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Dennis Brutus and Patrick Bond at Venezuela political economy/culture conference, 13-19 October 2008 |
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(Poem immediately following the conference, in The Hotel Alba overlooking Caracas mountains, 5:50am on 18 October)
Saffron dawn glimmers
beyond the mountain's blue bulk
my shoulder's reflection infringes
on the window's dim report
So let some impact from you my words echo resonance
lend impulse to the bright looming dawn
(Poem delivered at the closing session of the Network of Intellectuals
and Artists in Defense of Humanity and the World Forum for Alternatives
VIIIth meeting)
There will come a time
There will come a time we believe
When the shape of the planet
and the divisions of the land
Will be less important;
We will be caught in a glow of friendship
a red star of hope
will illuninate our lives
A star of hope
A star of joy
A star of freedom
In thanks to President Hugo Chavez and the people of Venezuela
Dennis Brutus October 17, Caracas
Background to Volatile Global Capitalism: Political and Economic Aspects since the 1970s
Paper Presented by Patrick Bond
Slide Show from the paper presented by Patrick Bond
Langa Zita (ANC MP), Patrick Bond (CCS), Mazibuko Jara (Amandla),
Michael Lebowitz (CIM), Yash Tandon (South Centre), Dennis Brutus (CCS),
Mark Weisbrot (CEPR)
VIII Encuentro Mundial de la Red Intelectuales y Artistas en defensa de
la Humanidad
Asamblea del Consejo Ampliado del Forum Mundial de Alternativas
Transiciones hacia el Socialismo: aspectos políticos, económicos, sociales y culturales
Caracas, 13 al 18 de octubre de 2008
PROGRAMA
Lunes 13 de octubre
9:00 -10:30 hs Acto Inaugural
10:30 – 12:30 Reunión metodológica. Designación de los moderadores y
relatores de mesa, y nombramiento de la Comisión redactora de la
Declaratoria Final.
12:30 – 14:00 Almuerzo
14:00 – 16:00 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 1, 2, 3 y 4
16:30 – 18:00 Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
18:30 – 20:00 Seminario Público: Transiciones hacia el Socialismo en
América Latina y el Caribe
20:30 Cena
Martes 14 de octubre
9:00 -12:30 hs Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
12:30 – 14:00 Almuerzo
14:00 – 16:00 Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
16:30 – 18:00 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 1, 2, 3 y 4
18:30 – 20:00 Seminario Público: Transiciones hacia el Socialismo en
Europa y Estados Unidos
(En paralelo para los invitados) Conferencia: Aspectos socio-económicos
de la revolución bolivariana.
20:30 Cena
Miércoles 15 de octubre
9:00 -11:00 hs Reunión Plenaria
11:00 – 12:30 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 1, 2, 3 y 4
12:30 – 14:00 Almuerzo
14:00 – 16:00 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 5, 6, 7 y 8
16:30 – 18:00 Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
18:30 – 20:00 Conferencia: Aspectos socio-políticos de la revolución
bolivariana
20:30 Cena
Jueves 16 de octubre
9:00 -12:30 hs Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
12:30 – 14:00 Almuerzo
14:00 – 16:00 Reunión de trabajo por Subgrupos
16:30 – 18:00 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 5, 6, 7 y 8
18:30 – 20:00 Seminario Público: Transiciones hacia el Socialismo en Asia
(En paralelo para los invitados) Conferencia: Aspectos socio-culturales
de la revolución bolivariana
20:30 Cena
Viernes 17 de octubre
9:00 -11:00 hs Reunión Plenaria
11:00 – 12:30 Reunión de trabajo de los Grupos 5, 6, 7 y 8
12:30 – 14:00 Almuerzo
14:00 – 17:00 Plenaria Final y Conclusiones
18:30 Acto de Clausura
20:30 Cena
Sábado 18 de octubre
9:00 – 16:00 hs Encuentro con las comunidades y visita a algunas
Misiones y centros de desarrollo endógeno
16:00 – 17:30 Seminario Público: Transiciones hacia el Socialismo en el
Africa Sub-sahariana
18:00 – 19:30 Seminario Público: Transiciones hacia el Socialismo en el
mundo árabe
Presentation
The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity is a
movement of thought and action against all forms of domination. This
project responds to the need of carrying out the Plenary Assemblyìs
mandate of the World Encounter of Intellectuals and Artists held in
Caracas on December 6th, 2004, which gathered guests from fifty-two
countries and diverse cultures from around the world.
“The need of building a front to resist the world domination that is
intended to be imposed, was stated” in that Assembly, and take up an
offensive through concrete actions of struggle: creating a networkìs net
of information, a cultural and artistic action, coordinating and
mobilizing intellectuals and artists to participate in Social Forums and
popular battles and guaranteeing the continuity of those efforts and
their articulation towards an international movement — in defense of
Humanity.
Background
The Networkìs Net "In Defense of Humanity" arises from the initiative of
renowned Mexican intellectuals who called for an Encounter of
Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity on October 24th and
25th (2003) in Mexico City , in order to fight against Afghanistan and
Iraqìs invasions, the military threats against Iran, and other
countries, and the ongoing hostility against Cuba and Venezuela, as well
as the media, economical and financial war undertaken by the government
of the Unites States with its aim to the domination of the World.
Three months later, Venezuelan and Cuban writers gathered together,
united by Bolivar and Martiìs ideas, in the city of Caracas on January
26th, 27th and 28th, 2004. They came up to the conclusion of the need of
mobilizing and integrating Latin American intellectuals and people from
all walks of life who will to expand the frontiers of solidarity against
the overwhelming imperial expansion.
As a response to that need, they agreed to celebrate a continental
encounter of intellectuals in Caracas, inspired by democratic doctrines
that led emancipating struggles in our region, to foster the defense of
our causes, establish a permanent tribune of ideas and confirm our
conviction of a better World.
Likewise, from April 26th to the 30th, 2004, men and women, from Europe,
Latin America and the Middle East, committed to the defense of
democracy, Human Rights and social justice, linked to the Academy,
media, cultural institutions and social movements, gathered in the
cities of Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés in the First International Seminar
toward the progress of the World, "Humanity against Imperialism." So, in
that way, the call of the International Encounter in Defense of Humanity
held in Mexico in October was taken into account.
Venezuela: the consolidation of a project
The movement reinforces with the World Encounter of Intellectuals and
Artists "In Defense of Humanity," held in Caracas from December 1st to
the 5th, 2004, in which intellectuals and artists from fifty-two
countries decided to build a front to resist the world domination we are
facing. Therefore, an offensive is taken up through concrete actions of
struggle: creating a networkìs net of information, a cultural and
artistic action, coordinating and mobilizing intellectuals and artists
to participate in Social Forums and popular battles and guaranteeing the
continuity of those efforts and their articulation towards an
international movement — in defense of Humanity.
Besides the defense of freedom, justice, food, medical assistance,
electrical energy, housing, pure water, education, as well as the
sustainability of natural resources, the Encounter that took place in
Caracas expressed solidarity with the battles people from Iraq,
Palestine, Afghanistan and others wage to resist the imperialist
domination and also condemned terrorism and rejected the misuse of that
term regarding the struggles to resist.
Who is in the Network?
