Midwest Tour Highlights DSA/PRD Connection: Gracias Por Todo

Stephan Peter, Twin Cities DSA, is a member of the German SP and co-chair of DSA International Commission.

A lucky coincidence, admittedly. May 1 saw rallies for immigrants' rights in major cities throughout the U.S. And at precisely that moment, DSA launched a four cities, eleven days speaker tour with Saul Escobar Toledo, the International Secretary and a leader of the Mexican Partido de la Revolution Democratica (PRD). The DSA International Commission proposed the tour in response to a priority resolution from the 2005 DSA national convention urging dialogue between progressive elected officials and organizations in the United States and other countries, and a 2006 NPC statement to pay close attention to developing political events in Latin America focused on policy alternatives to the 'Washington consensus.'

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May, 2007

The Meaning of 21st Century Socialism for Venezuela

Greg Wilpert is a sociologist and journalist living in Caracas, Venezuela. He is co-editor of the Internet website www.venezuelanalysis.com and published articles recently in New Left Review, Socialism and Democracy, and Foreign Policy. This essay is based on a lecture presented at the University of Wisconsin's Havens Center for the Study of Social Structure and Social Change, where Wilpert was a visiting scholar in April 2006 (www.havenscenter.org/).

In what appeared to be a surprise to almost everyone, on January 30, 2005, in a speech to the 5th World Social Forum, President Hugo Chavez announced that he supported the creation of socialism of the 21st century in Venezuela. According to Chavez, this socialism would be different from the socialism of the 20th century. While Chavez was vague about exactly how this new socialism would be different, he implied it would not be a state socialism as was practiced in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe or as is practiced in Cuba today. Rather, it would be a socialism that would be more pluralistic and less state-centered.

"We have assumed the commitment to direct the Bolivarian Revolution towards socialism and to contribute to the socialist path, with a new socialism, a socialism of the 21^st century, which is based in solidarity, in fraternity, in love, in justice, in liberty, and in equality", said Chavez in another speech in mid 2006. Also, this socialism is not pre-defined. Rather, says Chavez, we must, "transform the mode of capital and move towards socialism, towards a new socialism that must be constructed every day."

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July, 2006

Not all religious people are conservatives:

Still room on the left for both believers and non-believers

This ever-more-timely piece on the relationship between politics and religion reflects a debate "both north and south of the 49th parallel." Bill Blaikie is House Leader for the New Democratic Party (NDP), DSA's Canadian sister organization in the Socialist International. While Blaikie makes reference to DSA's founding chair, Michael Harrington, the article also brings to mind the politics-religion analysis in "Democracy Matters", DSA honorary chair Cornel West's 2004 best seller. Blaikie is MP for the Elmwood-Transcona riding in Winnipeg and serves as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. He is also a United Church minister, having been ordained in 1978. He is now the longest continuous-serving Member of Parliament.

During the 2005 Presidential election in the United States, responding to a button worn by Southern Baptists that said, "Vote your Values", Rev. Jim Wallis of the Sojourner Community in Washington is reported to have said: "I say, vote all your values. The cries of the poor ring from cover to cover in my Bible."

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Fourth Global Forum on Water
International Forum in Defense of Water

The first article reports on the conclusions of the Fourth Global Forum on Water, held in Mexico City on March 17-19, 2006. Not surprisingly, there wasn't a great deal of coverage in the mainstream media in the US. A highlight of the conference was a debate between Abel Mamani, Bolivia's Minister of Water (the only country with such a ministry) and Jamel Shagir, the World Bank's Director of Energy. Mamani advocated including a statement in the final declaration that access to water is a human right, and refused to sign the declaration if it were not included. Representatives of developed countries and the World Bank consider this a non-issue, claiming that only 10 percent of investments are from the private sector. Katherine Sierra of the World Bank stated that the idea is not to privatize water, but to apply new models for the management of the public water services with the participation of the citizenry and the market.

The second article describes the activities of a parallel forum, the International Forum in Defense of Water, which took place in the facilities of the Mexican Telephone Workers Union. Over a thousand activists from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe came together under the theme ?The right to water is possible: participative public movement? to serve as a counterpoint to the Global Forum on Water, dominated by the World Bank and countries with an interest in commercializing this precious resource. Their fundamental points are 1) that water should be considered public property, 2) to guarantee its access as a human right and to reject any model in which it is treated as a commodity, 3) its administration and control should remain in the public, participative arena and not for profit.

We should all pay attention to the accelerated pace at which water is becoming a commodity and that we not wait until the current private/public investment ratio of 10/90 percent is inverted to take a position on the issue.

El BM obstaculiza la declaracion de Foro Mundial del Aguaa

MATILDE PEREZ, ANGELICA ENCISO Y JOSE GALAN

Representantes de paises desarrollados y organismos financieros que participan en el cuarto Foro Mundial del Agua se oponen a incluir en la declaracion final el derecho humano al agua, pues consideran que se trata de "un asunto no relevante"; sin embargo, las naciones en vias de desarrollo anunciaron que seguiran insistiendo en esta demanda.

Read the entire article at http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/03/19/043n1soc.php

ACTIVISTAS DE UNOS 40 PAISES SE APRESTAN A CREAR MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL DE LUCHA

MARIANA NORANDI Y LAURA POY

Activistas y organizaciones civiles de mas de 40 paises se comprometieron a consolidar una plataforma de accion comun, en funcion una estrategia global y simultanea, que permita articular las luchas regionales, nacionales e internacionales para conseguir que el agua sea un bien de todos y un derecho humano.

Read the entire article at http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/03/20/044n1soc.php

April, 2006

Andrés Manuel López Obrador

PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática) Candidate for President

This is a speech delivered by Lopez Obrador to a PRD forum on May 2, 2006. He speaks of the foreign policy he would put into place as president.

He believes in the principle of self-determination, no-intervention, peaceful solution to differences, prohibition against threats or use of force, legal equality of States, international cooperation for development and in the principle of the struggle for peace and international security. General criteria to bring about these principles:

1. Foreign policy should be an extension of internal policy

2. A measured foreign policy, with emphasis on no-intervention

3. While respecting the rights of other countries, would be attentive to the needs of other communities within the international sphere

4. Maintain good relations with all other countries "...globalization does not mean hegemony."

5. Most important issue between US and Mexico today is that of immigration. Would convert the 45 consulates in the US into legal defense offices for Mexicans living and working in the US

6. Commitment to rely on Mexican diplomats to conduct foreign relation.

México, Distrito Federal, a 2 de mayo de 2006

PALABRAS DEL CANDIDATO A LA PRESIDENCIA DE LA REPÚBLICA DE LA COALICIÓN “POR EL BIEN DE TODOS”, ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR, DURANTE EL FORO “DIGNIDAD POR LA REPÚBLICA” ORGANIZADO POR EL CONSEJO CONSULTIVO PARA UN PROYECTO ALTERNATIVO DE NACIÓN EN EL WORLD TRADE CENTER

Amigas, amigos, participantes en este importante foro de análisis y de propuestas para la política exterior de nuestro país. Señoras, señores embajadores. Licenciado Porfirio Muñoz Ledo.

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July, 2006