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

2.2.3 Limits and unit

2.2.3.1 Illegitimate claims ?

In order to know the claims considered by surveyed the least legitimate as well as the limits of the speech that Attac can hold, according to them, into the company, we asked the people questioned to position with respect to a certain number of subjects. First of all, the boycott of Danone, which was very polemized seemed to be appropriate for such a test^235(*). The majority of surveyed (seven) is favorable to the boycott. It acts for them of a direct bond with the fundamental ones of Attac. For example, Fabien which locates its engagement like a refusal of the «road roller of the economy » the boycott as legitimate perceives because the dismissals of Danone are a new manifestation of the financial profitability against which fight, according to him, Attac. On the other hand Luc who has a trade-union last fort and which registers his engagement within the framework of the class struggle, does not perceive the boycott solely as one industrial dispute which would concern the trade unions, but also as a conflict which would oppose them « capitalists » with those which are excluded from it. He declares himself also favorable to a standpoint of Attac with respect to AVOIDS (Plane of assistance to the return to employment).

Two people interviewed declare themselves undecided on the question of the boycott. First of all, they doubt the effectiveness of this action; it acts for Laurent of an action which can have positive repercussions but which is not massive enough so that that calls into question the policy of the Danone group, while Isabelle fears the «opposite result » i.e. Danone in the car of the commercial and economic repercussions using a «super pub campaign ». From where its interrogation : « Is it necessary to speak about Danone, is necessary it not about it to speak? ». Moreover, they call in question the founded good and the legitimacy of this standpoint. Laurent estimates that the plan of dismissal does not lend to judgment since Danone acts, according to him, according to its «nature of company » while engaging and while laying off. He does not see there a drift of «financial profitability » as Fabien did it.^236(*) Isabelle criticizes this claim, on the one hand because it acts for her of a too spontaneous reaction and which was not sufficiently reflected, and on the other hand because it is about an action which would concern more the trade unions. It evokes moreover the situation of the university campus, where the Attac group invited the University canteens (RU) to boycott the Danone products. They organized besides on the occasion a distribution of leaflets fronts the RU in which Isabelle did not take part.

Fabien: Yes, there that appears to me still a little in optics. It is probable that if Danone laid off, it is for questions of financial profitability, to give satisfaction to the shareholders, to the funds of pension and all those which hold actions of the firm. One is nevertheless in the mobility of universalization. I think that Attac has its word to say.

Luc : Attac did not give an opinion compared to that and me I was so that one gives an opinion not compared to AVOIDS, and it is what was made previously for the dismissals afterwards, but compared to this analysis of the capacities which weigh on the employee [...] All that belonged to the same fight [...] I discussed it with Antoine, and one A concludes from it that it of which are against the intervention compared to AVOIDS there and even against the intervention and the position of Attac compared to Danone, by saying that one is making shade with the trade unions and that it is necessary to let the trade unions fight within the company. Whereas me, I say that if one exceeds the concept of corporatism one is located in the class struggle, because me for a long time I speak about class struggle, I think that Attac must be located within the framework of this fight of classes.

Laurent : The boycott of Danone for me that did not effleuré me the spirit. I on top do not have certainty, I do not know anything of it. I imagine that there are groups which need to adapt and to reorganize their structure and that passes by the removal of stations. It is necessary to take account of reality too. Boycotter Danone that amounts punishing them because they laid off people but one cannot request another thing from a company that it is a company and that it behaves like such. To make so that it is acceptable but it lays off and it has the right, it has the right to engage too. It is in its nature even of company. One cannot reproach a company for reorganizing. As they are companies of direct consumption, the weight of their image in terms of marketing is very important and that will oblige them to integrate in terms of human stock management the weight of this reality which touches them much. That can be useful so that that makes noise. But for my opinion that is not used for nothing because it would be necessary that it is massive so that they feel it in terms of sale. It is more one symbol. 

Isabelle : It is true that me, as I said it to you at the beginning, I badly do not put myself questions compared to the boycott and also compared to the boycott of the university canteen. I do not think that it is truly the role of Attac [...] It was a little the reaction of a trade union or a party. It is a too spontaneous reaction. Ideas were not really discussed. The question was not put if there were another longer-term solution, another action to be made, later on, which would be more interesting. It could relate to the whole of the multinationals and one would not be blocked on an example which already is very médiatisé. One could think of it [...] Then now, to see the way in which they launched out above, it is necessary to boycott the Danone products at the university canteen... I know well that that concerns the symbolic system but I wonder whether symbolically, one would not have to better do another thing. Because this boycott on Danone, it is a little as the premium with the pan of the politicians [...] It is for that that I was not to distribute the leaflet but that did not disturb me too much because I was not very motivated.

