(under construction)
Alterglobalism: A movement toward a different type of globalization - one that is not subject to the control and repressions of global corporations. Alterglobalism is a platform of civil society for communication and mutual support on a global level. Alterglobalists meet at their annual World Social Forum. The only alterglobalist newspaper in Bulgaria is Le Monde diplomatique. The alterglobalists’ ideological predecessors were the Surrealists and the Beatniks. The words of French Surrealist poet Paul Eluard, “There is another world, but it is in this one,” were taken as a slogan of alterglobalism by Ignacio Ramonet, the former editor-in-chief of Le Monde diplomatique.
Alterglobalists: Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser’s battle against the corporate producer of genetically modified food Monsanto not only turned him into a prominent alterglobalist but also won him an Alternative Nobel Prize. Another alterglobalist farmer, Frenchman Jose Bove, was imprisoned for destroying a McDonald’s franchise and uprooting GM crops, and then went on to win a previously unthinkable victory at the most recent EU elections, in coalition with the French Greens. Other notable proponents of alterglobalist ideas and practices include Salma Hayek, Sinead O’Connor, Manu Chao.
Antiglobalism: The term is usually applied to the anti-Americanism of former Communist thinkers such as Jacques Attali and intellectuals predominantly situated in the left-wing political and ideological space, e.g. Noam Chomsky, Zygmunt Bauman, Juergen Habermas. At the same time, antiglobalism may also include the new nationalist movements which appeal for resurrecting the strong national state as a means of counteracting the international economic, political and cultural conglomerates. Antiglobalists’ new rhetoric feeds the outdated paradigms of contestation - those of Trotskyists, social democrats, Neo-Communists and communards, right and ultraright nationalist and fascist groups. Generally, antiglobalism is a movement and attitude against globalization that does not so much look for new forms of culture, social structure and politics corresponding to the present world, but favours and idealizes obsolete ones - traditional communities, national states, communist and fascist regimes.
Gandhism: Following Mahatma Gandhi’s example of selfless struggle for the dignity of each human being, against the political, economic and spiritual colonialism of the West, making no compromises, but refusing to ever resort to violence.
Globalization according to:
Anthony McGrew: McGrew draws a clear distinction between globalization as an ideologeme and as actual processes. The word ‘globalization’ is ever more often used to denote the ideology of global capitalism or those of its opponents, and ever more seldom refers to the actual global processes taking place across societies around the world. According to McGrew, in terms of actual processes, there is not one globalization, but many processes of globalization - in commerce, in communications, in culture. All of these processes are contradictory and heterogeneous, and cannot be integrated into any uniform concept of globalization as a whole, since we are not yet able to foresee their results.
David Lehmann: The British anthropologist claims that there is no genuine globalization in the present world, but an artificially imposed hegemony of global capitalism. To him, the only true globalization is the spiritual and cultural one, which spreads around through common moral, spiritual and value principles and common cultural codes permeating all levels of society, including the realms of faith, values, conduct and perceptions of the single individual. Economic globalization, with its single utilitarian principle ‘profit at any cost’, offers virtually no spiritual values that people around the world can share. According to Lehmann, the only genuine globalization to have taken place in world history is the religious one - the spread of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. However, it can never be global, as it always entails new separations and oppositions between cultures.
Juergen Habermas - Coca-colonization and throw-away politics: According to Habermas, current globalization has nothing to do with the Christian globalism of the past or Kant’s Enlightenment idea of ‘a society of peoples’ striving for ‘eternal peace’. Its chief attribute is the ‘logic’ of single-use products: everything is temporary and serves a short-term purpose, making a profit here and now, before being thrown away, like Coca-Cola bottles. Coca-colonization is generally characterized by superficiality, thoughtlessness, unscrupulousness, lack of durability, and chaos. In terms of politics, it epitomizes temporary decisions, the lack of common principles and values, faux (’facade’) democracy deprived of its character and contents, indiscriminate frivolous populism.
