The conference was organised by ATTAC with the support of four other international networks: Coordination against MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) Clones, the Forum Mondial des Alternatives (Forum of International Alternatives), Committee For the Cancellation of Third World Debt and DAWN, a network of feminists from Third World countries.
The conference was attended by some 1100 people from 70 countries. Less than half the participants were French, and there were few from western Europe and North America. The best-represented counties were Brazil, South Africa, Senegal, Morocco, Philippines and South Korea
Delegates came from groups involved in struggles against Third World debt, International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural adjustment programs and neo-liberal economic policies.
The aims of the conference included exchange and analysis of opinions from campaigns by those confronted with the adverse consequences of economic and financial globalisation (such as economic insecurity, social inequality and the spread of poverty). Another aim was to help strengthen colaboration and solidarity between progressive forces around the world.
The conference aimed to develop a common international campaign of resistance to neo-liberal attacks and the dominance of the finance markets. The key international campaign demands agreed to were the abolition of Third World debt, suppression of tax havens, restructuring of international financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), taxation of financial speculation and opposition to multilateral free trade agreements (such as the Multilateral Agreement on Investment).
Before the conference there were regional caucuses for delegates from Latin America, Africa and Asia to develop better links between countries in each region. The Asian meeting included activists from Afghanistan, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.
The Asian caucus discussed forming an ongoing network. Several campaign ideas were tabled, such as for the cancellation of Third World debt and against the IMF, solidarity with the people of Indonesia, East Timor and Burma, including a "Put Suharto on trial" cam-
No independent ATTAC network was formed for the region, but the TransATTAC e-mail list will be used as a forum for colaboration and exchange
On the final day of the conference, participants joined other ATTAC members at a rally in Paris. The rally marched through the centre of the city behind the ATTAC banner which announced: "The dictatorship of financial markets? Another world is possible."
The slogans and chants centred on fighting back neo-liberal budget cuts, placing the taxation burden on the rich and financial institutions, and international solidarity.
The first coordinated international campaign is aimed at the new round of WTO negotiations at the end of July . An international week of protest is planned for October 12-17. Each country will decide the nature of the action to be undertaken during the week. A day of activities will be organised on 20 November, to mark the oppening of the Seattle WTO meeting to discuss a new Multilateral Agreement on Investment. A South-South meeting will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in November. A counter- summit will be organised at the G7 summit in Okinawa, Japan, in July 2000
Other activities include a Europe-wide "world petition" for taxation of financial speculation and the abolition of tax havens. This will be followed up with mobilisations. A demonstration is planned in Brussels in the spring of 2000. * This article first appeared in Green Left Weekly. Additional information from Serge Conrad (Inprecor 7/99) Contact: ATTAC, 9bis rue de Valence, 75005 Paris, France. <inter@attac.org>, <http://attac.org> Viva Mao?
Marxist-Leninist groups from several countries came together in Italy in August for an "Anti-imperialist summer camp for solidarity between the peoples." Participants included the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Communist Party of the Philippines, KMU, African Party for Democracy and Socialism (PADS, Senegal), Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKC, Turkey), Broad Construction Front for the National Liberation (FAC-MLN, Mexico), Communist Youth of Lebanon, Irish Republican Socialist Party, People's Liberation Front (JVP, Sri Lanka) People's Liberation Front (Polisario, West Sahara) and Sardigna Natzione. Contact ILC c/o RKL, Postfach 325, 1060 Wien, Austria. Fax: (+43 1) 504 00 10. E-mail: ilc@comports.com International Viewpoint #314 September 1999 35