From Caracas, our correspondent Belen de los Santos talks exclusively with Atul Chandra, researcher of the Tricontinental Institute about the meeting of Social Movements that is taking place at the ALBA House prior to the ALBA Summit to be held tomorrow, Saturday 14th. teleSUR
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00:00And we start by going live to Caracas, Venezuela, with our correspondent Mariano de los Santos,
00:04who is there for all the activities being carried out ahead of the summit tomorrow,
00:09Saturday, of ALBA TCB Heads of States and Government.
00:12Hello.
00:13Hello, Luis.
00:14Exactly.
00:15We are here from Caracas, and as we were saying, this is a gathering of the Social Movement
00:22Council that is being reboosted, that is being reinstalled here.
00:26Let's recall what we were saying at our last contact, that ALBA was born with this idea
00:32of forming a mechanism that not only integrated the states at a governmental level, but that
00:38also could coordinate just the different social movements, not only from Latin America itself,
00:45but also from the world, in that way becoming just a way in which different social movements,
00:51the peoples of around the world, even the peoples from the states in which the governments
00:56are not cooperating in this alliance that is the ALBA countries, those social movements
01:02may come together to coordinate different strategies.
01:06And that is the idea behind the Social Movement Council.
01:11And in this 20th anniversary from the ALBA-TCB, the idea is that this mechanism is being reboosted.
01:18Let's recall once again that in the initial idea, the Social Movement Council and the
01:23Presidential Council had the same importance.
01:26So the idea is that we are looking at a mechanism that is able to integrate both perspectives.
01:32We just heard from Secretary General of the ALBA-TCB, Jorge Arreaza, who was talking about
01:37the importance that the ALBA Summit becomes Summit of the Peoples, and the social movements
01:43have a very important participation in that regard.
01:47The idea that, Jorge Arreaza was saying, that we should not be afraid of that virtuous
01:53tension that may arise between the social movements and the government, because that
01:58is what leads to social change.
02:01That is what brings to the real demands of the people.
02:04So that is what we are witnessing here today.
02:07And as I was saying, there are here representatives from social organizations, movements, research
02:14institutes, not only from the region, but also from around the world.
02:18And we are joined now by Atul Chandra.
02:21He is from India and is from the Tri-Continental Institute.
02:25So thank you for joining us in Telesur English.
02:28And I would like to start by asking, what is the relevance, what is the importance of
02:33this installment of the Social Movement Council that is happening today?
02:37And why come here to participate at this regional mechanism?
02:43Thanks to Telesur first.
02:45See I mean, for me, it's a very interesting sort of mechanism, which they are talking
02:49about.
02:50I have seen people coming out of social movements, becoming leaders, becoming very successful
02:55politicians.
02:57And also, when I say this, I'm not saying that they have not set up, I would say, very
03:02inclusive social policies.
03:04But I never saw, I mean, this is when they became, they were part of the movement, then
03:10they become very successful politicians.
03:12But I've never seen a council where the social movements directly come and interact with
03:18the government.
03:19And, for example, when these social movements directly come and talk, they are very well,
03:25if you look at it, they are the voices of the people on the ground.
03:28They are the voices of the larger masses and transcending boundaries.
03:33It's not only something which is, let's say, something of Venezuela, but something which
03:38is transcending boundaries in Latin America.
03:41And I think that's very, very interesting.
03:44That's what I think this experiment, I would really like to see in our part of the world,
03:49where people from the ground are part of that, I would say, mechanism, the democratic set
03:56up, where they are able to express their concerns with regard to anything, be it environment,
04:03be it labor movement, be it women movement, be it their, which affects their day-to-day
04:08life, their health, education.
04:11And they are able to formulate policies directly by talking, by discussion, by interventions
04:18with the government.
04:19And I think this makes it very special.
04:22This experiment I have never seen, and I've never heard about it before.
04:28But this is something which, for me, it's very interesting, where there is a space directly
04:32for the movements to be part of the, one of the part of the government, where they
04:38are able to directly bring to the table their concerns.
04:41And I think that's interesting.
04:42I mean, we see in our part of the world, all the organizations, they have to come up with
04:49protest, with their movements, and then a delegation goes.
