by Singy Hanyona in Porto Alegre, Brazil – SANF 05 no 07
After setting the mood and gathering the momentum for the fifth World Social Forum (WSF), participants to this year’s forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil have begun discussions on the pertinent issues affecting civil society across the world.
Discussions are focusing on various areas including human rights, environmental justice, privatisation of water, debt, poverty, public services, and corporate power. As many as 100,000 participants from political and social groups meeting from 26-31 January are expected to share a common belief in the forum’s slogan that “Another World is Possible”.
Of interest to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are campaigns calling for sub-Saharan Africa to reject neo-liberal policies, the plunder of natural resources and the negative effects of globalisation, which are causing deterioration in the welfare of people in the region.
Another issue is the engagement of social movements in calling for total debt cancellation for African countries, non-exploitation of natural resources and fair trade.
Several civil society groups from southern Africa are represented at the forum giving them an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with their counterparts from all over the world.
“It is important for non-governmental organisations from SADC member countries, to interact and learn from global experiences in order for us to redefine our mission, revisit our strategies and reflect on our actions,” said Emmanuel Mutamba, Team Director of the Green Living Movement (GLM), a Zambian environmental pressure group.
The forum should put forward practical solutions and innovations that are applicable and relevant to the developing world, as theoretical resolutions that are not backed by an implementation plan will not be beneficial, said Mutamba.
Delegates from developing countries have expressed the need for their countries to design their own policies and put an end to principles and strategies imposed by international financial institutions.
It is expected that delegates representing Africa will challenge policy makers to put people first and profit last. As a follow up to the Africa Social Forum (ASF), held in Zambia in December 2004, some groups at the WSF are expected to raise concerns on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and the African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Under the EPAs, ACP countries will open their markets for EU products and services, and negotiate new agreements on investment, competition, government procurement, and trade facilitation. Negotiations for EPAs are currently taking place at a regional level where the focus is on the regional groups such as SADC.
Discussions on the role of the media in social development are also taking place in the form of the Information and Communication World Forum (ICWF).
The increasing concentration and homogenisation of the media, dismantling of public media, radio and television, are also on the forum agenda. Various proposals will be put in place to correct the situation, which goes from self-regulation of journalists, legislation to defending information pluralism.
The views of civil society groups at the WSF are being expressed through activities such as seminars, exhibitions, music, workshops, drama and demonstrations.
The WSF is not an organisation or a united front platform, but an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo-liberalism.
The first three editions of the World Social Forum took place in Porto Alegre, in January 2001, 2002, and 2003, during the same period as the World Economic Forum (WEF) of international business which occurs in Davos, Switzerland.
The WSF was developed as a consequence of a growing international movement in opposition to policies of international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. (SARDC)