It is curious to note that Habermas borrowed the metaphor of Coca-colonization from the Coca-Cola bottle in The Gods Must Be Crazy film. ‘Throw-away’ society has been thoroughly reflected in art, e.g. in Giuseppe D’Agata’s dystopian novel America Oh Key.
George Ritzer: Ritzer sees globalization as ‘McDonaldization’.
The globalists:
Apologists for globalization often bring to mind the egocentric, ethnocentric logic, ‘we are the most perfect because this is who we are’. Who are the champions of financial capitalism, multinational corporations, industrial society and the status quo established after the Second World War - neo-libertarianism?
Francis Fukuyama: For Fukuyama, humankind’s history has ended already, culminating in unsurpassable perfection - the economic and political system of the United States.
Samuel Huntington: Huntington admits the existence of other civilizations besides the US one, yet all of them are bad, antihumane and deeply flawed. It is therefore imperative for humankind to take a side in the ‘clash of civilizations’ and get rid of all other cultures, which question, attack and try to destroy the natural perfection of American civilization.
The antiglobalists:
Jacques Attali: As a former member of the French Communist Party, Attali cannot transcend the ideological rhetorics of his youth.
Noam Chomsky: A brilliant thinker whose political ideas are decidedly left-wing. Favoured by all opponents of Americanism and the new corporate world order.
Zygmunt Bauman: Bauman measures the inequalities of today in the new ‘gold’: the capacity to move quickly in time and space as well as the monopoly over information. To him, the ‘new inequalities’ will eventually lead to the criminalization of the world and the emergence of a new ’serfdom’ in a kind of global Middle Ages darker than any before. Focusing on a single aspect of our contemporary world, Bauman fails to take into account the heterogeneity and ambivalence of globalization processes, which may have spiritual or at least paradoxical effects. Furthermore, his analysis does not include the grave issues facing humankind today - the looming threat of a nuclear, environmental, technological and social catastrophe, which may prove more fatal than any dark Middle Ages and serfdom.
Alterglobalist faces:
Ignacio Ramonet chose the motto of the alterglobalist movement, ‘There is another world,’ borrowing it from a piece of writing by famous French Surrealist poet Paul Eluard: ‘There is another world, but it is in this one’.
Jose Bove: The leader of the French Confederation of Peasants (Confédération Paysanne), after serving a term in prison for destroying a McDonald’s franchise and uprooting GM crops, won a hitherto unthinkable victory at the most recent EU elections, standing for them in coalition with the French Green Party.
Percy Schmeiser: Find out more about the battle of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser against chemical giant Monsanto.
Manu Chao: ‘The alternative is to do politics wherever you can do politics - it means with yourself, with your family … everybody can reach his own neighbourhood. For me, it’s hard nowadays to believe in a big revolution that can change everything. I really believe more in thousands and thousands and thousands of little revolutions of neighbourhoods - because everybody can reach his own neighbourhood and put his energy in his neighbourhood.’ (Manu Chao in an interview for Greenpeace - Germany)
Tom Goldtooth - leader of the Indigenous Environmental Network Delegation: What do civil groups in Copenhagen wish for?
Global change in Earth’s climate and ecosystems: The key issue in climate change is the disturbance of the natural balance in the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are not dangerous per se. In moderate quantities, they have a favourable impact on life: they contribute to a milder climate, preventing too great temperature amplitudes and extreme heating or cooling, and reducing the solar radiation. However, if they increase overmuch, they can cause an uncontrollable greenhouse effect - enclosing the Earth like inside a furnace. Current warming trends have been caused to some extent by natural cycles of solar activity, yet industrial civilization has catalyzed the process of unbalancing.