The Network is integrated by writers, artists, scholars, professionals
from all areas, students, religious people, social movements,
alternative media and all those who feel committed to humanity.
From the very beginning, the movement had the support of Nobel laureate
Gabriel García Márquez, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Rigoberta Menchú, Nadine
Gordimer, José Saramago as well as intellectuals and artists of renowned
Noam Chomsky, Ernesto Cardenal, Eduardo Galeano, Theotonio Dos Santos,
Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Ahmed ben Bella, Ignacio Ramonet, Richard
Gott, Pablo González Casanova, Ramsey Clark, Samir Amin, Tarik Ali,
Amina Baraka, James Petras, Atilio Borón, Luis Britto García, Ramón
Palomares, Gustavo Pereira, among others.
The Networkìs Net "In Defense of Humanity" opposes imperialism and its
neoliberal policies, war and terrorism, projects of socio-cultural
uniformity and the monopoly of knowledge. It supports the struggles of
the peoples of the world, gives a hand to the processes of social
change, sustains cultural diversity and its Rights, promotes solidarity
campaigns and transmits calls and denunciations among its members in
order to have a broader support to these causes.
Nowadays, there are chapters of the network in countries such as Mexico,
Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia,
Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Spain,
Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Italy.
The Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity in Venezuela
Nowadays, not only we need to declare ourselves against injustice, but
also accept agreements, commitments and concrete actions to get
involved, in a humble and active way, with the collectives and existing
social organizations in order to learn and accompany the struggles of
peoples who have been under invasions, workers, peasants, the
unemployed, the exploited, the excluded, the indigenous and native
people, afro-descendants, the Arabs, immigrants, homosexuals, abandoned
kids, the disabled, old people, victims of sex trade, those who claim
for food and dignity, those are the main actors of the social battle in
defense of humanity.
The Venezuelan chapter In Defense of Humanity has the mission to create,
strengthen and keep a national and international system of information
and interactive communication among intellectuals and artists, workers,
social movements, organized communities, public and private
institutions, civil organizations and any other workgroup or association
aware of the active and global defense of life, cultural diversity,
peace, liberty, equality and sovereignty of the peoples. We work, as
well, for that collective ideal of the possibility of a better world in
order to reach humanity at its best.
Actions taken by the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of
Humanity in Venezuela
1. The Network coordinates the call for the Liberator Prize to the
Critical Thought (Premio Libertador al Pensamiento Crítico), created by
the Venezuelan government through the Ministry of the Popular Power for
Culture (Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Cultura) in order to
acknowledge those works that analyze critically the reality of the
contemporary world, in any field of the social activity, from the
perspective of a stance committed to the defense of humanity and the
thought that a better world is possible.
2. Organizes and maintains a space for discussion, where social and
intellectual leaders from around the world bring up the most urgent and
actual problems. Examples of those spaces for debate and discussion are:
the International Forum of Philosophy and the World Encounter of
Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity.
3. Coordinates the program Words at the Door (Palabras en Puerta), which
monthly organizes meetings for intellectuals, artists, workers,
organized communities, social movements, civil organizations and any
other workgroup or national and international associations concerned
about the active defense of life, cultural diversity, freedom and
sovereignty of the peoples.
4. Works with the media in order to fight against the hegemony imposed
by the imperial power through media headquarters. It transmits
emancipating ideas through all the possible means: radio, T.V.,
internet, alternative press media, community media, etc. The Network has
a web page and a bulletin issued every three months that constitutes an
effective tool in the media battle and an approach towards communities.
5. Establishes links with other chapters of the Network in Defense of
Humanity in the world through an alternative media that permits the
broadcasting of information related to the center themes of the Network.
6. Supports and contributes to achieve the agreements settled in the
encounter held in Caracas in December, 2004:
In defense of Our Planet.
In defense of the Integration of our peoples.
In defense of an Emancipating Economy.
In defense of the Sovereignty and International Legality.
In defense of Unity in Diversity and Cultures.
In defense of Popular Participation.
In defense of Truth and Plurality of information.
In defense of Knowledge.
In defense of Peace.
In defense of Memory.
EVENTS HELD IN THE YEAR 2008
ARMED WITH IDEAS: INTELLECTUALS AND ARTISTS FOR LATIN AMERICAN PEACE AND SOVEREIGNTY
(April 12th and 13th)
Declaration in Caracas:
The participants of the meeting “armed with ideas” , intellectuals and
artists for Latin American and Caribbean peace and sovereignty, met in
Caracas, Venezuela on April 12th and 13th, 2008, commemorating
Venezuelan heroic deed to defend the Bolivarian Revolution and against
the fascist assault that took place on April 11, 2002,
Manifest the following:
Our strongest solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and
its people in the revolutionary process lived by this country in total
demand of its legitimate rights towards self determination. We support
the president Hugo Chávez Frías and the popular procedures that each day
strengthens the path to a socialism which is built with imagination,
humanism and creativity.
In the same way we support the government of the president Evo Morales
Ayma, his politics of change and the constituent sovereign process of
the Bolivian people. We condemn the interference of The United States
government in the internal affairs and denounce the divisionist and
discriminative actions of oligarch groups of that country against the
original people and the exercise of their self rules. We do not support
the autonomous statute of Santa Cruz for being unconstitutional and for
being against the unity of the country and its multiethnic groups.
We express our solidarity with a position of dignity to defend the
Ecuadorian government sovereignty of Rafael Correa because of the
violation of his territory committed by the Colombian government with
the support of arms, logistic and intelligence service of The United
States as part of an imperialist control strategy in the region.
We express our anger for the massacres of Ecuadorian, Colombian and
Mexican citizens and oppose to any kind of operation that could go
against our people.
We express our deep concern for Colombian historical crisis and express
our firm solidarity towards the valuable resistance of its people who
look for a real democracy in which it could be possible to find respect
for the human rights, a humanitarian agreement execution and the search
of negotiated political solutions that could put an end to the ongoing
war that has left hundreds of thousands dead, wounded, displaced and
missing people.
We require urgent attention to all the governments that conform the so
called MINUSTAH and particularly of Latin American governments so that
they urgently withdraw their troops and contribute in the
reestablishment of the democracy with total respect of the self
determination of Haitian people.
We condemn with full energy the continue aggressions of The United
States Government towards our people behind the pretext of fighting
against terrorism and traffic in drugs. We demand the extradition of the
confessed terrorist Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela for the case of
classified homicide of 73 persons on board a passenger plane.
We demand the immediate release of the five innocent Cubans imprisoned
in the United States of America for fighting against terrorism of the
state directed towards Cuban people.
We oppose the indirect adoption of the Colombian plan on behave of
Mexican government, the advance of the proposal Merida in that country
and the union for prosperity and security of North America as a
mechanism to expand a military intervention of the United States in
Latin America.
We consider inadmissible that Felipe Calderon Government has not
condemned the massacre occurred in Ecuadorian territory in which for
students of the National Autonomous University of Mexico lost their
lives helping in the criminalization of the victims and survivors of
those murders, while the government protested because of the legitimate
nationalization of Venezuelan government and CEMEX company. This company is supported by Mexican investment.
We pronounce for the end of colonialist and neocolonialist domination in
our America and demand the interdependence of Puerto Rico and the rest
of the Caribbean colonies.
