From: nar@
https://www.adbusters.org/blogs/manuel-castells-brazil.html
Manuel Castells on Brazil
Institutions are heeding to the streets.
Adbusters, 01 July 2013
Leading expert on contemporary social movements born in the internet,
the Spanish sociologist, Manuel Castells, says that driving the crisis
in Brazil shows that there is hope to reconnect citizens and
institutions. “Dilma is the first world leader,” he says, “to listen to
the streets.”
Castells, 68, was in Brazil attending a conference series when protests
by reducing bus fares started, in São Paulo. One of today's leading
experts on social movements in the Internet age, he could not imagine
that the whole country would be taken over by a wave of demonstrations
that would become the most important political manifestation of
Brazilian society in 20 years. “If you want change, only the Internet
criticism is not enough. You need to become visible, challenge the
established order and force a dialogue,” said the sociologist.
Castells analysed similar movements like the Arab Spring, Occupy the
United States, the Outraged in Spain, and now comes the defence of
Taksim Square in Turkey. With extensive and respected work on the role
of new information technologies and communication, the sociologist says
that the great strength of these movements is the absence of leaders and
sees a depletion of the current model of representation. Author of 23
books, he launches soon Outraged and Hope Network; Social Movements in
the Internet Age(Zahar Publisher). Castells was a professor at the
University of Berkeley, in California, for 24 years.
He currently lives in Barcelona, Spain, where he spoke to ISTOÉ by
email, and he is a professor at the Open University of Catalonia and the
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, in the United States.
ISTOÉ – You sr. were in Brazil when the first protests took place
in São Paulo. I could imagine that they would take this ratio?
Manuel Castells – Nobody could. But what I imagined, and researched
for several years, is that the crisis of political legitimacy and the
ability to communicate through the internet and mobile devices lead to
the possibility of spontaneous social movements that arise anytime and
anywhere. Because there are reasons for outrage everywhere.
ISTOÉ – Brazil has reduced much social inequality in recent years
and has full employment. How to explain dissatisfaction of this size?
Manuel Castells – The youth in São Paulo was explicit: “It's not
just about cents, it is about our rights.” It is a cry of “enough!” It
is against corruption, arrogance, and sometimes the brutality of its
police and politicians.
ISTOÉ – It makes sense to keep the streets if the problems of
health and education cannot be solved quickly, as the bus fare?
Manuel Castells – Firstly, the movement wants free transport
because it states the right to mobility is a universal right.The
transportation problems makes life in cities disgrace are a consequence
of speculation, which builds a irrational municipality, and local
planning bad, because of the subservience of the mayors and their teams
to the interests of the real estate market, not the citizens.
Furthermore, because of the mobilization, President Dilma Rousseff is
also proposing new investments in health and education. How long it
takes to get results, it's time to get started quickly.
ISTOÉ – President Dilma was right to speak to the nation on TV,
convene meetings with governors, mayors and protesters to propose a deal?
Manuel Castells – Yes, she is the first world leader to watch and
to listen to the demands of people in the streets. She showed that she
is a true democrat, but she is being stabbed in the back by traditional
politicians. José Serra’s Declarations (PSDB former governor criticized
the initiatives announced by the president) are typical of the lack of
accountability of politicians and misunderstanding the right people to
decide. The political positions are not owned by politicians. They are
paid by the citizens who elect them. And citizens will remember who said
what in this crisis when the election comes.
ISTOÉ – How to compare with the Brazilian movement that occurred in
the rest of the world?
Manuel Castells – There are million people protesting like that for
weeks and months in countries around the world. In the United States,
for example, over a thousand cities were occupied between September 2011
and March 2012. The difference is that Brazil has a democratic president
Dilma Rousseff and as a handful of truly democratic politicians such as
Marina Silva, is accepting the right of citizens to express themselves
outside the bureaucratic controlled channels. The true meaning of the
Brazilian movement is: it shows there still hope to reconnect citizens
and institutions, if there is goodwill on both sides.
ISTOÉ – What is the crucial factor to the success of these
movements started on the internet?
Manuel Castells – it resonate the demands for a large number of
people, there isn’t involvement of political leaders manipulating the
situation. People who feel strong support each other networking as
individuals, and not as masses that follow any flag. Each one has its
own movement. The police brutality also helps to spread the movement
through images on the Internet broadcast by mobile phones.
ISTOÉ – Why so many protests end in looting and vandalism? How to
prevent marginal take advantage of the movement?
Manuel Castells – There is violence and vandalism in society. It is
impossible to prevent them, although movements everywhere try to control
them because they know that violence is the most destructive force of a
social movement. Sometimes, in some countries, they are supported by
police provocateurs creating violence to delegitimize the movement.
ISTOÉ – How the police should act?
Manuel Castells – Intervene selectively, carefully, professionally,
only against the bullies and violent groups. Never, ever firing lethal
weapons, and restraining them from hitting indiscriminately on peaceful
protesters. Police is one of the reasons why people protest.
ISTOÉ – Is the absence of leaders weakens the movement?
Manuel Castells – Rather, it is the force of the movement. Everyone
is their own leader.
ISTOÉ – But does this not prevent the negotiation with the
political elite?
Manuel Castells – No, the proof is that the President Dilma
Rousseff met with some representatives ofthe movement.
ISTOÉ – What is the great strength and what is the great weakness
of these movements?
Manuel Castells – The great strength is that they are spontaneous,
free, and festive. It is a celebration of freedom. The weakness is not
theirs. The weakness is the stupidity and arrogance of the political
class that is insensitive to demands autonomous citizens.
ISTOÉ – In Brazil, political parties were banned demonstrations and
are those who see there is a danger of a coup. Does this concern make
any sense?
Manuel Castells – There is no danger of a coup. The corrupt and
undemocratic are already in power: they are the politicians.
ISTOÉ – How to solve the crisis of representativeness of the
political class?
Manuel Castells – It will be solved with political reform, with a
Constituent Assembly and with referendum. President Dilma Rousseff is
absolutely right, but in that sense she will be destroyed by her own
political base.
ISTOÉ – These manifestations articulated through social networks
demand a new form of citizen participation in decision-making processes
of the State?
Manuel Castells – Yes, this is the new form of political
participation emerging everywhere. I analyse this world in my latest book.
ISTOÉ – What is links among contemporary social movements?
Manuel Castells – the use of the internet, presence in urban space,
lack of leadership, autonomy, absence of fear, as well as coverage of
the whole society and not just a group. Largely movements are led by
youth and they are looking for a new democracy.
ISTOÉ – The Occupy movement in the U.S. was defeated by the arrival
of winter. What legacy has it left?
Manuel Castells – it left new values, a new consciousness for most
Americans.
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