Eyes wide, smiling, he kept repeating the same word—“
inolvidable” (unforgettable)—as he watched the elaborate opening ceremony of the 16th World Youth Festival of Youth and Students in Caracas, Venezuela last month. For Abraham Bojorquez from El Alto, Bolivia, this was “something I’m going to tell my grandchildren about.” Other than living for a couple of years in Brazil when he was younger, he has never left Bolivia. As radical as he is poor, Abraham “never imagined” he would be part of a worldwide festival of revolutionary youth.
TRUE DIVERSITY
Though Abraham’s travel was funded by the concurring International Hip-Hop Summit for which he was brought as a guest performer, his presence and experience at the festival was not unique. The Venezuelan organizing committee’s decision to wave or require a very low entrance fee ($1 in many cases) for delegates from poorer countries and to provide housing, three meals a day and in-festival transportation enabled activists and students with little money, many of those who had never left their own country, to be part of this historic event.
As such, the festival was unique among international leftist convergences: it was not dominated by the privileged global North, but was composed of a broad range of those working for justice. Thousands with backgrounds similar to Abraham spent eight days sharing bunk-beds, meals, political analysis, life-stories and Brahma beer with people from half-way around the world.
“This is an example of true diversity,” noted a student from Mexico. “There are 22,000 of us, from 144 countries, exchanging ideas and getting to know each other as people.”
Live music concerts, and dance performances celebrated the diversity of the gathering. “Cultural expos” (in which each delegation had space to sell crafts and hand out information about their country) and workshops provided forums for participants to learn about others’ cultures and struggles.
Participants also found strength in shared political perspectives. During these trying times, being with thousands who are dedicating their lives to positive change motivated and inspired. “The benefits of this festival will last long after we all go home,” one Colombian activist commented. “The personal connections we have made will move forward our current campaigns and help create new cross-border social change efforts.”
Another complement to the festival events was the unprecedented First International Hip-Hop Summit that hosted three open-air concerts featuring over 100 hip-hop artists from Chile to the Ukraine, Somalia to Cuba. In addition to showcasing talented young people, the Summit demonstrated the importance of hip-hop to the world’s youth movements.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Over the past decade, the people of Latin America have been on the vanguard of the world’s leftist movements. Recent popular uprisings in Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina, and the continued resistance of Cuba, are symbols of hope for the rest of the world. Through the festival, delegates from outside Latin America had the opportunity to demonstrate solidarity and learn the history behind the leftist tide sweeping the continent.
Participants also came to Venezuela to celebrate the nation itself, because for many, it is the new heart of this resistance. Venezuela’s Boliviarian government and Chavez’s goal of creating a socialist state demonstrates the viability of a non-neoliberal model of governance—in other words, proof an alternative world is possible.
El Comandante Chavez was an integral part of the week. Chavez t-shirts almost outnumbered Che clothing. The President appeared four times during the eight-day festival to awe the crowds (and anyone watching the virtually non-stop conference coverage on Venezuelan national TV) with his oratory skills. Both of his speeches at the Anti-Imperialism Tribunal, the two-day mock trial against the George Bush and US governmental policies, lasted for over 4 hours.
La Ruta Social, daily trips to the barrios (slums) on the outskirts of Caracas, offered delegates the chance to talk with la gente (the people) about the state-run educational, health and housing programs. “These tours were, by far, the most enlightening part of the festival,” noted one US delegate. “In addition to learning about Chavez’s programs, I was able to feel the sense of empowerment within these communities. They are so proud of what they have accomplished and of the opportunities they now have.”
THE FLIP SIDE*
Though the conference demonstrated the best leftist youth have to offer, the festival also brought out the worst: wide-scale disorganization, more talk of problems than solutions, an emphasis on speaking rather than listening and a lack of critical discussion.
I offer the following critique for two reasons: one, to give ideas for how the Venezuelan festival organizers could improve when they host an expected 60,000 participants of the World Social Forum in January. (I was told this festival was a practice run for the Social Forum); and two, to challenge all of us young leftists—participants and non-participants alike—to think critically about our common shortfalls and how they can stifle others’ experiences.
Transportation and Logistics
The logistics of the festival were challenging. Out of necessity, most participants were housed at least an hour outside of Caracas; the seminars were held in four locations within the city, only two of which were within walking distance from one another; events ran from 9am until 2am every day. All of this was complicated by Caracas being a dangerous city and organizers had legitimate concerns about participant safety.
Ensuring every participant had access to all the festival had to offer was arguably the festival organizers’ primary job. Given the logistical challenges, an efficient and flexible transportation system would have been the key to enabling participants this access.
