www.guardian.co.uk Friday January 24, 2003 11:20 AM

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP) - If there's one common thread joining the tens of thousands of participants at the World Social Forum, it's globalization, and deep skepticism about what it can do for the good of mankind.

As activists taking part in the forum's opening march Thursday heaped criticism on the International Monetary Fund, Francisco Giuliano was hard-pressed to come up with anything he likes about unfettered U.S.-style capitalism and free trade.

Globalization has come only to decide how the rich will distribute for their own benefit the cake of our countries,'' Giuliano said. This is a globalization made by the haves, by the powerful only.''

Organizers have predicted a turnout of 100,000 activists in Porto Alegre for the six-day forum, held as a counterpoint to the World Economic Forum taking place simultaneously at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.

At least 2,000 police are on hand to keep order. Military police captain Joao Carlos Gomes said no major disturbances were expected.

With lectures from globalization critics and more than 1,700 seminars and workshops, the six-day forum seeks to change the perceived ills of capitalism, including foreign debt and unfair global trade that favor rich, industrialized nations and multinational corporations.

Some social forum participants are convinced that the new Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has a genuine chance at improving the lot of millions of impoverished Brazilians - and may even help the rest of South America's poor.

Silva, a former shoeshine boy who dropped out of school to help support his family, will address the social forum Friday.

The next day he will fly to Davos, where he reportedly will call for rich countries to join his fight to eliminate hunger affecting between 24 million to 44 million of Brazil's 175 million citizens.

During Thursday's opening march for the forum, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people demonstrated in Porto Alegre, many waving red flags and jumping into the air as a coarse voice repeated in Portuguese: ``No, no, no. Capitalism no. Long live socialism and the revolution.''

Brazilian theater student Camila Catario Fortes said anti-globalization sentiment is increasing because of ``negative outcomes of globalization across the world.''

Although the concept of opening all countries to free trade and allowing multinational corporations to operate without limits was good, the impact has not been for most of the world's citizens, she said.

It would have been different had it brought understanding among cultures, it would have been great,'' she said. But in practice, it hasn't happened.''

Annia Faas, a German writer from Hamburg said globalization was ``intrinsically wrong.''

``Differences among men are so great. You can barely understand your own neighbor, let alone the world.''

For Sergio Gomes, a metalworker from Sao Paulo, Brazil's industrial largest city, globalization ``is the new name of colonization.''

It means that industrial countries keep the clean industries, like electronics, and force developing countries to work with industries polluting the environment,'' he said. They get the best, we are left the worst.''

www.sundaytimes.co.za

BUENOS AIRES - The World Social Forum opened in the southern Brazilian town of Porto Alegre on Friday with international delegates calling for peace.

Over the next five days representatives at the forum, established as a left-wing alternative to the World Economic Forum in Davos, are meeting to discuss leftist political ideas, citizen initatives and trade union strategies, with the growth of neo-liberal globalisation and the need for a fairer world order heading the agenda.

The forum, now in its third year, has attracted 100,000 delegates from 153 countries.

On Thursday evening, prior to the main event, 10,000 people demonstrated against the threat of a war against Iraq.

While politicians are not usually invited to the World Social Forum, Brazil's new socialist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is due to attend. Explaining the decision, the forum's organisers said Lula da Silva embodied the policies and hopes of forum participants.

The event has steadily gained followers with the number of participants growing from 15,000 in 2001 to 50,00 last year.

However, delegate numbers could be restricted next year as the organisers report increasing problems coping with such large masses of people.

While the meeting is planned for India next year, the forum is expected to meet again in Porto Alegre in 205.   Sapa-DPA

www.euractiv.com Date: 24/01/2003 08:30 

In short: The 2003 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos kicked off on 23 January, with the participants expressing their worries about the threat of a war against Iraq.   Background: This year's World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting (from 23-28 January in Davos) brings together around 2,000 business executives, economists and political leaders to discuss the theme of building trust in institutions, companies and NGOs (see EurActiv 21 January). At the same time, a World Social Forum is being held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as a counter-summit to the Davos "Summit of the Rich".

Issues: Some of the attendees of this year's WEF include Microsoft's Bill Gates, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Brazil's recently elected President Lula da Silva and former US President Bill Clinton. At their opening day, many speakers expressed concern about a possible war between the US and Iraq and its repercussions on the global economy.

Positions: The Forum's founder, Klaus Schwab, underlined that never in the event's 33-year history has the world been so fragile, complex and dangerous. "A war on Iraq could wipe out any fragile signs of growth", stated Gail Fosler, chief economist at the influential US-based Conference Board. Former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, who now leads the International Crisis Group strongly criticised American unilateralism.

More optimistic news on the global economy came from a study unveiled at the WEF summit by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). According the the company's sixth annual Global CEO Survey, international CEOs seem to be quite confident on the economic outlook for 2003, despite all the threats. PWC interviewed 1,000 business leaders in 43 countries and found that CEOs are:

• gaining confidence in their own growth prospects if not in the economy as a whole. Yet that confidence is fragile and could easily be derailed by another major terrorist action or war in the Middle East or North Korea;
• building trust among investors, customers, employees and other key stakeholders. Yet that trust is provisional and could be eroded by more corporate scandals or high-profile bankruptcies;
• claiming responsibility for being good corporate citizens and good shepherds of the global environment. Yet the dedication to corporate social responsibility is still relatively new and largely untried and will be put to the test in times ahead as leaders reconcile profitability demands with a more progressive commitment to sustainability.

Next Steps: The participants at the Porto Alegre Summit decided that the next World Social Forum in 2004 will be held in India.