04:53And then they raise their demands.
04:55That's how we function.
04:57But have you ever thought where they are already part of it, in the state machinery,
05:03in the government machinery, where they are heard not only when they are protesting, but
05:09also when the policy is being formulated.
05:16They say that they formulate policies for the people.
05:20But they have to literally hear the people who are on the ground, people who are representing
05:24the large masses, I would say.
05:27Yes, and that was something of what we were talking about when discussing the importance
05:31of the ALBA mechanism and the 20 years, and the idea of what comes now, right?
05:37That idea of being able to think up a mechanism that does not shy away from that tension between
05:44government or state entities and the social movements, but that, quite the contrary, tries
05:49to build mechanisms in which they can have direct action.
05:53Also, I wanted to ask you, one of the main things that the speakers have been saying,
05:59social leaders from all over the world, was the importance of gathering around to really
06:04having a comprehensive understanding of the geopolitical scenario that is here.
06:09That the geopolitical analysis is very important.
06:12It is key to then think of strategies, of mechanisms of cooperation, to see where the
06:18social movements need to be heading.
06:21What do you think in this regard?
06:22No, absolutely, 100%.
06:24I mean, until and unless we know our subject, we know we have a nuanced understanding of
06:30the issues, and what are those systematic challenges we are facing because of something.
06:36And that's not something only internal.
06:39It's all, I mean, geostrategic, geopolitics plays a huge role.
06:45And I think you're correct, absolutely correct.
06:46I mean, you have to factor that in.
06:49You have to read, learn about it.
06:52You have to understand the international politics, how it works, how imperialism works,
06:57how it affects.
06:58And, for example, we know countries which have been very social, which believes in social
07:09principles, which believes in socialism, which believes in giving what people they deserve,
07:16but they have been forced.
07:17For example, we know countries in Asia, for example, Sri Lanka, we know countries in Pakistan,
07:23countries like Pakistan.
07:24For example, the IMF, the International Monetary Organizations, have been forcing them for
07:31structural changes.
07:32They are forcing them to cut the state budget.
07:35They are forcing them to, I mean, how does the state then even deliver?
07:39For example, and I'm talking about basic necessities of life in any civilized society, for example,
07:48education, for example, health.
07:49So I think these are the, I mean, I would say the context where if you cut the budgets
07:54and the state are unable to do what they promised or they want to do, it will take a huge toll.
08:01You are literally pushing your population at the brink of collapse.
08:06You are literally pushing them into poverty, into, I would say, problems, which then is
08:12going to erupt.
08:13I mean, there will be all sorts of other issues which will be coming up.
08:18Thank you so much, Adil, for joining us here in Telus for English and let us have a better
08:23understanding of the importance, the relevance, not only of the 20-year anniversary, but also
08:28of this mechanism that is the Social Movement Council.
08:32Thank you so much.
08:33Thank you, Belinda.
08:35Of course.
08:36So that was Adil Chandra from the Tri-Continental Institute participating at the Social Movement
08:39Council in the ABA-TCP framework.
08:42The ABA-TCP is turning 20 years tomorrow and these are the activities that are occurring
08:48here in Caracas in the framework of that anniversary.
08:52And let's recall again that as the leaders just behind me are continuing to discuss possible
08:58ways of cooperation, this is not just leaders coming here to talk.
09:03These are very experienced movements from all over the world that bring here their specific
09:08territories and their specific action mechanisms that have to do with actions against climate
09:16change, that have to do with the production of food elements.
09:21They have been signaling, for example, the importance and the relevance of tax cuts worldwide.
09:29So that is what is being discussed here.
09:31And as of thinking these strategies, not only at a state level, but also at a social
09:39movement level and the ability of going back and forth from the governments that are leading
09:45this anti-imperialistic mechanism and the social movements on the territories, on the
09:51peoples around the world that are bringing in their power, their force, in order to make
09:57these social changes happen.
09:59So that is what we have here.
10:00Back to you, Luis.
10:01We'll continue having more information throughout the day.
10:06Thank you, Belen, for the latest information and for your guests for all his inputs here
10:09in From the South.