Generally, climate issues include disrupting the natural balance in the interaction between chemical substances in water basins and the atmosphere as well as unbalancing the motion patterns of air and water on a planetary scale: the air currents (cyclones, anticyclones, monsoons, trade-winds), which determine the humidity and weather characteristics of entire continents, and the water currents. In the atmosphere, the following changes occur: the reduction of oxygen (when plants become less, e.g. through deforestation) and the increase of greenhouse gases lead to a more pronounced greenhouse effect (an extreme example is Venus’s atmosphere where the effect is so strong that the surface of the planet is hot as a furnace); the global temperature rises; glaciers melt; ocean salinity decreases, marine organisms die, the sea level becomes lower in some places, higher in others (drowning entire islands); air currents shift, causing aridity, disappearance of water basins and desertification, or on the contrary, floods; the melting glaciers release enormous amounts of methane, boosting further the greenhouse effect. The monsoon and trade-wind shifts unbalance the winds, and along with the overheating of the Earth Poles cause hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, etc. All of these shifts are already taking place, but their scale is bearable. Scientists have suggested that if global warming surpasses 6-7 degrees Celsius, climate change would turn into an outright climate and ecological catastrophe, on a par with those instances when the Earth was hit by a large meteorite or suffered the effects of a giant volcano eruption. In this instance, however, plant chimneys and deforestation play the part of the volcano.
* * *
Civil society: The term “civil society” has been used for the first time by Aristotle. In its original context it had been directly related to the government of the polis of Athens…
Types of democratic practices: …
Sustainable development: The term has been introduced by the UN. Its translation in Bulgarian (“устойчиво развитие”) is not absolutely accurate, because it is a bit ambiguous and unclear. (In our forum, we are trying - together - to come up with a more accurate translation.) In this case, sustainability implies a long-term development that improves over time; one that holds a promise not only for the present time, but especially for the near and far future… Sustainable development is a type of development that has a future…
Forum process: Even in the dawn of mankind, people came together to discuss how to regulate their activities. Meeting and talking to other people has been a necessity and a priceless social activity over the years, transcending national boundaries and religious beliefs. Given a modern structure, certain traditional forms could become strong and effective communication tools. The forum is one of the methods that can be used for structuring a discussion. Its democratic nature enhances the participation process: the forum happens in front of people’s eyes and is open to everyone; it presents information transparently, makes sure that all points of view are considered equally, and guarantees the visibility of the results.
Main aim of the forum process: Achieving better communication between the interested parties and improving the quality of life as a whole. In terms of political science, this can also be seen as improving government.
Soon in the GLOSSARY:
Ecology: the ambiguousness of the word oikos in Ancient Greek very accurately expresses the meaning we put into the word ecology in our everyday life. Oikos – where our “eco” comes from - means home, house, cosmos, world, universe - the universe is our common home. Logos is an even more ambiguous word – although we often use it for science and knowledge, it means word, state, fire (and in a figurative sense, a distinct dynamic of interconnections ) …
In this sense, Ecology, both as a science and social movement, is always connected with:
- integration
- structure
- synergy
—
What is permaculture?
What is energy and can we speak of energy of the future?
The glossary of Place for Future that we are constructing will give you answers as well as supply questions like:
- Why it is necessary to bring back the authentic meaning of words and terms that we use every day?
- Are there non-relative values?
And many others….
To be continued.
http://placeforfuture.org/upload/zvuk/drugi/-0811_Nottingham-prezentacia-Radi.mp3
Radosveta Krestanova - presentation at Nottingham University
PRESENTATION NOTTINGHAM
In order to understand the selection of the topic and its importance, a brief excursus into the risen and development of the environmental movement in Bulgaria is necessary.
Therefore, I would like to present some of the most considerable stages in the evolution of the new environmental movement in Bulgaria.
Firstly I would label this movement as “new”, as in the end of 80ies of previous century Bulgaria already experienced the first so-called green wave, which was grounded in the dissident protests in the end of the totalitarian regime.
I. THE CASES
1. Save Irakli Campaign
The first considerable civic mobilisation was been related to Irakli[1] - a quite picturesque and untouched place, one of the last nine places that has evaded the Black Sea saeside urbanization.
