Author: Emmanuel Onyango, Kenya Times
Date: January 21, 2007
Source: Kenya Times http://www.timesnews.co.ke/21jan07/nwsstory/news3.html

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It was carnival and colour at Uhuru Park yesterday as the world’s social thinkers, labour movements and religious bodies descended to Nairobi to mark the seventh edition of the World Social Forum (WSF).

The forum was formally opened in a show characterised by cultural diversity, racial tolerance and passionate appeals for “another world of equality, solidarity and peace.”

Powerful petitions were similarly made for a lasting peace in Somalia, a free Palestine, a world without poverty and climate change.

But in spite of Kenya being the first African country to play host to the forum, participation of its citizens was lacklustre owing to poor mobilization by the local organising secretariat.

Speakers at the forum made critical remarks of the existing world order and simultaneously made an array of proposals to be adapted by the developed economies in bringing equality.

“Today we celebrate that Africa is not a poor continent, it’s not a dying continent, but a continent of human spirit. No matter what agenda they (developed countries) have, this time round WSF has given us (Africa) an opportunity to create a linkage with other people in saying enough is enough,” Kenya’s Wahu Kahara said while opening the forum.

She added: “This is the time to make linkages and put our agenda on the table. Its the time to say no to unfair trade, to say no to conditional aid.”

Former Zambian President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, in his address to the forum, urged for greater adjustments in policies and attitudes to enhance gender equality and women’s participation in decision making.

Kaunda also appealed on people living with HIV/Aids to forcefully defend their rights in killing the stigma that has accompanied the scourge.

“Despite having Heads of States and governments in Africa, the place of women in society is not yet what is should be. We were dependent on women for what we were yesterday to becoming who we are today,” said the former President.

Chico Wikeker from Brazil and a founding member of WSF added: “ We know the utopian world we want, a world with no domination but respect, equality and solidarity; no competition but co-operation; no opposition but real democracy and no richness in money but richness in human value and happiness.”

Taoufik Ben-Abdallah from the African Social Forum was equally hard hitting on the developed economies and world leaders.

“We need to defeat all forces that want to take our resources, our future,” said Ben-Abdallah.

The sixth WSF edition has attracted participation of delegates from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and North America.

Kenya is represented at the forum by the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), Kenya Local Government Workers Union (KLGWU) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational, Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).