one.GUSTAVE MASSIAH is a French economist, urbanist and political activist. He is professor of urbanism at the Ecole spéciale d’architecture in Paris as well as a founder of ATTAC and member of the International Council of the World Social Forum.IMMANUEL WALLERSTEIN is former head of the Brandel Center for the Study of Economics, and currently senior research scholar at Yale University.“Massiah traces in detail, and with both balance and subtlety, the multiple historic choices, and why this culminated in the alter-globalization movement today. I emphasize the balance and subtlety without any sense that he is hesitant in putting forward a strong position of his own. That he does this in 300 pages is itself an achievement. Far from thinking it is too brief, the only doubt is perhaps he includes too much. But each time I felt this, reading the book, I saw later on why he needed all the detail. - IMMANUEL WALLERSTEIN, American sociologist and former head of the Brandel Center for the Study of Economics, Historical Systems and Civilization. Currently, the senior research scholar at Yale University. Author of the Preface of this book.“A very important book that gives us a long-view of an original process which brings thousands upon thousands of persons and movements together on a scale, an authentic scale, without historical precedent. Try as the old Left did with the First, Second, Third and Fourth Internationals, the World Social Forum outshines them all. The reasons for this have to be understood and built upon. It always gives me immense satisfaction to hear Gustave Massiah weave an analysis together of opportunities through which breaks can be made in the dominant system of power, and what underground social forces are at work, both taking apart the existing power structure while articulating alternatives.”—DIMITRI ROUSSOPOULOS, editor of Participatory Democracy: Democratizing Democracy with C. George Benello.Table of ContentsPART I Context of the Alterglobalist Movement1 Critical Analysis of the Prevailing LogicOverview of the Phases of Capitalist GlobalisationA World-Scale VisionThe Foundations of the Neo-liberal ModelStructural Adjustment PoliciesThe Victory of Neo-liberalismOverview of Previous Reference ModelsEmergence of New Models in the Interwar PeriodThree Development ModelsHow These Three Models Were Discredited by Neo-liberalismThe Keynesian and Fordist Model of RegulationThe Beginning of Waged EmploymentThe National Independence Development ModelThe World Bank as LeaderThe Contradictions of Neo-liberalismUnequal GrowthThe Environment ParadigmThe Crisis of Geopolitical HegemonyThe Current Neo-liberal PhaseThe Ideology of Security: the Fourth ContradictionThe Crisis of Neo-liberalismThe Regulation of the International System Is at the Heart of the Debate2008, the Crisis of Neo-liberalism and the Crisis of CapitalismWhat Are the Current Crises?Threats and Opportunities of the CrisisImmediate Responses: a Lull in the Crisis or an Exit?Change Has Now Become Absolutely Necessary2 The Emergence of the Alterglobalist MovementThe Foundations of the MovementAn Anti-systemic MovementAn Historic Emancipation MovementMain Phases of the Alterglobalist Movement1980-89: Struggles Against Debt, Hunger and Structural Adjustments1989-1999: Contesting the International Institutions and Globalisation2000-2008: the World Social Forum Process and the Transition to AlterglobalismA New Phase of Alterglobalism and a New Cycle of Social Forums Startedin 2008Analysis of the Social Forum ProcessPolitical CultureOrganisation of the ForumsA Few Questions About the ProcessReinforcement of ActionsImpact of the ForumsFrom Resistance to Proposals and AlternativesThe Alterglobalist Movement’s Strategic DebatePART II The Strategy of the Alterglobalist Movement3 Access to Rights and the Democratic ImperativeAccess to Rights for AllAn Alternative to Neo-liberalismAn Objective: Equality of RightsOne Possible Implementation That is Already in PlaceThe Approach to Rights in the Long TermThe Declarations of RightsThe Social QuestionInternational LawDecolonisation and the Rights of PeoplesEconomic, Social and Cultural RightsA New Generation of Fundamental RightsThe Democratic ImperativeDemocracy and IdeologiesDisenchantment and LegitimacyWorld DemocracyThe Struggles for Global Democratisation4 Power and PoliticsSocial Bases and AlliancesConvergence of the MovementsUnity of the MovementsContradictions of NGOs and AssociationsThe Strengths of the MultitudesThe Issue of AlliancesPower and Social TransformationDebate on the State and Crisis of the Nation-StateState of Exception and Social StateRole of the State in Social TransformationPower and StrategyThe Instrumentalisation of TerrorismThe Taking of Power and Social Transformation5 Possible Outcomes of the Global CrisisThe Neo-conservative Outcome: Repression and WarSocial AusterityThe Calling into Question of FreedomsConflicts and WarsReforming Capitalism: the Green New DealThe Green Capitalism PerspectiveThe Alterglobalist Movement and the Green New DealGoing Beyond CapitalismThe Radical Alternatives in the CrisisAlternatives to the Capitalist SystemPART III From Strategy to Alternatives6 Citizens Regulation, Forms of Property and Equality of RightsPublic and Citizens RegulationQuestioning FinancialisationThe CommonsThe Redistribution of Wealth and IncomeMinimum Wages and Resource CeilingsAccess to Rights and Public ServicesA Radical Reform of Public ServicesFree Services and the Open-source Software Movement7 The Environmental Imperative and DemocracyThe Environmental and Social EmergencyA Few Ecology DebatesCitizen Expertise and the Building of Alternative KnowledgeCrisis of Civilisation and Well-beingDemocratic Representations and FreedomsA Radical Democratisation of DemocracyCivil Society and Cultural HegemonyPartnerships Through Cooperation Between SocietiesTwo Revealing Phenomena in the Current Period: the Women’s Movement and Migrant Rights8 The Completion of Decolonisation and Global RegulationA New Phase of DecolonisationEvolution of the Societies and States That Came out of DecolonisationThe North/South RepresentationThe Geopolitical CrisisThe Second Phase of DecolonisationGlobal Public RegulationEvolution of the United Nations International SystemWorld Democracy and the Global Social ContractA Radical Reform of the United NationsConclusion: Reform and revolutionReview of Strategic ThinkingEnvisioning the TransitionRuptures and ContinuitiesEpilogue: The Movement’s Strategic ChallengesThe Global SituationPossible FuturesDifferentiation of the World’s Major RegionsThe Geopolitical Disruption of the WorldThe Alterglobalist MovementThe WSF ProcessOrganisation of the Process and Role of the International CouncilThe New MovementsA Need to Reinvent PoliticsAppendices1 Summary of Radical Reforms and AlternativesRadical ReformsRadical Alternatives2 Fifteen years of World Social Forums: Summary Table3 Websites of Organisations Involved in the AlterglobalistStrategy DebatePublication date: November 2013.