The constitution of a ' think tank ' on the topic of the women represents a polemical subject within the committee isérois. It proved that inquired were very divided on the position to adopt. Some estimate that this intervention and this reflection are completely legitimate within association (Francois, Cécile, Thomas), others estimate that that is coherent but that Attac must remain careful on this question because certain associations already exist and there is according to them a risk of overlapping (Luc, Julie), and finally, some do not see a bond with the fundamental ones of Attac, i.e. the fight against the speculation and the markets financial (Fabien, Laurent, Isabelle)^237(*). For Julie, who during maintenance declares herself very concerned by the situation of the women, the fact of creating a ' think tank ' appears legitimate to him because that corresponds to certain topics of Attac. She explains for example in what the women are particularly concerned by the repercussions of the problem of the debt of the poor countries. On the other hand, according to it, association can have on a topic like this one only one role of support. Fabien, which is implied very little in association, considers that this topic is not related to universalization. It estimates that other associations are present to deal with this question.

The same applies, according to Fabien, for the racism, which, in addition, often was evoked spontaneously by inquired during talks. Some inquired consider that this topic is not related to the claims of Attac and that association does not have to give an opinion above (Laurent, Fabien), others, on the contrary, estimate that racism is related in a direct or indirect way to universalization (Luc, Francois, Tomas). Among those Ci, two (Francois, Thomas) are former militants of Short-nap cloth the Face^238(*), and they perceive a continuity in their engagement. They are, in addition, of the militants or former militants of the LCR and have a very total vision of the problems. For example, Cécile estimates that it is possible to establish, indirectly, a bond between the Tobin tax and the problem of racism. This is why, engagement within Attac allows, according to it, of « to cause a broader reflection » and allows to lead to one « awakening » that these various claims are dependant.

Julie: « But there are fields in which Attac is not mobilized, not that the problem is not interesting. The problem of the debt of the Third World by report/ratio to which Attac is very important... This problem one can take it under the aspect of the women bus indeed that which one realizes, while working on the debt, it is that they are the women and the children who are the first reached by the suppression of education, health, the reduction in the public utility [...] One can tackle the problems under this angle and thus Attac can be only recipient of a certain manner, but there are also other associations which work there. Therefore, one can support but one is not driving. Compared to the walk of the women, Attac supported and took part in the call but Attac it was not driving of this problem. There are choices which are made and then there is also a certain number of associations which also exist and to support yes but replace not! 

F.E : But for example in the Isere group, a committee on the women was created. That shifted you together?

Fabien: Yes, I did not know it. I think that there are other authorities to deal with these questions there, that does not appear to me to go... That does not appear judicious to me [...] The sphere of activity that I see for Attac, it is all that is related in a narrow and significant way to universalization of the economy. [...] I think that Attac can also have some say on the working conditions. Then on the other hand the women, racism or sexuality, in my opinion it is not theirs field. 

F.E : A few moments ago you said to me that your antifascism had a relationship with your engagement...

Cecile: In fact, it is the fact of considering that an engagement on something of very particular like the antifascism or the anti-sexism can lead to a more total engagement. That has a relationship with what I think on engagement of Attac today because engagement on the tax leads to a total engagement [...] Between the Tobin tax and racism there is a step but the bond one can do it but that would be a quickly established link. Racism develops because people need to be an enemy because they are in a rather critical situation and their situation it is a situation of unemployment and of uncertainty and this one is generated by something to which belonged liberal universalization and what that can create on the social standing. It is very simplifying [...] I think that it is also compared to the awakening of the things and generally you will put that into practice and it is to put questions with people while trying to cause a reflection broader than simply the tax and not to arrive with a speech done everything in their saying that it is like that, it acts to cause a reflection among people while trying to advance the things.

François : Attac does not make antifascism, in any case not directly. And Short-nap cloth the Face does not make a fight against universalization. However there are things which gather. Short-nap cloth the Face will fight for without-papers and Attac as it is as there is some share, nevertheless a bond.

Luc : But, on another side, there are other associations which deal with the other things. For example when there are demonstrations against racism, the demonstration is not organized, but one will support and one will take part, but that will stop there. One will support all those which undergo the consequences of universalization. What occurs in the districts in difficulty, it is the result of universalization. It is not disconnected at all from our fight.