Unfortunately, the transport fell far short. The irrational "List" system (confining you to one drop-off and pick-up site prohibited you from spending the morning and afternoon at different events) inhibited freedom of movement; delayed departures (causing delegates to miss events or arrive at 5am to their housing site); and, occasionally, left delegates all but stranded in the middle of the night in Caracas.
Suggestions for Organizers:
• Continuous shuttle system in between all event locations all day long.
• Let participants board any bus going to where they want to go; when the bus fills, it leaves for its next stop.
• Arrange night transport back to all housing sites at the end of late-night events.
• Assign a guide to every bus for safety if deemed necessary.
• Allow for flexibility; empower guides and drivers to make decisions based on the reasonable needs of participants.
Workshops
The seminars were one of the most disappointing aspects of the conference. Panelists arrived hours late or not at all; presenters spoke about a topic unrelated to what was scheduled; speakers did not respect their own time limits; there was more ranting about the problems of the Bush administration than there was organized discussion of innovative projects to create positive change; non-presenters took advantage of captive audiences during the “Q+A period” to get on their soap box rather than asking questions.
Many festival delegates abandoned the workshops by mid-week out of frustration. Unfortunately, the problems within the workshops evidence deeper issues among the left: ego-centered desires to hear our own voices and to believe that our causes deserve more attention someone else’s; and, focusing on our agreed-upon “truths” (neo-liberalism is bad) rather than on debating tougher questions (what are viable strategies for creating a new world order?).
Suggestions for Organizers:
• Post all last-minute program changes in central locations and announce any changes to the workshops at the beginning of the seminars.
• Assign facilitators to workshops to keep the seminar on time and on track.
General Organizational Strategy
“Nadie sabe nada” (“nobody knows anything”), referring to the operational knowledge of festival volunteers and organizers on the ground, was the often-heard saying. Getting a straight answer about anything from credentials, to housing, to food was nearly impossible. In some instances, there was a void of authority—no one to make decisions, no one to track down necessary information. In other cases, top-down orders compelled volunteers to adhere to illogical practices. There was little or no communication among the organizers themselves, and even less between the Venezuelan organizing committee and the heads of country delegations.
Suggestions for Organizers:
• Empower point-people for every event location, workshop, lunch site, bus, and villa.
• Set standard practices but trust your coordinators to make decisions based on their best judgment for that specific situation.
• Give the coordinators a means to communicate with the central office and with coordinators in other locations.
• Make sure participants understand this coordinating system and know to look for these point-people to address questions and problems.
• Offer written evaluations; encourage delegates to give honest feedback about their experiences and then incorporate the praise and criticism when planning for future events.
Critical Discussion
One of the most distressing complaints about the festival came not from participants but from barrio residents whose neighborhood was a stopping point for La Ruta Social. “We felt like we were an attraction like in a zoo,” one resident commented. “They wanted to use us for the festival, to show off what the government has achieved, but we were discouraged from participating beyond that.”
There is no question that Chavez is a hero to barrio residents. “Chavez is our president,” I was told quite clearly. “Together we have changed this country and we are very proud of our process.”
But this pride doesn’t mean there aren’t heated debates about Chavez’s shortfalls. “When the tours came, there was no space for critical discussion about the programs here in our barrio,” explained a student of Mision Robinson, the government-run primary education program. “We wanted to celebrate our Bolivarian state but we also wanted to engage in real conversation about our continuing poverty and the ways the government could improve.”
Suggestions for Organizers:
• Include barrio residents in the organizing of La Ruta Social.
• Solicit ideas from residents about the ways in which they would like to participate in upcoming conferences.
• Encourage critical discussion, even of Chavez.
All IN ALL...
Looking back on the festival, I will remember the vibrant colors that filled the Los Proceres plaza during the grand opening ceremony; Angolan dancers stunning a cheering crowd; Peruvians and Bolivians sharing coca leaves around a late-night bonfire; the empowered voices of barrio residents; learning about the independent, youth-run newspaper operated by a young woman from Mexico City; Chavez’s raised fist and broad smile; hip-hop from all over the world; and the light in Abraham’s eyes all week long.
For these memories, I thank the Venezuelan organizing committee and all 22,000 participants because they made it possible. I hope that in the future, an improved organizational system will allow everyone to enjoy all that the festival has to offer and will help the beauty of the gathering outshine the frustration.
*This article is based on my personal experiences at the festival, extensive interviews with other delegates, and discussions with barrio residents during and after the event. Given the size of the festival this article does not represent every participant’s experience. But this report is based on shared experiences and I hope that it will be useful for future events in and outside of Venezuela.
Alert!
Submitted September 2, 2005 - 3:05 pm by Stephen Peacock