27 – 28 March the alleuropean mobilizing committee for the ESF in Istanbul (1.-4. July ) prepared together with the Czech Social Forum in Prague a Conference.
Around 100 participants from 19 Eastern, Central and Western-European countries took part in a Conference on « Alternatives to the Right-Wing Extremism in the Time of Social and Ecological Crisis » (Prague, 27-28 March 2010). Walter Baier and Louis Weber attended the conference on behalf of Transform !
Round tables and interventions focused on the rise of right-wing extremism in various European countries in the global context of the economic and social and ecological crisis. This rise should be considered as a serious danger for civil rights and more generally for the democratic future of European countries.
National situations are however diverse. In some countries, there is a wide range of autonomous and militant and sometimes violent and militaristic neofascist groups. In others, right wing tendencies, including xenophobia, antisemitism and islamophobia, are rather embedded in nationalist parties, which are deeply rooted in the historical experience of these countries.
Beyond these specificities, participants agreed on the fact that the current crisis, and more generally the neoliberal policies implemented by the European governments, have enhanced the conditions facilitating the emergence of these phenomena.
Regarding possible alternatives, the participants emphasized the need for international and joint solidarity actions on these themes. All-European networks should be established for resisting to these trends, promoting peaceful togetherness of people living in the same country, and campaigning as far as necessary for legal provisions against racism and xenophobia.
The participants showed also high interest in the actions already undertaken by existing organizations and networks, such as United for intercultural action (http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/) or Climate Justice mobilizations. Proposals were also made for simultaneous common actions on 8th and 9th May, the days of fascism’s defeat in 1945.
Finally, it was suggested to propose a common seminar on the theme of the Prague Conference at the coming 6th European Social Forum in Istanbul and to follow-up the ongoing process launched in Prague by a similar conference to be held in Autumn 2010.