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Condemnation of WSF's Rape Culture

1. The document condemns the rape of Lizanne Isaacs, a South African woman delegate, at the World Social Forum (WSF) and calls for justice. 2. It criticizes the WSF for preferring to postpone judgments and claims the reflective thinking between imperialists and oppressed people at the WSF is a "rape". 3. The document declares there can be no neutrality between the oppressors and oppressed, and calls the WSF and its supporters the "hooligans" of imperialism, demanding "Death to the rapists! Death to the imperialists! And death to their condom - the WSF!"

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23 views2 pages

Condemnation of WSF's Rape Culture

1. The document condemns the rape of Lizanne Isaacs, a South African woman delegate, at the World Social Forum (WSF) and calls for justice. 2. It criticizes the WSF for preferring to postpone judgments and claims the reflective thinking between imperialists and oppressed people at the WSF is a "rape". 3. The document declares there can be no neutrality between the oppressors and oppressed, and calls the WSF and its supporters the "hooligans" of imperialism, demanding "Death to the rapists! Death to the imperialists! And death to their condom - the WSF!"

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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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A carnival, a coke, a condom and finally…

THE RAPE
Friends,
We condemn the brutal rape of Ms. Lizanne Isaacs, a South African woman delegate of
the WSF. Mere words of consolation and sympathy will not bring relief to a victim.
Every victim of violence and exploitation wants JUSTICE.
But the accused turns out to be a judge. A ‘member of civil society organisation’, in the
parlance of WSF and the victim is an activist of an AIDS awareness group – i.e., a
member of a ‘social movement’. And WSF is made up of social movements and civil
society. It presents itself as an autonomous terrain, independent of class society. Now, the
‘civil society’ has raped a ‘social movement’.
What to do now? Postpone the judgement?
WSF has always preferred to postpone judgments. Its focus is limited to ‘enabling the
process of emergence of many a truths’. As a forum, it could not pass a judgement on the
rape of Afghan, Iraq or Palestine. As WSF’s focus is “the process of intercourse rather
than assignment”.
Desai says what happened in Colaba Hotel was a process of intercourse. But [Link]
Isaacs cries out that it was a Rape. Shall we postpone the judgement?
No. IT IS A RAPE. We not only refer to the rape that took place behind the bolted doors
of the hotel. We also refer to the rape conducted in broad daylight in the SPACE called
WSF. The reflective thinking and debate between the imperialists and oppressed people
is a RAPE. The intercourse between the directors of NGOs and the hapless poor, on the
ways and means of fighting Globalisation is a fraud, humbug and a RAPE.
The victim has pleaded with Desai to use a condom before rape. It’s a METAPHOR. A
piercing penis with a safety cover! Globalisation with a Human Face!
The victim and the accused have stayed in star hotel, had a drink and a coke and finally
THE RAPE. WSF believes in carnivals, not struggles. And carnivals do end up in rapes.
WSF is not a ‘politically oriented old movement’; but a ‘civic oriented new movement’
ironically, we have not heard of rapes in those old movements. Millions of men and
women have fought shoulder to shoulder against imperialist aggression sin deep jungles
and deserts without food and water. In China, Russia and Vietnam…and they still carry
on.
But those belong to the genre of class politics of the ‘archaic’ commies! WSF does not
believe in META NARRATIVES! It stands for women empowerment, her space, her
identity…!
But how do you define the identity of this victim? A woman or an NGO activist or
Elite…? Or what’s the identity of the accused – a male, a judge, an erstwhile victim of
apartheid or a champion of anti- globalisation …? WSF and post modernism stand for the
“deconstruction of the political sphere, the NEUTRALISATION OF THE RIGHT AND
LEFT. It confers NO PRIORITY TO ANY SPECIFIC SOCIAL ACTOR for the process
of social change”.
For a process of rape now what is value neutral judgement of WSF on this crime?
Postponing the judgement?
We declare that there can be no neutrality between man and woman. No neutrality
between US and Iraq; between the Globalisers and the Globalised.
Rape of a nation is a crime. Rape of its people is a crime. Rape of the world is a crime.
IMPERIALISM IS THE CRIMINAL. And the NGOs, social democrats, post modernists,
anarchists and their ilk are their hooligans.
There can be no dialogue with the imperialism. We do not plead for a condom. Death to
the rapists! Death to the imperialists! And DEATH TO THEIR CONDOM – THE WSF!

(Pamphlet issued by PALA and NDLF on 20-01-2004, ending day of WSF.)

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