We convoke a mobilization so as to propose the close down and withdrawn
of foreign military bases in Latin America and the Caribbean.
We rebuke the ecological manipulation that transforms our territory in a
provider of agro energy with the aim of maintaining United States
energetic sufficiency.
We denounce the robbery of ancestral knowledge of American indigenous
and its commercialization through medical capitalist corporations as
though the robbery perpetrated by U. S museums and collectors who
exhibit and have in their possession hundreds of thousands of pieces
that belong to our historical and cultural heritage.
The participants in this meeting are committed to continue, extend and
deepen the contribution of intellectuals and artists implicated in the
struggle of people of our America, recognizing the deep experiences that
we are living in the construction of popular power from below, taking
into consideration the citizens, the resistance of our indigenous
people. As it was said by the president Chavez “only the people save the
people.”
Caracas, Venezuela
Signatures
4th INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF VENEZUELA
(July 8th to 16th)
Final Declaration of the 4th International Forum of Venezuela
During a week, philosophers and intellectuals from diverse disciplines
and from different places of the world met and lived up the thought of
emancipation, examining both the consequences of alienation and
mechanisms de-alienation.
This encounter, placed within the process of social transformations in
Venezuela and other Latin American countries, permitted the exchange of
critical thought, sharing, confronting and producing it in search of
another way of thinking.
Gathered in the 4th International Forum of Philosophy in the city of
Maracaibo and 23 other states of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,
at the end of our general meeting and debates held in workgroups, we
declare:
1. Philosophy must not limit only to interpret the world, but to transform it as well.
2. The interpretation has the power to transform if it arises within
revolutionary and emancipating processes as those ongoing ones in the
American continent. Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador are the
representatives of those processes as well as other rebellions present
in other parts of the world. This interpretation must include the
diversity of knowledge and epistemological perspectives committed to the
human being and to life.
3. This is an urgent task at times when capitalism, in its imperialist
stage, has failed as the world order, and as a system as well,
destroying forests, lakes, rivers, threatening humanity. Therefore, a
resistance has taken over consciences and wills.
4. The overwhelming and cannibal capitalism denies access to new forms
of social organizations through military violence that has invaded
Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine as well as a counter-insurgence
offensive toward Latin America (the 4th Battle Fleet, Plan Colombia,
paramilitarism and new military bases). Besides, a media and symbolic
war that reproduce the domination of social classes and a cultural,
modern-colonial alienation: racism, homophobia, machismo, exclusion and
authoritarism.
5. It is mandatory to elaborate a socialist theory of consumption that
adjusts the needs to material limits of the planet, establishing a
reciprocity between humanity and nature and assures the arousal of new
political, ethical, erotic, pedagogical and aesthetic subjects capable
of generating and keeping a social, just and human order. Therefore, it
is convenient to refer to inspiring experiences of the socialist Cuba
and the nativesìmovements of resistance.
6. It is urgent, as well, to elaborate a socialist theory of
communication that articulates knowledge, visions and emancipating
projects within a communicative structure controlled by communities,
workers and people struggling, apart from conciliating an aesthetic
quality, content, creativity and commitment.
7. It is necessary that the philosophical activity rejects being elitist
and ethnic-centered in order to enrich methodologies of emancipation
that would reveal its effectiveness and need in the collective political
action.
8. We strongly reject the criminalization of human mobility in the
European geography and in the United States. The policy of returning
illegal immigrants and other anti-immigrant initiatives impose an
authentic « State of Exception » against people with the right of free
mobility. The radicalization of the control of illegal immigration
highlights the intolerance and xenophobia in the core of the European Union.
9. We strongly support the people of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela in their intention of becoming main actors of their own
history as well as their socialist project of political
self-determination, economical sovereignty and participatory democracy.
10. Finally, through this Forum we point out the need of an
international support to the electoral process due in November in
Venezuela in order to back up the Bolivarian Alternative for the
Americas (ALBA), the creation of UNASUR and demonstrate the meaningful
relation Cuba-Venezuela in the region.
Unwire territories and thoughts. Philosophy is made from and with the
people who struggle.
We can not be the people of leaves who live floating in the air, with
the vase full of flowers, buzzing around, just as the whim of light
caresses them, rather break open storms: trees are to be in rows for not
allowing the giant come! It is the time to come together, to start
marching together, all tight up as the silver in the roots of The Andes.
Against media hegemony, let us broadcast the Truth of the peoples.
Caracas, Venezuela
Signatures
3rd Edition of the Liberator Prize to the Critical Thought, 2007
(August 7th)
Final Act of the Liberator Prize to the Critical Thought (2007)
In the city of Caracas, on June twenty-third, 2008, the Jury for the
Liberator Prize to the Critical Thought (2007) took place, formed by
Fernando Báez, Stella Calloni, Bolívar Echeverría, Roberto Fernández
Retamar and Daniel Hernández, and after reading 82 works, following a
deep debate, agreed, by voting, to give the Prize to Renán Vega Cantor
for his “Un mundo incierto, un mundo para aprender y enseñar” (“An
uncertain world, a world to learn and teach”) from Universidad
Pedagógica Nacional de Bogotá (2007).
The Jury acknowledged the quality of all given works, which proofs the
vitality of the critical thought and explained the hard task they
underwent to select. The awarded work is an extraordinary one where the
investigator tackles the actual world theme firmly in a research that
goes beyond the current trends and posits the hegemonic power in order
to, later, tear down its arguments; he does that in a very descriptive
way. As the author says in his introduction, and in these two well
documented volumes, some categories of universal critical thoughts are
recovered in order to makes us approach to the complex reality of our
modern times. Besides, he takes back the category of “totality” against
the postmodern pretension that rejects that category to claim the
fragmentation and dispersion in times when capitalism has become more
totalitarian than ever.
It is an academy work that is accessible to all publics, not only for
his pedagogical presentation, but also for his style, without losing
academic rigorousness; he uses a clear and precise language. Vega Cantor
attaches important texts from other authors, not only cited in the
bibliography, but he includes them.
Unanimously agreed on the following mentions (cited in alphabetical order):
Daniel Pereyra, Los mercenarios (The Mercenaries), El viejo Topo, Barcelona, 2007
Enrique Dussel, Política de la liberación (Politics of Liberation),
Trotta, Madrid, 2007.
Luís Britto García, América Nuestra, integración y revolución (Our
America, Integration and Revolution) (Casa José Martí, Caracas, 2007)
Susan George, El pensamiento secuestrado (Thought in chains), Icaria,
Barcelona, 2007
Theotonio Dos Santos, Del terror a la esperanza (From terror to hope), Monte Ávila, Caracas, 2007
Publications of the year 2008
Aware of the importance of the written testimony of the activities that
promoted the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense or
Humanity, diverse issues collect ideologies, dissertations and proposals
of the creators. It is also taken into account the participation of the
people and organized communities that actively attended the encounters.