Save Irakli Campaign has been ofircially launched in the spring of 2006 because of the investment plans of some companies /group of investors, associated with a offshore Swiss company founded in Bulgaria, to develop the area by building hotels, despite the place’s status – half of it is protected by law and is a potential NATURA 2000 site. The people from Save Irakli Campaign managed in due time to hold various activities and to attract enormous public support. Only within a year the citizen group evolved in national campaign, including people from many big towns in Bulgaria. Famous Bulgarian actors, film directors and intellectuals supprted the environmentalists. The groups’ activities are specific – they use non- conventional approaches, vision, layout and striking messages, as you can see on these photos.
Here you can see two of the most successful actions:
- The procession of the natural mad capes, held in February 2007. The message was that normal people, who are aware of the real dangers and issues, are been taken as MAD CAPES, and so they turn into endangered species, as they do demand that their rights shoud be protected and they should be treated in accordance to the law of species in danger
- The second event called The Longest kiss in the entire history of st. Valenitine’s Day, and in the hole green movements history or A Kiss for Irakly, summoned in February 14th 2008 hundreds of enamoured activists in front of National Theater in Sofia.
The Campaigns’ activites are not organized solely on the base of holding effective direct actions although they do attract a considerable public support. The campaign became visible at a national and european level due to active dialogue with the relevant institutions, strongly lobbying on executive and judicial authorities, organizing requests and petitions and filing court lawsuits.
On January 23, 2007, the environmentalists handed in at the National Assembly of Bulgaria 50 000 signatures petition of Bulgarian and foreign citizens standing out for defending Irakli and the whole Black Sea coastline. The same petition was been officially submitted in in the European Parliament as a proof for the considerable public concern of the Bulgarians for the Black Sea coastline’s hyper building.
The second considerable civic campaign was named Save Strandja [2].
Strandja mountain is situated in the south eastern part of Bulgaria, has unique flora, fauna and landscape and is listed among the five EU first priority protected sites in South- Eastern Europe. Strandja has a statute of natural park. The campaign started quite spontaneously and evolved really fast. The reason for initiating it was the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court to abolish the , legal statute of the park. At the back of this absurd decision were the economic concerns of CRASH 2000 investment company and pressure of the local authorities. CRASH 2000 erected this hotel and tries to legalize it.
“Save Strandja campaign” was the most rapidly evolving and most effective of all held so far. The explanation for this success are related with the new technologies, permitting successive and permanent spreading out of the news – the ones who have been informed messaged sms and emails to their acquaintances, upload and post the info on all websites and blogs which engandred a spontaneous reactions. Few hours later all these people that has been in the current of the news of the court’s decision met and gathered at two of the focal places in the capital. Unofficially they have been between 1000 and 2000. Most part of them did not know each other and decided just in time how to act out without scenario. By stepping out on the roads and completely blocking the traffic /and virtually obstructing by sitting-in one of the major boulevards/. The police accused all of breaching the peace and arrested about 20 people some of them minor.
Nevertheless the result was quite clear. By this action /called flash mob/ the Campaign hit the news for the day. The events was broadly covered by all media in Bulgaria and many media in abroad. The public largely supported the protesters. This have been strongly backed up by the sociological agencies and their polls– According to NCAPO (National Center for Analysis of the Public Opinion) in July 2007 77 percent of the Bulgarian citizens did support the Campaign, exceeding the support of teachers, pensionners and taxi drivers, held almost at the same time. Consequently, only two weeks later due to the strong public pressure the Parliament invalidated its Act, thus restoring the previous statute of the Park.
The next campaign is NATURA 2000[3]
The reason of its emergence was been provoked again by some senior decision – this time of the Council of Ministers– to reduce the Bulgarian protected areas in NATURA 2000 Network from 34 to 18 per cent.
In the part that has been dropped out there are places that every Bulgarian cherishes and loves to visit and relax by – these are one of the most picturesque, lovely and stunning places at the Black sea coast and up in the mountains. The official reason was that the scope’s borders had to be explicitly defined, and the non- official – grey sphere economic concerns together with political authority’s representation.
