TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVIST NETWORKS: AGAINST NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION AND FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE WORLD By Ruth Reitan Submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In International Relations Diane Singermi — r Julie Mertus <? 60 Q ^ro 6- ean of College or School / 3 , — 7 Date / 2006 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 3 rn * AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3207289 Copyright 2006 by Reitan, Ruth All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. 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A key question, and yet one that is not often asked in studies of the so- called ‘global justice’ movement, is: ‘how are coalitions formed at a scale that is much greater than the local interpersonal networks that compose these coalitions?’ . For many observers, it is as if ‘globalization’ automatically produces ‘resistance’. Sidney Tarrow, “Confessions of a Recovering Structuralist” Over the last two decades country after country adopted the structural adjustment programs proscribed by the IMF. But in every country, people are now reeling under the disastrous impact of the World Bank, WTO and IMF triumvirate. So the resistance is also building up. W. R. Varada Raj an, World Social Forum (WSF) delegate What exists for the majority of people that are here is that capitalism, this capitalism no longer works for the great majority of countries. It does not offer dignified conditions for most of us; only for some, and all the time fewer. .. Therefore, people are seeking an alternative that, paradoxically, globalizes in the reverse. Comite Mercosur de Organizaciones de Trabajo Social, WSF delegate We believe that the forum attracts so many people because . of neoliberal politics globalized in the entire world that creates exclusion, illiteracy, brain drain, infant mortality. All the human rights that the last generation fought for are being violated by . the neoliberal economic model. Now, this model that is globalizing itself... is fracturing at all sides because of the great amount of social exclusion, because the communities that protest are hungry and are everyday growing. This is demonstrated by the number of people here. They are representatives of all the countries where neoliberalism has played havoc. They are demonstrating that there are new social protagonists, and the people go out to the streets in order to be heard. Sometimes, the governments will listen to them. If they don’t listen, we will continue fighting. Madre de la Plaza de Mayo, WSF delegate We all want, what it says there in the slogan, that another world is possible. Aldo Caliari, WSF delegate Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVIST NETWORKS: AGAINST NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION AND FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE WORLD By Ruth Reitan ABSTRACT This dissertation addresses why and how a shift to the transnational level is occurring among activist networks, what are their changing compositions and characters, and what is the role of the World Social Forum (WSF) in this transnationalizing process. It uses an extended case method of semi-structured interviews and theory-driven participant observation to compare four networks targeting the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization (WTO) as propagators of neoliberal globalization: the Jubilee anti-debt networks, the Via Campesina peasant farmers and Our World Is Not For Sale which both target the WTO, and the anti-capitalist Peoples’ Global Action. First, in amending McAdam, Tarrow and Tilly’s scale shift process from their Dynamics o f Contention, this work shows that networks follow a similar trajectory in “going global”: broad change process and triggers of neoliberal globalization spark localized action, the realization of the need to go global, relational and non-relational diffusion and brokerage, frame alignment, a shift in objects and claims, the attribution of worthiness, interconnectedness, or similarity, leading to solidarity and, finally, transnational collective action. Second, in analyzing networks’ compositions and characters vis-a-vis proximity to the problem, affective response, type of solidarity evoked, network model, operational paradigm, and claims, this work identified a trend away from altruistic solidarity and toward, first, identity-based solidarity shared among those immediately affected by neoliberal change and, second, reciprocal solidarity based on empathy and perceived interconnectedness. Identity-based solidarity networks eschew a centralized, NGO advocacy model and rather are hybrids that adopt features of horizontal, direct activism social justice networks, making bivalent claims of economic redistribution and cultural recognition, and bridging the reformist-transformational divide with transitional ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. paradigms. Finally, the WSF was found to be fertile ground to nourish and strengthen individual networks, a common ground for cooperative action among them, and a battleground over the future of the forum process and the global “network of networks” itself. The process and outcome of this cooperation and competition will greatly impact the character of the WSF, the emergent network of networks, and “other possible worlds” in the making. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their careful reading, thoughtful comments, and guidance through this process, I would like to thank Paul Wapner, Diane Singerman, Julie Mertus, Barry Gills, Sidney Tarrow, Louis Goodman, and Robin Broad. I would also like to thank those scholars and activists who have shared their thoughts on my work and publications of their own, including Teivo Teivanen, Peter Waterman, Jackie Smith, Jan Aart Scholte, John Cavanagh, Bob Edwards, Andreas Bieler, Jim Mittelman and Patrick Jackson. To my friends, Amal Khoury, Anne-Claire Hervy, Elisabeth Michelon, and Felipe Agiiero for helping with translations. To all of the activists who gave me their time and attention to participate in interviews, surveys, and conversations at the social forums, street protests and WSF international council meetings, that was truly invaluable. My sincere apologies for any omissions or misunderstandings. And to the alternative media activists, including those working with indymedia, truthout.org, wikipedia and all those doing the thankless job of posting to activist websites: consider yourselves greatly thanked. This sort of research could not be done without all of you. Finally, this book is dedicated to my husband, Andreas Neufeld, whose love and support make my world possible. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................................................xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.....................................................................................................................................xiii LIST OF ACRONYMS...............................................................................................................................................xiv Chapter 1. THE GLOBALIZATION OF NEOLIBERALISM AND OF ACTIVISM: AN INTRODUCTION 1 Focus of Inquiry and Statement of Research Questions ................................................................................... 1 Neoliberal Globalization: An Overview ............................................................................................................. 2 The Debate over Neoliberal Globalization .........................................................................................................4 Distinguishing Global Activists from Transnational Civil Society ................................................................8 The Rise and Scope of Transnational Left Activism