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.
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