The campaign has been run without break for 8 months by peaceful sit in protests each Thursday/the day for the ordinary Council of Ministers’ session/ in front of the building of the headquarters of the Council of Ministers. Environmentalists continually diversify repertories of their sit-ins – each event was been held thematically and follows its own scenario such as – gathering coins for paying the future fines imposed by EU, “Cotton ear – caps” protest - showing the lack of dialogue between the protesters and the state institutions, masquerade event, at which there’s a transgression of sexes’ roles – men are women and vice versa – to demonstrate that noting goes normal in the country, but things are inverted and insane.
The output was successful: the Council of Ministers decided to recuperate a considerable part of the territories. Notice that this is due not only because of all protests, but because of a combination of tremendous exterior lobbying and permanent pressure from inside - by sending requests and petitions, elaborating expert stands and constant warnings to the European Commission and the European Parliament.
The last campaign that I will present / most current one/ is Save Rila Campaign.
Rila is maybe the most known Bulgarian mountain range - a mythical place and mysterious centre of the esoteric White Brotherhood Movement, established in the end of the 19th century by the Bulgarian Peter Danov – The Teacher. The mountain nowadays still attracts not only fans of еxtreme sports but people with different spiritual needs, men with certain spiritual inclination. Rila Crew was initiated again on the same basis stated already – a decision for extension of existing ski racing tracks by violating and destroying some protected territories, hyper building and concreting the places all over. The construction and the building of an enormous ski resort is pending and the construction as well of artificial eighth lake near the famous 7 Rila lakes, that will be tooled up with synthetic snow.
For quite a short time, this team consisted mainly of university students and young experts won great public support not only in Bulgaria but also from abroad. A clear evidence is the France- Rila Campaign, initiated by French citizen, who works on European level due to the activity of a Bulgarian, Dutch, German, Macedonian , Belgium and French citizens.
The united endeavours of Rila crew and Rila – France Campaign put the campaign in the agenda of the European Commission and the European Parliament. In the scope of the Campaign’s activities, there are few court lawsuits, petitions and written requests, meetings with representatives of the European Commission. Recently a group of euro-commissioners visited Rila on the ground of many complaints of Citizens for Saving Rila for violating many national and European laws. The considerable public support for the campaign is obvious by public petition for Saving Rila which collected 150 000 (hundred fifty thousand) signatures.
At the end of 2006, some of these citizen groups and campaigns merged into the most outstanding ecological and environmental NGOs and founded ForTheNature Coalition. This Coalition is actually the most sustainable and considerable accomplishment of Bulgarian civil environmental movement and can be regarded as an essential social and political factor. The structure is not homogeneous - citizen groups as Rila Crew, leagued together with civil associations even with NGOs around a particular problematic issue. The coalition does not have a legal status and does make solutions based on the difficult democratic consensus principle. The organization is been managed on horizontal principle and re-creates network characteristic to the smaller civic groups and initiatives.
Last but not least I would like to point out that in the last years in Bulgaria there’s a considerable expansion of local initiatives and foundation of local lobby citizen groups and active initiative committees at places where there’s a need for deciding particular issues in given district, a metropolitan area or a community.
Just an example – There is a network of initiative committees within Sofia metropolitan, initiated and evolving because of waste disposal crisis of the city.
________________________________
[1] initiated by a group of citizens, self-organized in defence of one of the last preserved sites along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The citizens from Save Irakli group have been actively involved in almost all actions in protection of Bulgarian nature in the past years, as their activities had been supported by the most important nature conservation organizations in Bulgaria
Find further information at: www.daspasimirakli.com.
[2] Find further information at: http://www.bnr.bg/RadioBulgaria/Emission_English/Theme_Science_And_Nature/Material/strandjaprotest.htm
[3] For more information see http://www.natura2000bg.org/natura/eng/index1.php
