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Reports from Porto Alegre | 30-01-03
Reports from Porto Alegre
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 Workers Party supporter at Porto Alegre Photo: Ian Nixon |
Approximately, 100,000 participants at the 3rd World Social Forum gathered together in Porto Alegre, Brazil to discuss critical issues affecting people and the planet. Whether it be human rights, environmental justice, water, debt, poverty, public services, corporate power or food sovereignty, all the participants shared a common belief in the forum’s slogan that ‘Another World is Possible’.
To find out more about the meeting, see:
The official World Social Forum website
Towards Porto Alegre
Terra Viva
OneWorld Special Coverage of the WSF
See also previous NI coverage including:
The recent regional meetings such as the Asia Social Forum and Europe Social Forum and our own Katharine Ainger's report from the 2nd World Social Forum
Hannah
Crabtree from Action Aid has submitted the following interviews.
For more interviews, visit the Action
Aid website.
Jorge Manio
Salazan, CIDECA,
Guatemala.
I have come
to the Social Forum as it is important to strengthen the world social movement.
The presence of many different countries is important as we all have different
views. I think we need to be part of a huge movement in which our views can
be heard.
Unfair trade is one of the key issues for me as it is having a very big impact on the people I work with. The US is currently trying to expand its market into Guatemala. For local farmers the cost of producing 100 pounds of corn is 70 quetzals, corn from the US costs 35. There are two reasons why US prices are cheaper. Firstly the farmers have much better machinery in the US, secondly their government gives them subsidies so that they can sell their goods much cheaper. I am not totally against subsidies but I think it is unfair that Guatamalans get nothing.
The environment is also an issue I feel strongly about. In my country we do not have pollution standards and there is no protection for consumers.
It has been very interesting for me with some of the Central American networks. The Social Forum has given us the chance to talk to different organisations and exchange our views. For me the important issues are to do with trade - how to fight the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the workings of the WTO.
This meeting has been very useful to tie different areas of knowledge and exchange opinions and experiences and share the dream that another world is possible.
 100,000 people attended this year's Forum Photo: Ian Nixon |
Every event makes me shake. A talk was given by the Minister for Economics from Cuba and activist Susan George about multilateral financing institutions. The Minister had a very sad conception of the world. I felt that these people are clear about where the world is going but they feel that there is no solution. The capitalist crisis is so deep that the political elite seem unable to resolve it other than with violence and oppression.
Susan George pointed out that big financial organizations earn $40,000 million every day. That is the amount it would take to feed, educate and give healthcare to everyone in the world for one year.
I think if we want to bring about change we have to be very serious. We have to have many skills and resources. We have to have the spirit to fight, if we do not it will be very difficult. In my life I think I will see poverty increase but if we start now and try and change the behaviour of people maybe in twenty or thirty years my sons and daughters will see change. We cannot give up on the struggle, we must keep going. We can make simple changes to improve things.
I have learnt many good lessons from this meeting that I will take home to Central America. I also had the chance to network with other people from my region and work out what is important for us to work. For me the big one is the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas.
One thing I am worried about is how we get the people I work with in rural areas of Guatamala to understand the economic processes that are impacting on their lives.
I feel a little sorry for Lula. He is only one man and he has a very big responsibility for his country and the world. He lives in a world where the conditions are already established. We have to change them- Lula cannot do it alone.
 Photo: Ambimola Akinyemi |
Ambimola Akinyemi, ActionAid Nigeria
I came to the World Social Forum in the hope that I would learn different perspectives and share understanding on issues such as governance and education.
I really like the way the meeting has been structured. All the different venues mean that things are less clustered and you get the opportunity to engage more with people. The event that had the biggest impact on me so far was on fighting intolerance. Talking about the theme of the Forum, “Another world is possible”, one man said: “We should not be talking about another world but first we should learn to tolerate our different worlds.”
One of the main issues coming from the Forum is the need to break the hegemony of Western dominance, especially as reflected in neo-liberal theories and practice. Personally, if I could bring about one change it would be to put an end to policies imposed by executives of the international financial institutions appointed by rich countries in the North.
My one criticism of WSF is that HIV is not amongst the mainstream events. To me this is not just a health issue but one of the biggest development issues. So far I have only been to one meeting on the subject. I am quite surprised because in Brazil access to anti-retrovirals became a really big issue when the Government rejected international patenting laws and produced cheap generic drugs.
I don’t think the people here feel really passionate about HIV because the crisis has not yet had as bigger impact on Latin America as it has on Africa. One day I’d really like to see the World Social Forum held in Africa because there I am sure HIV would be given priority.
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