The publications were:
Boletín Humanidad en Red (Bulletin: Humanity in Network) (March, 2008)
Number of copies printed: 30000
Memorias del III Foro Internacional de Filosofía de Venezuela 2007 (Memoirs of the 3rd International Forum of Philosophy) (July, 2008)
Number of copies printed: 3500
Memorias del Premio Libertador al Pensamiento Critico I y II (Memoirs
of the Liberator Prize to the Critical Thought) (August, 2008)
Number of copies printed: 3500
Boletín Humanidad en Red (Bulletin Humanity in Network) (July, 2008. Armed with ideas)
Number of copies printed: 20000
Boletín Humanidad en Red (Bulletin in Network)(July, 2008. Special Edition about the International Forum of Philosophy)
Number of copies printed: 20000
ACTIONS
Program “Palabras en Puerta” (Words at the Door)
From its creation in May, 2005, the Networkìs Office has been
developing means to create, strengthen and keep a national and
international system of information and interactive communication among
intellectuals and artists, workers, social movements, organized
communities, public and private institutions, civil organizations and
any other workgroup or association aware of the active and global
defense of life, cultural diversity, peace, liberty, equality and
sovereignty of the peoples. We work, as well, for that collective ideal
of the possibility of a better world in order to reach humanity at its
best.
Carrying out this mission and assuming the need to speed up this process
of transition toward a socialist society, the Network starts a new
program: Palabras en Puerta (Words at the Door), destined to promote and
strengthen the organization of communal power, as well as to build
bridges in order to exchange ongoing social processes from other places
in the world and, therefore, keep people together.
Web Page.- www.humanidadenred.org
Bulletin Humanity in Network (March, 2008)
Bulletin Humanity in Network (July, 2008. Armed with Ideas)
Bulletin Humanity in Network (July, 2008. Special Edition about the International Forum of Philosophy, 2008)
Published Books
Memoirs of the 3rd International Forum of Philosophy, Venezuela 2007. (July, 2008)
Memoirs of the Liberator Prize to the Critical Thought I and II (August, 2008)
Notes on the evening with Chavez
By Patrick Bond 16 October 2008
(In a central Caracas hotel, Chavez arrived 45 minutes late, not bad,
and the speech was 1.5 hours long, with q&a until nearly midnight – a
total of five hours with about 150 visitors. Chavez started by showing
off the books he’d brought: Fidel, Bolivar, some other Latin American
works, and Meszaros's Beyond Capital. There were lots of prelims on the
need for a transition to socialism. Here are some rough notes on what he
said - some nearly verbatim, with lower quality transcription over the
hours, so this is not to be taken as ‘on record’ at all.)
Already a century ago, Mariátegui ago insisted on socialism as a heroic
creation. Earlier, too early for socialism, Bolivar in 1819, riding on
horseback, gave speeches, generated ideas, convened congresses, always
studying; a pre-socialist thinker, an anti-imperialist, a promoter of
equality and freedom.
Simon Rodriguez was called by Bolivar the 'Socrates of Venezuela'. We
are recovering the Rodriguez documents from the obscurity that
dicatators placed him in. We are waging a war to recover our culture.
"South America cannot copy models. Forms of governments must be
original. An economic revolution must follow a political revolution,
which demands an economic revolution." In his 1830 book, Rodriquez
develops a series of ideas which are truly remarkable, as he tackles the
economic and political issues of the time.
A few days ago we recalled Che Guevara, and his heroism, self-sacrifice
and ideas. And the book 100 Hours with Fidel (interviews by Ramonet) is
a monument to the effort of a people. One of our greatest mistakes, said
Fidel, was to believe that someone actually knew how to build socialism.
Today we do have a clear idea of how to build socialism. In Chile,
Bolivia, Nicaragua, the Caribbean - there were different experiences.
The only one that survived the battle against imperialism was the Cuban
revolution.
In 1992, Fidel recalled the international scenario: the collapse of the
Sandinista revolution; and the collapse of the Soviet Union. A few weeks
ago during a trip to Havana, he asked me questions. He is devoted 100%
to analysis, thinking and writing. You get an intense cross-examination.
How are things in Russia, China.
We have been called tyrants, dictators - but the movement of the
Venezuelan army was revolutionary from its outset. We had the example of
Cuba. And at that time, we saw the international scenario and had to ask
- should we proceed with the revolution? It was necessary to do so,
because a strong popular movement had begun, barely three years earlier,
in 1989.
One night as president in 2001, I was invited to a talk with scholars
and young writers, and Ramonet was there. He said we will have to follow
closely what is happening in Venezula because while the Berlin Wall was
collapsing, in Venezuela the people were rising up. In Europe it was if
someone had turned off all the lights. Every socialist idea was
demonised. They accepted the Washington Consensus without criticism and
the IMF was beloved. The universities were flooded with neoliberal
fundamentalism.
Preserving the values of socialism, in this context, is crucial. That is
Fidel's great contribution. We are seeing in Latin America a progressive
wave, a revolutionary tide, which at the worst moments Fidel foresaw.
The incarnation of the spirit of socialism is underway. It is now
demanding a material basis. If it does not become rooted, the phantom
can be taken away by the wind.
We want to move to socialism faster and faster, and we've made mistakes.
You have to take steps one after the other, like a turtle.
There is chaos in the world. I received reports on the financial crisis
today. The stock exchange is like the rebound of the dead cat, if you
drop it from a high building. That is Wall Street. And it went down
again today. President Bush is now on tv announcing new actions,
nationalising banks. They criticise us for nationalising strategic
industries. Now Bush is to my left! Comrade George said today that he
will obtain assets from private banks. They make him wake up early in
the morning and he doesn't have an idea what's going on. They write a
paper for him and tell him to go and speak. He said he will buy those
chairs with a fraction of the $700 billion. That's not what capitalism
is all about.
We have the poorest in the world. The head of the Food and Agricultural
Organisation came to us and made a request for $30 million. Comrade Bush
wants to use food for biofuels. FAO barely received $7 million. Like in
Haiti, billions were offered, but nearly nothing reached there. Now Bush
can find $700 billion. Europeans found $2 trillion worth to assist the
world bourgeoisie to save what cannot be saved. Capitalism cannot be saved.
That is why Das Kapital is important. And Ivan Meszaros' book, Beyond
Capital: A Theory of Transition, this book is a must. In the chapter
called The Line of Least Resistance, he elaborates on the alternative.
(READS ON MILITANTS AND WRITERS) ... You need both the militia and the
ideas. Meszaros writes that a common strategic mistake is to attack
through the line of least resistance, and I agree with that. The perfect
strategy is the strategic offensive.
The spirit must find the body. The Cuban flame became fire and is
warming the continent. Here we will commemmorate our 10th anniversary,
and are making these efforts to defeat capitalism politically, and to
build the socialist alternative. We are in the midst of practice
illuminated by theory.
Here, Che Guevara writes to Charles Bettelheim in 1964. It reads: "A bit
more than advanced than chaos. Perhaps in the first or second day of
creation, I have a world of ideas that clash and intertwine and even at
times they become organised. A bit more than total chaos." Chaos is
behind us in Venezuela, it follows us, it overwhelms us. At times we do
something to organise these ideas. Not a day goes by when we don't do
something new. On Friday there will be a rally to hand out resources to
hundreds, and thousands of community banks.
In the North, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch - the
very ones who criticised us - those gentleman had expressed ten years of
hatred, saying we would collapse. And who collapsed?!
As they collapse, and all of these banks in Europe too, here in
Venezuela we are creating banks! We'll take you to community banks, to
see men and women elected by community assemblies, to manage these.
