WORLD SOCIAL FORUM:
Brazilian Youth Raise
Their Voices
By Fabiana Frayssinet
RIO DE JANEIRO, (IPS)
- Brazil, the cradle of
the World Social Forum (WSF),
is hosting events in 19
cities Saturday for the
Global Day of Action.
The main participants
will be young people, as
they have always been at
every meeting of the
Forum.
Cándido Grzybowski, the
head of the Brazilian
Institute for Social and
Economic Analysis (IBASE),
says this fact "shows
young people’s
commitment" to social
causes, when "many
people are saying that
the young are no longer
interested in social and
political issues."
Ever since the first WSF,
an international meeting
of civil society
organisations held in
2001 in the southern
city of Porto Alegre,
IBASE has carried out a
series of surveys in
order to establish the
profile of WSF
participants.
One of the studies
showed that the
proportion of people
aged between 14 and 35
"has never been less
than 56 percent." In
Porto Alegre, 70 percent
of those who took part
in the Forums were in
this age range.
Grzybowski told IPS that
the WSF reflects "the
new political culture,
which is more
‘horizontal’ and
participative," and
finds expression through
a plurality of social,
cultural, student and
women’s movements, among
many others.
The WSF does not permit
political parties to
participate, Grzybowski
said, although
individuals who belong
to them are welcome.
Bolivian President Evo
Morales was one of the
first and most
enthusiastic attendees,
as spokesman for coca
growers in his country.
In view of the global
nature of the Forum’s
activities, Grzybowski
said he does not share
the vision of turning it
into a political force,
like "a new
International", and
prefers to speak of
"planetary citizenship."
However, he stressed
this is his personal
opinion, which does not
necessarily reflect the
diverse points of view
within the WSF on the
issue of its future.
"The Forum is bringing
hope," he said.
María Luisa Jucá, the
head of the Circo Voador
(Flying Circus) and the
tent which is the main
cultural events venue in
Rio de Janeiro, agreed
with Grzybowski about
the commitment shown by
young people. She said
that when she took part
in organising the main
Brazilian WSF event,
"Rio com vida!" (Rio
Alive!), she felt part
of "a wonderful new
thing."
Jucá said that over
1,000 young people and
music bands have
registered, as well as
70 organisations, for
the open-air event
Saturday at the Aterro
do Flamengo park in the
south of Rio de Janeiro.
Plans for the Day of
Action in Rio include 90
concerts of different
musical styles, debates,
poetry readings,
exhibitions of videos
and photographs,
theatrical plays, art
exhibitions, and organic
food fairs. The
highlight will be a
grand concert starring
Brazilian samba singer
Martinho da Vila.
"We are seeing a new
phenomenon: a
politically aware
generation exists, and
it’s strong. It’s the
Internet generation.
Young people are finally
reacting," said Jucá.
One of the tents at the
Rio de Janeiro meeting
will, in fact, be
devoted to Internet use,
with fast new programmes
available to download
image files, and to
connect Brazilian WSF
participants with those
in other cities around
the world via the Skype
voice transmission
system.
The organisers regard
the Internet, used
predominantly by young
people, as a key tool
for arranging the first
Forum, and for its
subsequent expansion at
different meetings
around the world.
According to Grzybowski,
the Internet allows
global actions to be
planned at the last
minute, and this year it
is enabling a
decentralised WSF to be
held in some 800 cities
in 72 countries. This
year’s format has no
"central meeting" and is
"a trial run", he said.
This idea arose from
research on WSF
participants, which
showed that the majority
of participants come
from the country where
the WSF meeting is held.
In the case of Kenya, it
was 69 percent, and in
Venezuela, 92 percent.
This information, IBASE
says, demonstrates the
need to review past
experiences and to
improve people’s access
to the Forum.
"The big advantage of
the new decentralised
format is that more
voices can join in,"
said Rosana Heringer of
Action Aid Brazil, a
non-governmental
organisation which is
contributing to the WSF
Day of Action in Rio.
Decentralisation is also
a key feature of the
activities to be held
within each country. In
Brazil, global issues
like the shortage of
water will be addressed,
from a local
perspective, in 19
cities.
It’s a great march of
ordinary citizens, and
it’s expanding
throughout the world,
said Grzybowski.
The WSF Global Day of
Action is being held, as
usual, in parallel with
the World Economic Forum
at Davos, Switzerland,
an annual meeting of
political and economic
elites aiming to shape
the world agenda.
According to Grzybowski,
the dominant theme in
Davos this year is the
"terror of losing money
on the stock markets."
"This is not a problem
for our Forum. On the
contrary, it confirms
what we’ve been saying
all along, that another
world is possible," he
concluded.
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