“Democracy of the 21st Century”- Latin Waves interview with Judy Rebick, Jorge Martin and Maria Paez

Another interesting interview from Sylvia Richardson, host of Latin Waves on CJSF (90.1 FM/ 93.9 cable FM). In this program Sylvia interviews 3 activists known for their commitment to social justice. The interview focuses on the idea of genuine democracy, as opposed to the 18^th Century idea of "Democracy" in which the economic interests of a minority of individuals decide the course of human societies; a form of democracy in which privatizations, deregulation and profit making characterize government priorities, in conflict with the needs and desires of the majority.

Sylvia interviews Judy Rebick, well known author and social justice activist; Jorge Martin, the International Secretary of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign, and Maria Paez, a retired Venezuelan Canadian sociologist and activist with the Louis Riel Bolivarian circle in Toronto, Canada.

The interviews cover the spectrum of positions, from gradual reformism offered by Ms. Rebick as a transformational process where new and community based alternatives exist side by side with the old until gradually replacing them; to a revolutionary perspective offered by Jorge Martin who points out that genuine democracy requires, in the first place, economic democracy. The commentators discuss various examples that can be seen in the revolutionary processes underway in Latin America, as well as the challenges confronting working people in building an alternative to the gross failures of Capitalism as an economic, and political model.

As well as discussion how new democratic structures will come to replace the old, the question is posed of how we can build these alternatives and what is required. In this context the idea of class consciousness is broached. A key to the movement of the revolutionary masses in Latin America, Ms. Paez reveals this as a key to building a movement for the transformation of the Canadian state as well.

Insightful contributions from all three commentators that leaves room for discussion and debate on why, and how, a successful move towards a genuine democracy, a socialist democracy, in the 21^st century is possible.

Part 1

{mp3remote}http://www.cjsf.ca/vanilla_archives/2008_August_30_08_00.mp3{/mp3remote}

Part 2

{mp3remote}http://www.cjsf.ca/vanilla_archives/2008_August_30_08_30.mp3{/mp3remote}

Part 3

{mp3remote}http://www.cjsf.ca/vanilla_archives/2008_August_30_09_00.mp3{/mp3remote}

Part 4

To download the audio file click on part 1, part 2, part 3 or part 4 with your right mouse button and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As".

• Jorge Martin Interview for CJSF radio (August 26, 2008)
• Canadian radio station interviews Jorge Martin (May 1, 2008)