These are spokespeople. We have allocated hundreds of millions of
Bolivars to them.
(A FEW REMARKS ON SOCCER, ESP PRIDE IN THE NATIONAL TEAM.)
The Correa socialist project in Ecuador includes an anti-neoliberal
constitution. Evo is waging a huge battle against imperialism. In
Paraguay they are just beginning. As Fidel said, socialism will be
absolved by history.
There are very different ways to socialism. We are inventing socialism
in a tradition that contains experiences of mistakes, and of
attainments. A transition in progress, a political transition, social
and economic and cultural. It must be a comprehensive transition so it
can be viable. Today, 50% of the people favour socialism. People
fervently defending capitalism represent maybe 10%. Socialism is
essentially democratic; capitalism is essentially anti-democratic.
There is mass media confusion on this point, for as Galeano said, there
is an upside down world when the sun shines at night and the moon
appeared in mid-day.
It is our 10th anniversary, with many attacks on us inbetween. From
1999-2004, those were five years of tough struggle to install ourselves,
as we were continually pushed away. Since then there has been clarity,
and improvements, and a national plan - the first socialist programme of
the nation. This starts to fulfill the mandate that began in 2007 and
will last until 2013. Now we have the first socialist programme of the
nation.
We will expand the space for artists and intellectuals. No other time
has been so timely. As we say in the streets, the Bolivaran revolution
reached Venezuela just in time. If Venezuela had not detached from the
US model, this forum would be impossible. If we had not detached from
the World Bank and IMF and US banks, we would be faced with a horrible
crisis. The country with the highest dependence in Latin America was
Venezuela. We were a colony of the US in oil and cultural terms. Let us
bury capitalism and make history by delivering socialism to humankind!
Samir Amin: cooperation by socialist intellectuals across the world is a
fundamental requirement; without ideas there is no socialism
The Cuban government was also approached and Fidel and myself agreed to
Chavez: Samir, always feel Caracas as your home, and whenever you want
to organise a meeting here, you will be welcome... a new world map is
emerging, a new political geography... and very humbly I should say we
are taking the correct steps... we relaunched OPEC in 2000 and didn't
stop at anything. After 25 years of having no summit of OPEC presidents,
we had one. In the year 2000, we didn't manage to get enough consensus
because of two votes against the idea, of an OPEC bank. Imagine what it
would have meant, today, to have an OPEC bank. Then we traveled to
China, with which we have strategic relations. When Putin took power we
started to work on our relations with Moscow, and today that is a
relationship kept at the highest level. In Latin America we started to
work with Brazil. Lula came to power, but even with Cardoso we had a
good relationship. We started to wage a lonely struggle against the Free
Trade Agreement of the Americas, the only government at the Summit of
the Americas in 2001, but comrade Bush had recently taken office and he
was there. Fidel didn't attend because Cuba was excluded. We were the
only government opposed to the FTAA and to the imposition of January 1
2005 date when the whole continent was meant to wake as Alice in
Wonderland. We waged a battle against FTAA. This was a secret document
that no one understood. What if that project had consolidated? How would
Latin America be today? We buried the FTAA. And we established exchange
control here in Venezuela, as a measure to protect ourselves against
speculative capital and overnight flight capital. We are allied with
Russia, China... and the day will come when the US is not an empire
anymore, a power but not an empire. I am not a promoter of a hegemonic
project. I talked to Rafael and Evo. We are a club of friends. We are
establishing a new bank, very modest, aimed at financing trade between
ALBA countries. And we have a proposal for the Bank of the South,
adopted by 7 countries. We met recently with Lula, Correa and myself.
These are part of our efforts to draw a new geopolitical map of the world.
MORE QUESTIONS
ABOUT 40% OF ANSWERS ARE CAPTURED HERE:
* expressed solidarity with Middle East struggles;
* strong opposition to machismo and sexism; Fidel calls my daughter
the heroine, and they were undoubtedly going to kill me, and one
in a group of young officers, a captain who got me a phone and
numbers; and the US was electronically sabotaging our
communications, and I spoke to Maria my daughter finally, and told
her where I was and that I was going to be killed, so call a
journalist, and she finally talked to Fidel, and he asked Maria,
"are you willing to speak to the world press because I can call a
press conference" and this beloved daughter and that man, my
father Fidel, got the denial that I signed a document of
resignation; I told Maria, tell whoever you want that I did not
resign and I never will;
* a great many details about South-South - esp.Cuba-Vz -
cooperation; expressed concern about US expulsion of Bolivia from
drug trafficking agreement and hence trade advantages, and
contrasted with Vz anti-drug efforts with US DEA;
* for international cooperation, Vz uses 300 000 barrels/day on a
subsidised basis, and wants to extend that to Africa; support to
study of socialist proposals in Africa, as we request and admire
the historical leaders of so-called African socialism, and we hope
it reemerges in Africa as it has here; read the book of the South
Commission read by Nyerere in prison, and influenced to form Bank
of the South and South-South trade; Nyerere presented it at the
worst time, early 1990s;
* long discussion of Miranda's role in the early 1900s;
* long discussion about limitations of G77 and NAM which offer
speechifying but no concrete action; South Centre wasn't visible
enough; it's time for another South-South Commission; began to
discuss with Telosur, which is the new voice for Latin America;
agreement with AlJazeera too;
* at Monterrey in 2002, Bush asked Fox to push Fidel out early,
which he accepted with grace; Fox denied it but Castro had a tape
of the discussion; at Monterrey Vz proposed a world humanitarian
fund financed through a Tobin Tax; once I used the gavel at Wall
St to open stock market trading; once I went to the hq of the IMF;
we want instead a world according to Bolivar, a world in
equilibrium and balance, a multiplural world;
* always admired Zapata and Pancho Villa; recently celebrated
indigenous resistance day, after paying tribute to Christopher
Columbus for centuries, which should not have been; the Spanish
invasion reduced 90 million indigenous inhabitants to less than 2
million; someday Europe will have to account for that;
* a socialist has to read and read and read; and not be afraid of
self-criticism; awareness is the essential ingredient;
* a great many discussions with Mexican presidents about oil issue,
but no alliances have been possible; with Lula a general agreement
that too many raw materials are being exported. and he agreed -
added value to the raw material is possible with Vz partership;
same in petrochemicals;
* Bank of the South needs Brazilian support, as Brazil has $200
billion in reserves; and Vz has $40 bn; and Argentina has $50 bn;
some say that moving these funds to Latin America is impossible;
Vz will not collapse by current crisis, but won't collapse even
with declining oil price; we have a fund together with China to
put $6 billion for construction of infrastructure and other
projects here in Vz; the inspiration was from Muslim comrades,
after reading the Koran, which condemns interest; so why charge
interest from the people?; met Chinese president recently so as to
generate another $6 bn into the fund; in exchange Chinese gets a
guaranteed supply; until recently we didn't sell any oil to China
but now it's up to 400 000 barrels/day; long discussion of the
international financial reserves and location of gold ingots,
which were initially placed by the Central Bank in major US banks
(Fidel criticised this, and finally a victory as they were moved
out); hence no reason to fear the US crisis, in contrast with
countries with vast amounts; we invented a new formula here, once
Fidel gave us that advice; he asks questions like a bomb planted
in my brain; many presidents of countries never even know they are
being manipulated as pawns; current reserve is $40 bn, in contrast
to optimal level of $33 billion (according to law passed);
hundreds of endogenous economic projects will benefit; the prior
system allowed the local bourgeoisie to take this funding (e.g.
