By Ed Crooks in Davos and Raymond Colitt in Porto Alegre Published: January 26 2003 21:56 | Last Updated: January 26 2003 22:27

Brazil's president on Sunday won a warm reception from business people and bankers at the World Economic Forum for a speech that mixed praise for free markets and trade with vows to attack poverty and hunger.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's address reflected his need to reassure financial markets spooked by his leftwing reputation, while sticking to his promises to help the 45m Brazilians living below the poverty line.

He repeated his call, made on Friday in a speech to anti-globalisation activists at the "anti-Davos", the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, for a "new world economic order". He described agricultural land reform as "urgent", and said there was a need for "more discipline" in international capital flows. But he promised "an extraordinary effort to expand our trade, especially exports", and said foreign capital should be used to help finance infrastructure spending.

Mr Lula da Silva also proposed a new fund, backed by the Group of Seven rich countries, to tackle poverty in the developing world. It was greeted with scepticism, but demonstrated his ambition to give Brazil a bigger international role. "Brazil is a sleeping giant. We should awaken this giant so we should be respected all round the world," he said. He promised to put his experience as a trade unionist to use in a tough negotiating stance in world trade talks.

In spite of proposing a new economic order to an audience of some of the biggest beneficiaries of the existing one, his address was greeted with thunderous applause and scattered cheering. He was handed a T-shirt showing him as Asterix, the plucky Gaul holding out against the Roman empire.

On Friday, Mr Lula da Silva had defended his visit to Davos to thousands of social activists in Porto Alegre. "Many people in Davos don't like me without knowing me. So I make a point of going there to say the same thing I would tell anyone of you here," he said. His decision to go to Davos had triggered criticism among his more radical leftwing supporters; since its creation the Porto Alegre meeting has been backed by his Workers' party (PT).

Yet Mr Lula da Silva also told the activists that not all problems could be blamed on an inequitable world economic order. "We are poor. Part of the fault may lie with the rich nations. But partially the fault may lie with part of the South American elite," he said.

The president acknowledged the enormous expectations that his government had created not only at home but for Latin America's left and for Socialists around the world. He called on supporters to have patience. "A good coach is not one who begins winning but ends winning a game. I have four years to proceed calmly and cautiously."

This week Mr Lula da Silva will pursue his campaign for hearts and minds, meeting heads of government in Berlin and Paris.

Caio Koch-Weser, Germany's state secretary of finance, said Mr Lula da Silva had "a good message". "The key is that the reform momentum gets the benefit of the enormous credibility that the president brings, but it's a strong team and a strong start," he said. "So far, so good, and the market is already honouring what they have done: [interest rate] spreads are down, and the Real [the currency] is up."

www.washingtonpost.com The Associated Press Sunday, January 26, 2003; 4:15 PM

SAO PAULO, Brazil –– Model Gisele Bundchen is donating $150,000 to help fight hunger in her native Brazil.

Bundchen will hand over the money – her fee for one show in Sao Paulo Fashion Week – to Brazilian first lady Marisa Silva, O Globo newspaper reported Sunday.

The fashion week starts Monday and Bundchen's appearance will be in a show by designer Ricardo Almeida, who also dresses President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Silva is initiating a "zero hunger" program that is expected to cost at least $700 million annually.

"The campaign is very important for the country," Bundchen told O Globo.

www.washingtonpost.com By Alan Clendenning Associated Press Writer Sunday, January 26, 2003; 4:38 PM

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil –– Actor Danny Glover showed up in Brazil on Sunday to mingle with activists at the World Social Forum talking about everything from women's rights to eliminating Third World debt and poverty.

Glover said he headed to Porto Alegre on his first trip to Brazil to draw attention to important social issues being overshadowed by talk of war.

"Even though my country, the United States, is engaged in a very intensive discussion about the possibility of war in Iraq, there are still other issues in the world that must be addressed," Glover said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Glover – best known for his role as conservative partner of action hero Mel Gibson in the "Lethal Weapon" movies – also was chairman of the TransAfrica Forum in 2001, the 25-year-old advocacy group best known for protesting apartheid. He has also criticized Hollywood for racial progress he called cosmetic.

Glover said he plans to meet with activists representing groups trying to improve conditions for youth, women and the environment, along with artists and writers. About 100,000 people are attending the six-day forum.

"I think there's a great deal we can all learn from each other," he said.

Glover also said he is impressed with the plans of Brazil's new leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to fight poverty in Brazil and pleased that Silva has appointed black Brazilians to top Cabinet posts.

"I'm hopeful that some of the programs he plans to initiate are ones that are embraced not only by the business community but those financial institutions which also dictate a great deal of what happens in this country," Glover said.