The majority of the people interviewed recognize that these claims (the boycott of Danone, the defense of the women's right, the judgment of racism) are legitimate and they are ready to defend them within Attac. On the other hand, they issue reserves on the negative impact that that can have on the movement. Laurent, who is a rather recent member (11/2000) and who has an engagement growing in association present a rather broad agreement with the claims carried but it is anxious for the possible consequences for association. It fears that a too important widening of the claims introduces lines of cleavage between the members and divides association. The question for him is to know if the fact of discussing many topics makes wrong to Attac or if it is on the contrary preferable to adopt a total position which is declined in many fields. Militant the older (Julie) evokes the fact that the committee isérois is challenged much by other associations to support actions or demonstrations. There is a risk according to it scattering, and it is important to limit the field of intervention of association.

Lastly, Fabien is astonished that the topic of biological agriculture was approached by the isérois group, and it deduces from it that there is a risk «to widen too much » and to find itself some weakened. It concludes by announcing that, if the continuous motion to widen, it would be necessary to modify the noun of it. That translated although association, in spite of its possible widenings, remains attached to its starting point (financial transactions) and that certain consequences of universalization could not be approached in its center. What implies these three examples it is that Attac would have a unit which it is a question of preserving intact. It is it which would define by negative the limits not to cross. It is a question of seeing how the members represent the identity of Attac.

Laurent : The tax Tobin it is the reform which is carried in standard in the movement and it is the base which gave him birth. After, all the remainder that comes like when one draws the mesh from a sweater, all the remainder comes [...] Yes it is very broad and that it is annoying. Me that annoys me a little because precisely, in fact movements are a little the same generation, which resembles each other between them. [...] I do not know if the goal of the play is to have a total speech and to have something to say especially or if there is necessary to remain really specific on certain topics. Perhaps that one is mislaid [...] But that will pose problem because the more you speak about subjects and the less people agree on all the subjects and it is logical. If there is only one claim which is posted, all people who adhere agree with this claim, but if that globalize then there is necessarily moments when as in a political party, there are certain people who dispute. 

F.E : You think that there are limits on the subjects which can be discussed in Attac?

Julie: I think that it is necessary that Attac remains in... One calls upon Attac for enormously of things, because there are many members and that that moves... With the limit one asks him to take part in enormously of things and there is indeed the risk as that while being mobilized for enormously things, as one loses of it also the shape of gasoline, of identity. I think that is needed that Attac is limited, it cannot take part in all, he cannot mobilize himself on all and cannot intervene on all. For the moment it is not yet too the case. There are surely heaps of topics on which Attac could not intervene.

Fabien: Me that does not obstruct me that Attac supports other claims. They perhaps were a little bit far. In Isere, I learned that they started to speaking about biological agriculture... Good... One should not too much be diluted either. Because when one is diluted too much, one loses a little his force. That one widens a little bit the platform, that appears at the same time desirable to me and inevitable, but one should not too much widen bus if not, after Attac is likely to speak about all and nothing. Or then it would be necessary straightforwardly that they modify name and that it is « Association counters excesses of universalization » or something like that.

* ²³⁵ We knew that certain members (by the means of Internet site Attac talk) rejected the participation of Attac in the boycott, generally because of the risk of amalgam with the role of the trade unions.

* ²³⁶ One can notice that Laurent during maintenance expresses on several occasions his refusal of épidermiques reactions too much the «  » and too «brutal  ». It would seem that it included the boycott in those Ci.

* ²³⁷ These three members are those which we considered in introduction the least implied into the committee isérois. One can suppose that the assimilation of the claims would progress in an increasing way with integration of the individuals to association. The implication of the members would then account for the difference of the points of view.

* ²³⁸ Short-nap cloth the Face, is defined as a «Network of fight antifascist  » which was founded in 1996 by a text of call writing by Gilles Perrault entitled «  the Call of the 250  ». The network gathers more than one hundred collectives in France around a charter, in which figure the common objective to defend  : «  Present on all the grounds where develops the extreme line ideology, these committees, networks or simple militant teams chose to fight [for] to analyze the reasons of this rise to power of the national Face  ». The movement is not limited to the National Face and was extended to other claims such as the fight against the laws Pasqua, the fight against any policy or racist act, the defense of the women's rights, in particular the right to the abortion, the fight against unemployment, regarded as the «manure on which the ideas of the national Face thrive  ». Inquired insist on the fact that the organization of Short-nap cloth the Face is much more «loose  » that that which governs Attac since the whole of the actions decide between the collectives and that the national occupies a place much more reduced there. In the same way, according to them, the relations are much more abstract there