$100 billion fled in capital flight); from the social point of
view, Cuba and Vz have unprecedented solidarity, including the end
of illiteracy (1.5 mn Vz now read/write after a year); and a
bilateral bank will be started with Russia; with Iran, a similar
agreement for a bank; hoping many other countries will
participate; others should join, like Vietnam, Malaysia, Syria and
other Arab and African countries;
* agree with Alexander Buzgalin's critique of the cult of
personality; we all have to struggle against it; we had to create
the United Socialist Party and yesterday we met 8 hours; secret
ballots for voting; millions of members are registered; more than
300 candidates came forward for mayor of Caracas; shares crit of
bureaucracy; an international group needed to work on the fusion
of humanity and socialism; speeding up the Bank of the South is
necessary, to become operational this year;
* explanation of expulsion of US ambassador; Santiago meeting and
full consultations with all presidents except Peru; genuine fear
of Evo’s being ousted; moved conflict out of OAS, controlled by
US; Evo showed video at meeting; military threat; situation has
now changed; night before attempted coup d’etat, same rhetoric as
in Vz; CIA plans these things; same thing happened to Allende;
phone blockage was a problem for Evo, just as in April 2002 in
Caracas; Vz ambassador in La Paz was dispatched to reach Evo and
give him a phone; in less than ½ hour there was news that Bolivian
ambassador and Chilean ambassador had talked; so we unblocked that
and prevented the coup; those imperialist aggressions are common;
similar aggression from Vz bourgeoisie, with recent references to
many internal conflicts; still maintaining 70% support; without
the media misinformation support would be 90%;
* Lula has his own style and cannot tell Bush that he is a devil –
that is my role; same for King of Spain; I told Juan Carlos, after
his majesty had an outburst, that he had to accept a revolution
was occurring in Latin America; we are a whole pack of devils now;
at WSF, Lula was forced to leave by the extreme left, and I had to
defend him in the WSF; Lula defended Chavez as ‘the best president
Vz ever had’, an ‘exaggeration’;
* Christina is like a sword, with a very strong will; both of us
have been accused of corruption, as a result of a CIA operation
attempting to harm the relations between Vz and Argentina; taking
advantage of his friends, businessmen with relations in the Vz
government, tried to enter Miraflores; it was similar to what
happened when Kennedy was shot; many other descriptions of
projects (banking, communes, water, housing) and invitations
* Socialism must be built from the bottom up, in this way
* Closure with extended story of Bolivar’s long struggles, and
Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’s description of his life/death humanized him
|
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Events Index 2010 |
 |
Patrick Bond and Rick Rowden on the IMF and public health, San Francicso, 7 & 14 September  |
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Brij Maharaj, Ashwin Desai, Patrick Bond launch new book Zuma's Own Goal, Elangeni Hotel, Durban, 5pm on 3 September |
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Patrick Bond speaks on rights/commons debate at the International Commission of Jurists Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Camp, 31 August, Johannesburg |
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Margaret Gärding Donor power in the international aid industry, 27 August |
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Makhosi Khoza, Fikile Moya, Patrick Mkhize, Tony Carnie, Pritz Dullay and Brij Maharaj on the Wolpe Lecture Panel: Media Information & Freedom, 26 August 2010 |
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Ralph Borland Seminar: Radical Plumbers and PlayPumps - Objects in development, 25 August |
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Patrick Bond speaks at Jubilee South Africa conference on ecological debt, 21 August, Johannesburg |
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Trevor Ngwane at the African Participatory Democracy Conference, Johannesburg, 19‑20 August |
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Dudu Khumalo and Simphiwe Nojiyeza presentation on sanitation at Umphilo waManzi seminar, 13 August, Durban |
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Patrick Bond at South Africa‑Norway climate research seminar, Christian Michelsen Institute, Bergen, 12 August 2010 |
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Patrick Bond at Southeast Asia climate justice seminar, Focus on the Global South, Chulalungkorn University, Bangkok, 10 August |
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Trevor Ngwane at Solidarity Peace Trust report on Zimbabwe, 30 July, Johannesburg |
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Wolpe Lecture: Social justice ideas in Civil society politics, global & local: A Colloquium of scholar activists, 29 July |
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Press Conference on Xenophobia, 28 July |
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Padraig Carmody Seminar: Chinese Geogovernance in Africa: Evidence from Zambia, 20 July |
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CCS and Gyeongsang University Institute for Social Science (Korea) joint seminar on political economy of social movements, 14 July |
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Giuliano Martiniello seminar on Inanda's socio-spatial change, 9 July |
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Pamela Ngwenya Seminar on Video as a tool for outreach, communication, advocacy and community expression, 8 July |
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Anti Xenophobia Rally City Hall 3 July |
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Renee Horne Seminar on Black Economic Empowerment, 2 July |
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Roithmayr, Adonis, Galvin, Bond, Khumalo CCS Colloquium on Water, Rights, Prices, 28 June (skypecast) |
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Blessing Karumbidza seminar on climate change and carbon trading controversies in Tanzania, 24 June |
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Trevor Ngwane and Rehana Dada at workshop on climate advocacy at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, 22 June |
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Wolpe Lecture: Durban Social Forum members, 'World Cup for All!', Durban City Hall, 16 June |
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David J. Roberts Serminar: Re-branding Durban through the 2010 World Cup, 14 June |
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Patrick Bond (with Briggs Bomba and Dave Zirin) on the World Cup, Washington, 9 June |
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Patrick Bond on global justice movements, at Grantmakers without Borders conference, SF, 8 June |
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Patrick Bond presents on climate justice at conference, Alter-globalization movements and the alternative ideas of Korea, Seoul, 28 May |
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Patrick Bond on 'Poli Econ of the World Cup' in Seoul, 27 May |
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Patrick Bond lecture on National Health Insurance with Oxfam,26 May |
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Jessie Lazar Knott Identity/Spatial Relations: scholar‑activism in the greater Kei region of the Eastern Cape, 25 May |
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Patrick Bond at Osisa conference on climate and development in Africa, Pretoria, 21 May |
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Eunice N. Sahle Wolpe Lecture: World orders, Ike's Books, 5pm, 20 May |
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Patrick Bond on energy policy and the World Bank, at Democracy and Development Programme, Durban, 20 May |
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Barak Hoffman & Orlean Naidoo Seminar: Chatsworth politics and municipal advocacy, 17 May |
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Patrick Bond on SA climate policy on TEDxUKZN, 14 May |
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Khadija Sharife & Eunice Sahle Seminar: Oil, minerals and maldevelopment in Africa, 13 May |
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Patrick Bond speaks on climate debt to the Economic Justice Network, Johannesburg, 5 May |
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Erin McCandless & Shepherd Zvavanhu Seminar on Zimbabwe Civil Society, 3 May |
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Nathan Geffen (with Faith ka Manzi) Seminar: Debunking Delusions: The inside Story of The Treatment Action Campaign, 29 April |
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Patrick Bond and Khadija Sharife address African tax authorities, 29 April 2010 |
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Memorial Tribute to Professor Fatima Meer, 23 April |
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Alan Freeman & Radhika Desai Seminar on The world capitalist crisis, 23 April |
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Molefi Mafereka Ndlovu facilitates Krogerup College and Durban Sings, 18‑20 April |
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Patrick Bond on carbon trading at Manchester conference on environment and finance, 15‑16 April |
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Patrick Bond in Boston v WB-Eskom loan, 9 April |
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Patrick Bond at Clark University, 8 April |
