| World Social Forum ends in Nairobi - "end inequality and social injustice. |
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30th Jan 07 - George Gopal, Kenya London News As the curtains fell on the World Social Forum (WSF) that was held in Kasarani, Nairobi, It now remains to be seen if the delegates vow to fight inequality and social justice in the world will be achieved. Various human rights groups dominated the seventh world social forum where delegates passed recommendations and action plans. This they did as they debated, networked, chanted, danced and staged protests against current social ills in the society. The delegates, drawn from both developing and the developed world, shared the common goal of ending injustices and making the world a better place. Speakers representing the world major continents spoke against free trade models, which they said were being pushed down the throats of the world by Bretton woods institutions in conjunction with some western countries to impoverish the third world. Former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda set the ball rolling at the opening ceremony at Nairobi�s Uhuru park by urging Africans to participate in decision making processes and also take charge in the management of their resources, adding that sustainable development could not be achieved through exploitation. Speaking on behalf of Europe, Flavio Lotti urged Africa to forgive the west for the historical injustices meted on them by colonialism. While delivering a keynote at the forum on illegitimate debt dialogue, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai said that Kenya is reeling under a Ksh 750 billion debt, resulting into each Kenyan carrying a debt tag of about Ksh 25,000. Such debts crisis, she said, remained one of the key obstacles of the African continent. �Despite the improved democratization process and improved governance in many countries, the debt burden continues to impede the empowerment of people on reduction of poverty in many countries of our developing nations?she said, adding that international financial institutions were not keen on canceling the debts because they are the ones who are benefiting. While discussing the theme �the Nobel women�s initiative: women building a better world? Maathai, together with two other Nobel laureates, American Jody Williams and Iranian Shirin Ebadi, called for peace and justice for a better world and also vowed to be at the forefront in championing the rights of women. In a show of solidarity, they said they would use their positions to advocate for women and girls issues, and criticize governments for allocating more money to the military than health and education. While popular resistance against neo-liberal hegemony has hit fever pitch in Latin America and rapid economic development promises to make a significant difference in the lives of the people of Asia; Africa continues to suffer from a debilitating debt overhang, perennial armed conflict, and unrewarding terms of international trade, economic mismanagement and an increasingly unfriendly framework for international cooperation. From its modest origins in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001, the World Social Forum has mushroomed into a global counter-force challenging the assumptions and diktats of imperialism and its associated neo-liberal policies. Such policies have over the decades imposed colonialism and neo-colonialism; devastated Southern economies; bolstered the disastrous and repressive reigns dictatorships; marginalized women; disenfranchised youth; intensified the destruction of the environment; unleashed bloody, inhuman and needless military conflicts in nation after nation, region after region and deepened the exploitation of poor peoples around the world. And while the delegates in Nairobi were committed to the struggle of making the world a better place, it seemed to lack the power wielded by other forums such as the world economic forum, which brings together the globe�s richest countries. Various topics addressed in the forum included HIV/AIDS, gender, privatisation, landlessness, peace and conflict, migration and diaspora, youth issues, debt relief, free trade agreements, labour, housing among others. In managing the preparation to WSF, however, many challenges seemed to dog its organization and coordination right from the arrival of the delegates at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi. There also didn�t seem to be indications that the forum had captured the psyche of ordinary citizens in Africa and Kenya in particular, probably as a result of the lack of the organizers to hype up the forum. Meanwhile, some would be investors are counting their losses having invested heavily in accommodation and catering facilities for delegates who did not turn up as a result of the confusion. But the presence of diverse groups such as gays and lesbians at the conference has also brought with it other controversies. A backlash that is expected to dominate Kenyan media for a couple of weeks has already begun with various mixed reactions on Kenyan gays and lesbians who stepped out openly to demand their rights, saying the members have endured a lot of bias, violence and other forms of violation. Rallying around the clarion call of Another World Is Possible, the World Social Forum has placed social justice, international solidarity, gender equality, peace and defense of the environment on the agenda of the world�s peoples. The whole reason for the Forum�s existence is to create a world different to the one preached at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland. The WSF is held annually by members of the anti-globalisation brigade as an alternative to the meeting in Davos. The next forum will be held in 2009 at a yet to be decided venue.
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