참세상 국제포럼

 Overview

w         Title: Globalizing Social Transformation and Role of Alternative Media

w         Date: 31st March (Friday) to 1st April (Saturday) 2006

w         Organized by: People’s Media Chamsaesang (www.newscham.net)

w         Sponsored by: Internet Media Network

w         Venue: National Human Rights Commission auditorium, Seoul, Korea

 Background

w         Global Expansion of Anti-globalization Movements and Acceleration of Social Transformation

The Zapatistas uprising against the NAFTA in 1994 gave new impetus to a global movement against neoliberal globalization. The 1999 battle against the WTO in Seattle gave further justification to this movement through the collective resistance of the people against the WTO regime.

This ‘anti-globalization’ movement, with the development of the World Social Forum process, the global anti-war movement and international control of finance capital, is now growing into a movement for an alternative world with increasingly clearer view against capitalism and imperialism, and aiming for social transformation. Movements for alternatives are growing on local, national and regional levels, as can be seen in the spread of left governments in Latin America, which is showing new forms of social transformation on a national level.

On the other hand, in Korea, the movement against neoliberal globalization has grown, however, at the same time, the Noh Moo Hyun government is furthering neoliberal policies. The government’s policies are oriented towards further marketization and liberalization – as manifested by the recent announcement to start negotiating for a free trade agreement with US, which is expected to be challenged by movements.

w         Growth of Alternative Media as Dynamics of Movements for Alternatives and Social Transformation

The role of autonomous independent alternative grassroots media, as against mainstream media, was very important in the growth of the anti-globalization movement. In Seattle, an IMC was set up to tell the entire world what was happening, and many alternative media developed in many countries and continents to convey the live voices of the people.
As neoliberal globalization expands beyond economic issues to politico-military issues such as wars in Kosovo and Iraq, many alternative media also developed in the third world according to religion, language or culture, independently from western media.

w         Development of New Media and Expansion of Alternative Media

The development of internet and new media has led to development of variety of alternative media. Spaces for alternative media are opening up not only in the area of ‘old media’ such as newspapers and broadcasting, but also in the field of ‘new media’ based on the internet.

The formation of the WSF process, the global resistance against war and poverty, and the call for alternatives show that an alternative globalization is possible, necessary and imminent. Accordingly, alternative media must also strengthen international solidarity as part of the larger movement towards an alternative globalization – or globalizing of social transformation. It is too this end that this international forum seeks to share experiences of various forms of alternative media from different parts of the world, as well as trigger an in-depth analysis into tasks of media in order to promote ‘globalizing of social transformation’.