Never before has the idea of democracy enjoyed the global dominance it holds today, but neoliberalism has left the practice of democracy in deep crisis. Marianne Maeckelbergh argues that the most promising model for global democracy is not coming from traditional political parties or international institutions, but from the global networks of resistance to neoliberal economics, known collectively as the Alter-globalisation movement. Through extensive ethnography of decision-making practices within these movements, Maeckelbergh describes an alternative form of global democracy in the making. Perfect for activists and students of political anthropology, this powerful and enlightening book offers radical changes. 'Fifty years from now, this book may well be looked back on as having opened an entire new chapter in the history of democratic thought. It certainly deserves to' - Dr David Graeber, Reader in Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, University of London 'A sophisticated analysis of the alter-globalisation movement from the perspective of a well-connected insider' - C. J. MacKenzie, University of Lethbridge reviewing for Choice Marianne Maeckelbergh is lecturer in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University, Netherlands and received her PhD from the University of Sussex. She has 15 years experience as an activist, organising and facilitating exactly the decision-making processes that lie at the heart of her study. Her other research interests include anthropological approaches to 'identity', 'personhood' and 'agency' in a context of global flows and urban social movements in India. The Will of the Many How the Alterglobalisation Movement is Changing the Face of Democracy By Marianne Maeckelbergh Pluto Press Copyright © 2009 Marianne Maeckelbergh All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7453-2925-3 Contents Series Preface, Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviations, Introduction: The Unglamorous Side of Glory, The Road to Seattle, Ethnography of a Global Social Movement, Democracy in Social Movements, 1 Horizontal Armies and Vertical Networks, 2 Turning Dreams into Reality, 3 Creating Conflictive Spaces, 4 Reinventing Democracy, 5 Resisting Unity Through Networks, Conclusion: Taking Their Time, Slowly, Slowly, Long Life, Decentralised Network Democracy, Social Change, Other Worlds, Notes, Bibliography, Index, CHAPTER 1 HORIZONTAL ARMIES AND VERTICAL NETWORKS We, the international working group on resistance against the next G8, are just a group of people sitting in a field, wanting to change the world. (International Working Group on Resistance Against the G8 2007) Anti-summit Mobilisations An Army Descends I am stood with an umbrella, holding it above the head of an activist who is 'locked on' outside the Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base. We have been here for over five hours in the burning sun, and everyone is starting to wonder why. I am the one holding the umbrella because the person locked on has both of his arms locked inside two metal tubes through which he is attached to five other people. Together they form a circle, lying on the ground, chained to each other in front of the Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base. It is day one of a week of protests organised against the 2005 G8 summit in Scotland. The blockades have been scheduled to last until 5 p.m., but there is still an hour to go and many people have already gone home. We would really like to go home too and are thinking of giving up, but just before the pressure of the day takes its toll, we are swept away to an alternative universe. Suddenly, as if out of thin air, an army appears. Yes, an army, but this is not your average army. This army has red noses and is wearing mismatched furry pink and green fatigues. They stand in formation in front of the blockade announcing that they have come as part of operation 'HA, HA, HAA' (Helping Authorities House Arrest Half-witted Authoritarian Androids) as they laugh in unison. General Mayhem (or was it Kolonel Klepto?) rings his whistle and the troops stand tall, saluting him with their thumbs to their nose and wiggling their fingers. Then, they break formation and start to run everywhere chaotically. These clown-soldiers each take an umbrella and hold it above the activists lying on the ground, telling jokes and making everyone laugh. Other clowns are performing a military stand- up comedy act as the deep sound of drums swells in the distance. Slowly, the rhythm of the 'samba band' draws nearer. When they finally arrive at the gate, the pink-and-silver clad dancers swirl through the clown army, and the pink, camouflaged clowns dance with the samba band to the Brazilian beats in an unchoreographed but synchronised routine. The entire space is transformed from a hot, empty, exhausted moment to the centre of an absurdly surreal world of laughter and music. In this chapter I present a small portion of some of the actors I met during my fi