Kenya Airways, official partner for WSF2007

The World Social Forum organizing Committee has chosen Kenya Airways as the partner airline for WSF2007.
 

Delegates traveling to Kenya via Kenya Airways during this period are entitled to a 10 – 20 per cent discounted airfares. Delegates are requested to book directly at Kenya Airways representation in their countries.

The country is set to receive more than 70,000 delegates in the city of Nairobi for diverse expression on issues that address the negative impact of globalization on communities.  The event, dubbed the World Social Forum will be attended by delegates from many regions of the world, including icons and celebrities renowned for their contribution in social, economic and political transformation.

Event organizers estimate that a phenomenal transformation is anticipated at the economic and social level of the Kenyan society as the event will put Kenya into the center of a process that proposes a paradigm shift from global capitalist thinking to a more humane and just  society.

Kenya Airways has joined hands with WSF to facilitate the movement of the delegates from Africa and beyond. Kenya Airways will offer special discounted prices for all the delegates traveling to the conference which begins on January 20^th. In addition the airline will promote WSF activities in all the different countries the airline operates in.

The airline formalized the partnership today by signing a memorandum of understanding with World Social Forum secretariat. “We are glad to be the official partner of the World Social Forum. The success of this initiative will have a lasting impact on the country’s economy especially in the tourism sector,” said Mr. Michael Okwiri, Kenya Airways Head of Marketing. Delegates will be in the country for one week, although the congress proper will take 5-days, between January 20 and January 25, 2007.

This is the first time in the seven year history of the congress that it is being held in Africa, and only the second time outside its birth place of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Last year, the forum, which will take place simultaneously with the World Economic Forum, drew an attendance of 155,000. It was held in Porto Alegre.

Mr. Ong’wen said the forum will critique poverty-creating national and global policies and construct democratic and people-centered alternatives based on shared values: “In order for the 2007 World Social Form to be a real instrument of social transformation, the agenda for discussions will be linked to peoples’ concerns, especially Africa’s concerns on the Global development agenda.”

Prominent personalities expected to attend the forum include Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mary Robinson, and Winnie Mandela, and former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, Prof. Micere Mugo, Ngugi wa Thiongó and a host of Nobel laureates hosted by Prof. Wangari Maathai.

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