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World Bank protest, 7 April, Washington |
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Patrick Bond seminar on climate politics, City Univ of NY, 6 April |
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Patrick Bond at NYU on South African political economy, 5 April |
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Patrick Bond in SF Bay Area on World Bank loan to Eskom, 4 April |
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Trevor Ngwane at Marxism 2010 conference, Melbourne, 1-4 April |
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Patrick Bond on water commons, Syracuse University, 29-30 March |
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Trevor Ngwane seminar on activism and global campaigns, Univ of Helsinki, 26 March |
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CCS/VANSA KZN Panel discussion: 'What is Art and what is not?', March 25 |
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Patrick Bond on 'Organising for Climate Justice', Left Forum, NYC, 21 March |
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Workers, Zama Hlatshwayo, Trevor Ngwane Seminar on UKZN labour outsourcing crisis 19 March |
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Carol Thompson seminar on resisting agro‑industry, 18 March |
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David Zirin Seminar on Fifa's Looting of SA, 13 March |
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Dennis Brutus memorial, 11 March |
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Trevor Ngwane CCS Seminar on SA's social protest wave, 9 March |
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Patrick Bond testifies to parliament on economic policy, 2 March |
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Molefi Ndlovu and Claudia Wegener seminar at the Centre for Critical Research on Race and Identity, 2 March |
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CCS anti‑xenophobia research workshop, 27 February |
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Patrick Bond speaks on The ebb and flow of water rights, Univ of Cape Town Department of Public Law, 25 February |
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Patrick Bond at Power Indaba privatisation conference, 22 February |
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Press Conference: Keep our South African Coal in the Hole! 22 February 2010 |
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CCS Economic Justice course, with Trevor Ngwane, Samson Zondi and Patrick Bond, from 20 Feb‑29 May |
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Climate Justice Now! SA‑KZN chapter hosted at CCS, 13 February |
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Hallowes, D'Sa, Ngwane, Bond , Dada: Seminar on proposed World Bank coal loan to Eskom, Friday, 12 February* |
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Durban renewable energy site visits by Minnesh Bipath, SA National Energy Research Institute with Muna Lakhani and Patrick Bond 10 February 2010 |
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Patrick Bond paper for Socialist Register workshop, 6 February |
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Susan Galleymore Seminar: A Dearth of Imagination Leads to Wasting Perfectly Good Waste, 5 February |
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Durban Sings Follow-up and planning session with 8 Editorial Collectives, 4 February |
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Patrick Bond on climate change & Dennis Brutus Memorial at World Social Forum, Porto Alegre, 28 January |
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Rehana Dada & Patrick Bond Seminar: Copenhagen Climate and Eskom Energy Conflicts, 26 January |
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Dennis Brutus tribute, with Social Movements Indaba and Durban community groups, 23 January |
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Peter McKenzie & Doung Jahangeer Seminar: The Saharawi,Warwick Junction and Footsak Politics, 20 January |
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Patrick Bond debates NHI at Idasa, CT, 19 January |
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CCS cohosts Climate Justice Now! on electricity hearings strategy, 15 January |
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Events Index 2009 |
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Patrick Bond at SF protest against Danish repression of civil society and Copenhagen climate 'deal', and radio interview, 18 December |
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Patrick Bond addresses climate seminar at Univ of Lund Business School, 15 December |
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Kristine Wasrud Participation and Influence in Water Policy in Durban, South Africa, 11 December |
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Climate Justice Film Festival, 10 December |
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Umesh de Silva Seminar: Traditional farming in Umzinyathi, 9 December |
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Oliver Meth at the CCS Workshop on women & child abuse Cato Crest Library, 8 December |
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Patrick Bond at Roskilde Univ Civil Society Centre, 7 December |
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Patrick Bond keynotes Leeds 'Democratisation in Africa' conference, 4 December |
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Sinegugu Zukulu & John Clarke Seminar: Resilience, Resolarisation and Relocalisation, 30 November |
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Nick Smith Seminar Politics of protection/crime/policing, 26 November |
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Patrick Bond speaks at Mandela Foundation about SA economic disasters, 26 November |
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Seminar on outsourced and contract workers at UKZN, 24 November |
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3rd Climate Justice Now! KZN meeting, 20 November |
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CCS and Durban Sings! at the Global Crisis and Africa: Struggles for Alternatives hosted by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation; Randburg, Johannesburg 19-21 November |
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MAKE SOME NOISE! Concert 6 November |
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Immanuel Wallerstein Wolpe Lecture: Crisis of the Capitalist System Where to from Here?, 5 November |
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The Crises and the Commons: Durban debates on politics, economics and environment 4-7 November |
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Solidarity with Durban's oppressed: Bottom-up resistance strategies of shackdwellers, pollution victims and labour-brokered workers, 4 November |
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Seminar on Problems faced by UKZN workers, Westville campus, 28 October |
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Faith Manzi & Oliver Meth at the Gender Based Violence Workshop, Durban 27 & 28 October |
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Bengt Brülde & Stellan Vinthagenand Seminar: Ethics, Resistance and Global Justice, 26 October |
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Baruti Amisi, Trevor Ngwane & Patrick Bond Anti-Xenophobia research project with Strategy&Tactics 19- 20 October |
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Durban Sings (Molefi Ndlovu & Claudia Wegener) at National Oral History Conference, 13-16 October |
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Tri-Continental Film Festival Durban community screenings – (hosted by Oliver Meth) at Inanda, Chatsworth, Wentworth, CBD, & Folweni, 1-12 October |
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Patrick Bond lectures at Suffolk Univ, Boston, 29 Sept-2 Oct |
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Helen McCue Seminar: Grassroots Mobilising within Refugee Communities: Perspectives on Palestine and Australia, 18 September |
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Patrick Bond Booklaunch: Climate Change, Carbon Trading & Civil Society, 18 September |
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Dennis Brutus honored by War Resisters League, 18 September |
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Patrick Bond skypecast on climate and ecological debt to Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, Copenhagen, 16 September |
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Oliver Meth People to People International Documentary Conference, 10-12 September |
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Dick Forslund & Patrick Bond Seminar: South Africa's capitalist crisis and civil society, 7 September |
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Dudu Khumalo on the Durban public transport crisis, 1 September |
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Patrick Bond National Health Insurance: Can SA afford it?, 24 August |
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John Berg Seminar: Barack Obama's presidency and civil society reactions, 24 August |
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Norman Finkelstein Wolpe Lecture: Resolving the Israel-Palestine Conflict: What we can learn from Gandhi, 20 August |
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Seminar with outsourced workers at UKZN, 12 August |
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Patrick Bond debates Sampie Terreblanche (Stellenbosch), 6 August, UCT |