Links:

Official documents:

• World Economic Forum Davos
• The Public Eye on Davos
• World Social Forum Porto Alegre
• Porto Alegre 2003

EU Actors'   positions:

• PriceWaterhouseCoopers: CEO Survey. Leadership, Responsibility and Growth in uncertain times

Press dossiers:

• OneWorld: Special report World Social Forum
• Yahoo France: Forum Economique Mondial
• Yahoo Germany: Globalisierung und Weltwirtschaft
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung: Dossier Davos 2003
• Die Zeit: Dossier Globalisierung

Press Articles: BBC News, Financial Times, Yahoo US, International Herald Tribune, OneWorld/IPS, Yahoo/AFP France, Libération, Le Monde, Yahoo/dpa Germany, Financial Times Germany, and Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

www.abs-cbnnews.com

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - If there's a common thread joining the tens of thousands of participants at the World Social Forum, it's globalization, and deep skepticism about what it can do for the good of mankind.

As activists taking part in the forum's opening march Thursday heaped criticism on the International Monetary Fund, Francisco Giuliano was hard-pressed to come up with anything he likes about unfettered U.S.-style capitalism and free trade.

"Globalization has come only to decide how the rich will distribute for their own benefit the cake of our countries," Giuliano said. "This is a globalization made by the haves, by the powerful only."

Organizers have predicted a turnout of 100,000 activists in Porto Alegre for the six-day forum, held as a counterpoint to the World Economic Forum taking place simultaneously at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.

At least 2,000 police are on hand to keep order. Military police captain Joao Carlos Gomes said no major disturbances were expected.

With lectures from globalization critics and more than 1,700 seminars and workshops, the six-day forum seeks to change the perceived ills of capitalism, including foreign debt and unfair global trade that favor rich, industrialized nations and multinational corporations.

Some social forum participants are convinced that the new Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has a genuine chance at improving the lot of millions of impoverished Brazilians — and may even help the rest of South America's poor.

Silva, a former shoeshine boy who dropped out of school to help support his family, will address the social forum Friday.

The next day he will fly to Davos, where he reportedly will call for rich countries to join his fight to eliminate hunger affecting between 24 million to 44 million of Brazil's 175 million citizens.

During Thursday's opening march for the forum, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people demonstrated in Porto Alegre, many waving red flags and jumping into the air as a coarse voice repeated in Portuguese: "No, no, no! Capitalism no! Long live socialism and the revolution!"

Brazilian theater student Camila Catario Fortes said anti-globalization sentiment is increasing because of "negative outcomes of globalization across the world."

Although the concept of opening all countries to free trade and allowing multinational corporations to operate without limits was good, the impact has not been for most of the world's citizens, she said.

"It would have been different had it brought understanding among cultures, it would have been great," she said. "But in practice, it hasn't happened."

Annia Faas, a German writer from Hamburg said globalization was "intrinsically wrong."

"Differences among men are so great. You can barely understand your own neighbor, let alone the world."

For Sergio Gomes, a metalworker from Sao Paulo, Brazil's industrial largest city, globalization "is the new name of colonization."

"It means that industrial countries keep the clean industries, like electronics, and force developing countries to work with industries polluting the environment," he said. "They get the best, we are left the worst."

www.sfgate.com HAROLD OLMOS, Associated Press Writer Friday, January 24, 2003

(01-24) 00:17 PST PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP) --

If there's a common thread joining the tens of thousands of participants at the World Social Forum, it's globalization, and deep skepticism about what it can do for the good of mankind.

As activists taking part in the forum's opening march Thursday heaped criticism on the International Monetary Fund, Francisco Giuliano was hard-pressed to come up with anything he likes about unfettered U.S.-style capitalism and free trade.

"Globalization has come only to decide how the rich will distribute for their own benefit the cake of our countries," Giuliano said. "This is a globalization made by the haves, by the powerful only."

Organizers have predicted a turnout of 100,000 activists in Porto Alegre for the six-day forum, held as a counterpoint to the World Economic Forum taking place simultaneously at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.

At least 2,000 police are on hand to keep order. Military police captain Joao Carlos Gomes said no major disturbances were expected.

With lectures from globalization critics and more than 1,700 seminars and workshops, the six-day forum seeks to change the perceived ills of capitalism, including foreign debt and unfair global trade that favor rich, industrialized nations and multinational corporations.

Some social forum participants are convinced that the new Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has a genuine chance at improving the lot of millions of impoverished Brazilians -- and may even help the rest of South America's poor.

Silva, a former shoeshine boy who dropped out of school to help support his family, will address the social forum Friday.

The next day he will fly to Davos, where he reportedly will call for rich countries to join his fight to eliminate hunger affecting between 24 million to 44 million of Brazil's 175 million citizens.

During Thursday's opening march for the forum, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people demonstrated in Porto Alegre, many waving red flags and jumping into the air as a coarse voice repeated in Portuguese: "No, no, no! Capitalism no! Long live socialism and the revolution!"

Brazilian theater student Camila Catario Fortes said anti-globalization sentiment is increasing because of "negative outcomes of globalization across the world."

Although the concept of opening all countries to free trade and allowing multinational corporations to operate without limits was good, the impact has not been for most of the world's citizens, she said.

"It would have been different had it brought understanding among cultures, it would have been great," she said. "But in practice, it hasn't happened."

Annia Faas, a German writer from Hamburg said globalization was "intrinsically wrong."

"Differences among men are so great. You can barely understand your own neighbor, let alone the world."

For Sergio Gomes, a metalworker from Sao Paulo, Brazil's industrial largest city, globalization "is the new name of colonization."

"It means that industrial countries keep the clean industries, like electronics, and force developing countries to work with industries polluting the environment," he said. "They get the best, we are left the worst."