Summer in the City:
Universal Forum of Cultures - Barcelona 2004
by Steffani Jemison

Meanwhile, a group of Spanish citizens opposed to the Forum (called Assembly of Resistance to the Forum) argues that “peace” and “diversity” whitewash the city's efforts to earn more money with tourism. Finally, many of the forum's corporate sponsors have demonstrated less than stellar commitments to peace and sustainability. One of the sponsors, Indra, is the larger weapons manufacturer in Spain (number one client: the U.S. government), and several other sponsors are involved in the Spanish arms industry.

While the protests are serious, they have to be considered in perspective. After all, a giant real-estate scam could have been accomplished equally well with a summer-long festival organized around a pro-war agenda, for example, rather than pro-peace. For that matter, the music honchos could have booked Eminem instead of Bob Dylan. Instead, organizers hope to show that peace, sustainability, and cultural diversity are good investments, marketable enough to a broad international audience to be worth sinking a few billion dollars into (the total budget of the event, including public and private money spent developing the conference site, is a staggering 3 billion dollars).

Reports from the field are mixed, so far. Some parts of the Forum seem under-promoted, like the very first “Dialogue” with King Philip of Spain, which ended up more like a “Monologue,” because nobody showed up (and because it's the King of Spain, and everyone was too friggin' scared to talk to him—wouldn't you be, too?).

Other projects seem poorly planned, and even at odds with the Forum's own self-stated goals: Why have a giant festival about equality and world peace, but make the ticket price so expensive that most people can't afford it? Especially since ticket holders can't leave and re-enter the festival grounds, and were originally barred from bringing their own food and drink. But administrators have been flexible, open to finding new solutions to policies that aren't working (for example, they're now allowing food and drink to be brought onto festival grounds)—which means that there's nowhere to go but up.

For those of you who are thinking of dropping by Barcelona for a little summer siesta : as you can imagine, there are literally gazillions of activities going on every day—way too many to list here. But make sure you check out “Inhabiting the World” an exhibit devoted solely to sustainability. Occupying an astounding 15,500 square feet, the multimedia exhibition will include sustainability model proposals considered on a variety of levels, from the local, to the metropolitan, to the global. Coolest of all, it's located in a building of which is itself an example of sustainability, using the cool subsoil below the marina to power a natural air-conditioning system.

In addition, Víctor Farré Ballarín with the Forum management, has offered Pop Sustainability's supporters a special invitation: "Visit Barcelona 2004 if you looking for creative ways to support sustainability because the Forum is new and daring. You will find creativity and genius in the performances, the exhibitions and the architecture. And all this in one place, Barcelona!! Next to the Mediterranean!"

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