UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

2 the associative share of engagement

« « To find a form of association which defends and protects from all the common force the person and the goods of each associate, and by which each one, being linked with all, however obeys only itself, and remains as free as before. » Such is the fundamental problem whose social Contract gives the solution. The clauses of this contract are determined so much by the nature of the act, that the least modification would make them vain and of no effect »

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Of the social contract, I, CH 6.

Attac, is an association of law 1901. However, in the beginning, the proposal of Ramonet which was published in the Diplomatic World evoked the constitution of a nongovernmental Organization (ONG). Thus it suggested in December 1997 of « to create, on the planetary scale, the organization nongovernmental Action for a Tobin tax of assistance to the Attac- citizens »^173(*). During the meeting which take place the 16/03/1998 between the future founder members the project of an ONG had still been evoked^174(*). However, the project of an ONG was transformed into May 1998 in one « international association »^175(*). At the time of the deposit of the statutes, it « With » of the acronym which referred initially to « Action » from now on it meant « Association ». Thereafter, the idea of an ONG was not evoked any more officially. Bernard Cassen pointed out, at the time of the turnover of February 17, 1999, that Attac was not an ONG but one « French organization internationalist »^176(*). At the time of AG 1999, it was specified that in the long term, « it is possible to build, with others, large the ONG international which will be able to express the needs for the people, to be opposed to the dictatorship markets, to show that « another world is possible »^177(*). According to this document of the office, the idea of an ONG would remain the set aim. It acts, moreover, of a claim which is supported by certain members. They propose that Attac becomes an ONG so that, for example, it is possible to fiscally deduce the donations which are made. Perhaps the associative form has T it privileged because of its flexibility ? It is imprudent to speculate in the fact that Attac became an association and that the preliminary draft of ONG failed. However, in what the engagement of surveyed has T it a bond with the associative form of the movement ?. It is necessary for that to identify the representation of the associative form, such as it appears during talks.

2.1 Associative virtues

Martine Barthélémy explains the passion for associative engagement by the fact that association represents a whole of values near the militants. The principal virtue of association would be freedom. The concept of freedom covers two phenomena here. Association would be, first of all, the organization in which the member would have an additional liberty of action in comparison with the more hierarchical forms (political trade unions and parties). It is about « personal freedom whose associative step allows the expression »^178(*). In addition, association would be perceived, contrary to the structures partisanes, like a mode of organization facilitating the diversity of the opinions. It is the idea of one « right of the association, founded on « pluralism » and it « diversity » of the ideas which exchange themselves there and the individuals who meet there »^179(*). What within Attac Isere happenhappens ? In what the engagement of surveyed has T it a bond with the associative form of the movement ? Y has to you it a homogeneous representation of the association among those Ci, which would be similar to that that Martine Barthélémy describes ?

2.1.1 An additional liberty of action

2.1.1.1 The refusal of a hierarchical and centralized operation

First of all, inquired are rather refractory with the trade unions and the political parties, have regard to their centralism. It acts according to them, of organizations which are generally « bureaucratic » and « centralized ». Luc, who militated since the Seventies in CFDT, considers it regrettable that a dualism growing appeared within the trade unions between « base » and it « head ». In addition, it is defined, him even, like one « militant at the base » and states to have tried to work until its resignation with « the base ». Its trade-union participation remained primarily on the level of its company. At the end of its militancy, it considers that CFDT to him forever truly given its support, and that it was limited to perceive the contributions. Luc estimates that the trade-union persons in charge are not located in a strategy of defense of paid but which they are « include in the problems of being able ». He declares, in addition, during maintenance, that the originality of Attac is to be outside the problems of being able, i.e. in position of « countervailing power ». Laurent also perceives this cut between the militants and the persons in charge within the political parties. The parties do not correspond to « movements of ideas » but with « stables » in favor of the leaders. Laurent remains perplexed in front of the fact that certain individuals can militate in the parties since they do not have any direct benefit to expect some.

Some inquired reject the structure trade-union and political because they criticize its vertical mode of organization where « base » is deprived of a reality capacity^180(*). Stanislas Varennes, during a study devoted to the associative militancy, could notice that the people who privilege the associative structure wish, above all, a mode of engagement which goes against the trade-union or political centralism. It would be about « to mitigate the defeat of the representative democracy by the development of « participative democracy » »^181(*). Vis-a-vis the rigidity of the trade-union and political structures, organized in a vertical way the associative model is presented like a flexible and not hierarchical structure, making it possible each one to take part^182(*). What on the level of engagement within Attac happenhappens ?

Luc : It is there that I realized of a certain number of problems which arise for the trade-union level... Finally it is an analysis of the company which I make when I say that. On the one hand, between the trade-union specialists who are with the head and bases, there are specialists who transformed themselves into experts and who do not take account of the base at all [...] The trade unions are more and more in a néo-liberal position, they are completely integrated into the system. Because people who are with the head of the trade unions, I speak about the majority trade unions and I do not speak solely about CFDT, they are people who are included in the problems of being able, which fight and which discuss with the policies but like the policies!

Laurent : It is a question of people because the policy in general that challenges me and until now I had never crossed the step to adhere a movement. The political movements are for me a little too many the stables, it does not seem to me that are movements of ideas. In any case I would not find to really militate for a party [...] Then me of the blow I would like to speak with militants about the socialist party to know why they militate on their level, it wet their shirt, they will stick leaflets whereas directly they do not have anything to gain there... Except so really they believe in the person... Perhaps that it is that.

* ¹⁷³ Ramonet (Igniacio), «  To disarm the markets  », art.cit, appendix n°10, p. 26

* ¹⁷⁴ A article published in the Diplomatic World summarizes the conclusions of this meeting  : «  The meeting highlighted the very strong interest for the creation of this ONG international answering the intended aims by Igniacio Ramonet in its leading article of December 1997  ». «  Attac  », The diplomatic World, 04/1998, p. 2.

* ¹⁷⁵ «  Attac  », The diplomatic World, 05/1998, p. 14.

* ¹⁷⁶ Cf, Attac France, Report of the turnover of the 17/02/1999.

* ¹⁷⁷Cf, Chantal Aumeran, Pierre Tartakowsky, management Report, General meeting of Attac Ciotat, October 23, 1999.

* ¹⁷⁸ Barthelemy (Martine), associations  : a new age of the participation, op.cit, p. 222.

* ¹⁷⁹ Ibid, p. 222.

* ¹⁸⁰ Jacques Ion indicates these criticisms by the term of denunciation of «  practical of apparatuses  ». He notices, moreover, that a semantic change of the term «  apparatus  » place had. It is equipped today with a pejorative connotation. It would be connected with what concerns «  surface and of the rigid one  ». Ion (Jacques), end of the militants, op.cit, p. 67.

* ¹⁸¹Pallard (Jacques), «  Social reports/ratios, political strategies and community life  », Sociology of work, n°3, 07-09/1981, p. 323. City in Varennes (Stanislas), associative militancy  : to take part differently, op.cit.

* ¹⁸² Philippe Theyr notes that one of the virtues principal such organizations [associations] would be to be strongly mobilizing, while being slightly treated on a hierarchical basis and constraining  » in Theyr (Philippe), «  Reflections on the associative development  », Re-examined social economy, 04-06/1985, p.130. City in Varennes (Stanislas), op.cit.