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Patrick Bond addresses Ecuador eco-finance conference (videolink), 4 August |
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Dr Essop Pahad Thinking about the Legacy of Mbeki's Politics, 4 August |
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Patrick Bond at the South African Civil Society Energy Caucus Meeting, 29-30 July |
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Barak Hoffman Seminar: Democracy and Civil Society Research in Ghana and SA, 27 July |
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CCS hosts free screenings of Durban International Film Festival, 25 July - 1 August |
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Sean Flynn & Maj Fiil Seminar on water rights, ( SKYPECAST ) 24 July |
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Patrick Bond lecture at carbon trading conference, Johannesburg, 22 July |
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Sein Win Seminar by Burmese prime minister (exiled) on solidarity (SKYPECAST), 21 July |
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Tunde Adegbola A Pan-African Harold Wolpe Lecture & cultural events, 16 July |
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Patrick Bond lecture on SA Political Economy, San Francisco socialist conference, 4 July |
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Orlean Naidoo on participation at DDP seminar, 30 June |
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Patrick Bond speaks on 'World Slump: Financial Crisis and Emerging Class Struggles in the Global South', 28 June, Toronto |
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Patrick Bond on African social resistance to economic crisis, 26 June, Moscow |
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Oliver Meth and Orlean Naidoo facilitate Diakonia Council of Churches Democracy Course, 24 -26 June |
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Alex Callinicos Wolpe Lecture: Economic crisis and prospects for social revolution, 18 June |
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Blair Rutherford Seminar: Zimbabwe farm labour, social justice and citizenship, 17 June |
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Trevor Ngwane Seminar: Community resistance to energy privatisation and ecological degradation, 11 June |
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Gaby Bikombo, Judy Mulqueeny, Harry Ramlal, Caroline Skinner Seminar: War of Warwick Junction, 9 June |
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DURBAN SINGS central editorial workshops, 8 & 22 June |
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Patrick Bond, Abedian, Dumisa, Maharaj et al on 'Zumanomics', UKZN Biz School, 3 June |
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Rehana Dada keynote address to Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute AGM, 2 June |
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Patrick Bond on African underdevelopment at Sussex IDS conference (via skypecast), 1 June |
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Trevor Ngwane presents at the International Conference on Ideas and Strategies in the Alterglobalisation Movement, Seoul, 29 May |
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Peter McKenzie cultural seminar on 'Footsak: On the Ball for 2010', 28 May |
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Björn Surborg Seminar: Contesting Johannesburg's extractive industries, 25 May |
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Paul Verryn, Methodist Bishop of Johannesburg: Wolpe Lecture: Poverty and xenophobia, 21 May |
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Robert Jensen, Univ of Texas: Seminar: Whiteness and social change in the US, 21 May |
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Tony Clarke, Polaris Institute: Seminar: The state of the world water wars, 15 May |
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Patrick Bond debates 'The G20 Global Deal' at Wits/Osisa, Johannesburg, 12 May |
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Molefi Ndlovu, Seminar: Azania Rising: The demise of the 1652 class project, 13 May |
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Rehana Dada, Seminar: Climate mitigation case studies, 11 May |
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CCS/DYFS - Anti-xenophobia film screening facilitators workshop, 9 May |
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Orlean Naidoo, Seminar: Chatsworth upgrading struggles and victories, 8 May |
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Patrick Bond, Joburg Wolpe Lecture at Wits Univ, 7 May |
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Patrick Bond at Cosatu electricity workshop, Joburg, 6 May |
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Joan Canela and Helena Olcina Seminar: Social movements in Bolivia and Catalan, 5 May |
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William Gumede Wolpe Lecture: SA’s “Democracy Gap”, 30 April |
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Three representatives of the Tamil liberation movement youth Seminar: The Tamil people under seige, 21 April |
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Leading eco-social spokespersons from political parties and civil society Seminar: Environmental confrontations - Political parties meet civil society, POSTPONED |
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Rehana Dada at York Univ climate ecojustice conference, Toronto, 16-17 April |
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John Minto Seminar: The Legacy of Anti-apartheid Sports Boycotts, 16 April |
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Dennis Brutus celebrations, honorary doctorates conferred at both Rhodes Univ and Mandela Univ, 16-17 April |
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Nelson Muhirwa & Jean Chrisostome Kanamugire Seminar: The Rwandan Genocide 15 Years On, 8 April |
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Oliver Meth Seminar: Wentworth Crime, Gangs and Civil Society, 7 April |
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Dennis Brutus on Reconciliation and Memory in Post-Apartheid SA, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Johannesburg, 2-3 April |
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Ida Susser booklaunch, 'AIDS, Sex and Culture', with Quarraisha Abdool Karim, at Ike's Books, 2 April |
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Sofie Hellberg Seminar: Governing lives through hydropolitics in eThekwini , 1 April 2009 |
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Claudia Wegener & Molefi Mafereka Ndlovu Digital Soiree Durban Sings Internet Radio project, 24 March |
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Simone Claar Seminar: Post-Apartheid Political Economy and State Policy, 19 March |
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Oliver Meth presents at the HSRC Violent Crime and Democratization in the Global South Conference, 18-20 March |
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Simphiwe Nojiyeza Seminar: African Development Bank water projects, 12 March |
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Deniz Kellecioglu Seminar: Zimbabwe Civil Society confronts Mugabe's Economy, 11 March |
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Patrick Bond debates ANC economic policy, 9 March, Durban |
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Kalinca Copello Seminar: ICTs and social movements: From Chiapas to Brazil to South Africa, 6 March |
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Lisa Ramsay & Schwarzanne Leafe Seminar & Film: Climate Change and Eco-Social Resistance in South Durban, 27 February |
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Patrick Bond presents to ActionAid/Nepad conference on global financial crisis, 24 February, Midrand |
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Molefi Ndlovu Johannesburg: Market Photo Workshop, 22-28 February |
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Orlean Naidoo & Patrick Bond seminar on Free Basic Water, and screening of Flow, 18 February |
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Ida Susser Seminar: AIDS, Sex, Culture and Civil Society, 11 February |
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Dennis Brutus and Moya Atkinson film/seminar on US anti-war movement, 9 February |
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Patrick Bond seminar on the ongoing global financial crisis, University of Johannesburg, 6 February |
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Durban Sings internet audio and community radio with Molefi Ndlovu and Claudia Wegener, 2-6 February |
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Patrick Bond in dialogue with Jeremy Cronin on financial crisis, Johannesburg, 28 January |
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Dennis Brutus, Lubna Nadvi, Monica Rorvik and Salim Vally Seminar: Should Israel be boycotted? If so, how?, 27 January |
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Giyani Dube, Lubna Nadvi, Kate Griffiths and Timothy Rukombo Wolpe Lecture: Civil Society Internationalism - from Lindela to Gaza to Washington, 22 January |
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Pamela Ngwenya, Molefi Ndlovu, Claudia Wegener Seminar: Participatory community audio/video as a tool for social research, 21 January |
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Dale McKinley, Orlean Naidoo, Dudu Khumalo, Bryan Ashe Seminar on the World Water Forum, 19 January |
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Mavuso Dingani film/seminar on the Zimbabwean exile in Durban, 6 January |
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