The third Cairo anti-war conference opens tonight. Wael Gamal reports "As the struggle of the Iraqi and Palestinian peoples enters a new and decisive phase, it is now more important than ever for international social movements to meet with those in the Arab world and for us to renew and reinforce our endeavours to oppose economic and military forms of imperialism." This is how the call for participation, signed by Egyptian and international figures and organisations and published on the British Stop the War Coalition site, summed up the rationale of the 3rd Cairo Conference which opens tonight for four days at the Egyptian Press Syndicate. This year, the conference's slogan is "Solidarity with the Resistance in Palestine and Iraq..Against Globalization, Imperialism and Zionism.' There are many reasons why these particular regional issues, which have been a focus of the international anti-war movement, are still at the centre of attention. "The militarisation of globalisation and mounting violence ó whether on the part of ruling regimes or counter violence exercised through terrorism ó is not only a regional reality," remarked prominent Egyptian economist and activist Samir Amin, who will be speaking in tonight's opening session. Such an alliance ó bringing together the international anti-capitalism and anti-war movement and the embryonic Arab movement ó was also the feature of the first two conferences organised by the International Campaign against United States and Zionist Occupations over the past two years. This year, the relationship is taking a different course. When the group previously known as the International Campaign against US Aggression, organised its first Cairo conference in December 2002, just before the American invasion of Iraq, the prominence of the event was marked by the eminent nature of its foreign attendees. People such as former Algerian president Ahmed Ben Bella, former US Attorney-General Ramsey Clark, British MP George Galloway, and two former senior UN representatives, Denis Halliday and Hans von Sponeck were amongst the 400 that attended. It was the same case in last year's conference which attracted 800 participants. This year, the nature and number of foreign participation has been transformed and expanded. Some well-known public figures remain, including Galloway and Lindsey German from the leadership of the Stop the War Coalition as well a number of members of the European parliament. But this time, a significant number of rank and file activists representing social movements in countries from different parts of the world including India, South Africa, Brazil, the US and Europe are involved. Arab participation is also large. Yehia Fikri, one of the organisers, regards the event as tantamount to a forum rather than a political conference that is open to all political and civil society forces. Like the World Social Forum in Porto Allegre, Brazil, the conference brings together a range of events organised independently by different organisations and committees as wide and varied as the Arab World Media centre, the Centre for Socialist Studies, Egyptian women's organisations, the Syndicate of Pharmacists, the Union of Egyptian Peasants, the Arab Committee Against the Zionist Project, Arab Doctors Unions and the Nadim Centre for rehabilitation of victims of violence and torture. This is also reflected in the different political orientations which range from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to the radical leftist Revolutionary Socialists. The themes of anti-war and anti-imperialism now coincide with questions of democratic change. "Democratic change is not alien to anti-capitalist and anit-war movements," argued Amin, "the events of the last two decades, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, along with the domination of the neo-liberal recipe has brought about a democracy crisis all over the world. Democracy without social gains lacks legitimacy, making democratic change a genuine demand on peoples' agenda all over the world." On this basis, the conference has scheduled discussions on subjects addressing a number of topics which relate to the issue of democracy, in particular: change in Egypt, support for democratic struggles amongst the Arab peoples, popular resistance against corruption as well as forums for students, workers and peasants. The issue of democracy is also seen as vital to the construction of an anti-capitalist and anti-war movement in Egypt in particular. Gamal Sedqi, a member of the Anti-Globalisation Egyptian Group (AGEG) claims that this "is the main reason behind the lag we are experiencing in the Egyptian movement". Sedqi rejects accusations that the failure of AGEG to build a wide popular movement is due to the elitist nature of the matter which cannot adequately mobilise Egyptians. "We are fighting for the daily needs and concerns of ordinary people," he said. Issues like wages, prices, medicine and monopoly are by no means elitist. Moreover, the rising tide of workers and peasants struggles, Sedqi added, has been apparent over the last few months. "The problem is that we are not allowed to organise popular meetings or demonstrations. The country has been ruled by emergency laws since 1981."
