Sunday 4 March 2012

We say NO!

We say no! We say no to the privatisation of our education, no to the cuts on public services, no to elitism, and no to the commodification of every sphere of life. We say no to the praise of money and death. We say no to a system, which puts a price on people and things. We say no to the liberty of money and the suicidal egoism of the powerful. We at the University of Essex resist the imposition of capital and have organised an Alter-Globalisation Festival, which will serve as an inspiration for and a springboard to strengthen the movement towards the emancipation from this system that puts profits before people.

The Alter-Globalisation Festival is intended to be a social forum to promote, discuss and exchange ideas about alternatives to neoliberal “globalisation”. It is projected to be a platform to present new forms of thought and social alternatives encompassing a wide range of political and social groups. Amongst the societies involved in the social forum are Amnesty International, Human Rights Group, EAN, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Sociology society, Food Not Bombs and the Environmental society. The forum is characterised by its plurality and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental and non-party. Furthermore, the aim of the festival is to foment decentralised coordination and networking amongst organisations engaged in collective action at a local and international level. More generally, the festival intends to be a social platform and not a representative body, dedicated to strengthen the offensive capacity against neoliberal globalisation and to deepen the resistance against capitalism, imperialism and oppression.

Our main events will take place from the 5th-11th of March and the topics will include:

  • Monday 5th - 6 pm: Neoliberalism and Education panel – Carlos Gigoux, Ted Benton, EAN activist (LTB 8)

  • Tuesday 6th – 6 pm: Food Crisis and Food Sovereignty – Esther Vivas (activist and member of the Centre of Studies on Social Movements in Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona) (LTB 8)

  • Wednesday 7th – 6 pm: The Right to the City – James O’Nion (co-editor of the Red Pepper newspaper) (LTB 8)

  • Thursday 8th – 6 pm: The Zapatista Movement – Rebeca Perez Leon (LTB 8)

  • Friday 9th – 6 pm:  Environmentalism (LTB 8)

  • Saturday 10th – 4 pm: Direct Action Workshop (LTB 5)

  • Sunday 11th – 4pm: Exploitation and Globalisation Workshop (LTB 5) 


We invite you to engage, discuss and exchange your ideas as well as experiences with the resistance against neoliberal globalisation in the social forum.

Alter-Globalisation Festival Committee

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