Author: Nick Thiongo
Date: January 22, 2007
Source: Kenya Times http://www.timesnews.co.ke/22jan07/business/buns1.html

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The World Social Forum (WSF) yesterday turned out to be a complete flipside of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos as various organizations and key figures clamoured against policies of the Breton woods institutions and the failure of capitalism.

The WSF curtains were raised at Nairobi’s, Uhuru Park amid calls for a ‘revolution against savage capitalism and an end to neo-liberal globalization.’

Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda who addressed the hordes of humanity from a cross section of states around the globe; said Africa was still grappling with great challenges of division along politics, economic status and ethnicity.

He castigated the Western nations for shortchanging Africans by giving political independence after colonialism, and denying them economic empowerment.

Kauda said political independence without economic emancipation was a sham. “Injustice cannot overcome fair play,” he averred.

He further lamented that the IMF had at one time duped the Zambian government to take huge loans when petroleum prices went up. After suffering a shortage of funds due inflated petroleum prices in the world, the IMF reportedly advised Zambia to take huge loans from the organ; saying that the prices of Zambian copper were almost expected to shoot up.

Political independence Kaunda said, must means social rights and justice for everyone. “Independence and liberation is not complete without eradication of poverty,” he emphasized.

Africa Social Forum chairman, Abdullah Twafiq said the WSF would reinforce the continent’s struggle for a better Africa. “By harnessing our values, economic resources and culture; we can defeat the forces that want to colonize us again.

The officials have also warned that failure to address global economic imbalances has derailed efforts by developing countries in their bid to scale new growth heights and improve standards of living, officials of the World Social Forum (WSF) have warned.

The WSF officials cited injustice and inequality as two major stumbling blocks towards the attainment of the above goals. These, the officials lamented, will in the long run outwit growing economies in their quest for growth and better livelihood for people.

Speaking in Nairobi, the local organizing committee said the forth coming forum will provide opportunity to the world to interrogate policies that are injurious to global growth.

The forum will, at the same time, deliberate on how to attain equity in growth and human resource development. Abdalla said the 2007 World Social Forum would be the climax of a series of attempts to fight, through negotiations, for a new world cognizant of economic needs and people’s cultural diversities. “Participants will take the opportunity during the forum to build on propositions of what kind of world they would like to live in and how possible it can be to attain the desired world,” he noted.

He noted that the effects of poverty in developing economies were dramatic and that WSF would be an opportune event for Africa in particular to amplify its struggle for economic and social growth.

Oduor Ongwen, a member of the organizing committee of the International Council of the WSF told journalists that ignorance, armed struggles and diseases had altogether reduced the world’s competitive advantage for growth.

He announced that preparations had begun in earnest for the forum, which begins on the January 20, 2007 in Nairobi.

This is the first time in the forum’s 7-year history for it to be held in Africa. It has traditionally been held in Brazil and once in India.

Key international figures among them retired Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, former United Nations boss Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, South African retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, six Ministers from Brazil and the Liberian Minister for Labour Kofi Wood will address the forum.

Among the topics to feature prominently at the forum will include, just trade, common goods for common life, dignified work, demystifying and defeating HIV and AIDS pandemic and discussions on a free debt world, highlighting debt cancellation and repudiation.

Prof Edward Oyugi, another member of the International Council of WSF said the forum would provide an opportunity for slum dwellers and marginalized communities to engage policy makers in discussion on issues affecting them adding that government participants would only take part as observers. Other activities at the forum will include seminars, workshops, conferences testimonies, plays skits and a marathon organized by slum dwellers on the closing day, to be graced by Kenya’s marathon greats Paul Tergat and Catherine Ndereba.