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Forums in Davos and Porto Alegre:
| During the last week of January two world events will take place, that have different approaches to globalisation: the World Economic Forum in Davos and the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. The Davos Forum gathers, since 1971, the elite of neoliberal thinking and will be held, as every year, in the exclusive skiing station in Davos, Switzerland. The other forum will gather, for the first time, intellectuals and social leaders from all over the world that challenge the hegemonic thinking and will take place in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This is the state where the Workers's Party has governed during the last 12 years with a participative program with social inclusion and solidarity. |
"The idea of holding the World Social Forum at the same time that the Davos Economic Forum is held is not a mere coincidence. We are trying to build an alternative space to the hegemonic thinking and conservative neoliberalism ", says Miguel Rosseto, vice-governor of the Río Grande do Sul and member of the organising Committee who recently visited the United Nations in Geneva to promote the event. While the World Economic Forum, a private Geneva-based institution formed by the 2000 biggest enterprises, promotes Davos, the Porto Alegre Forum is organised by 90 social movements and institutions and a coalition of 50 Brazilian institutions and popular organizations. Davos expects the participation of 3000 delegates, including the CEOs of the largest transnational companies such as Coca Cola, McDonald's, Shell and Nestlé and top level staff from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation, that currently direct the globalisation process. Politicians and media owners are also expected. Some of the participants in former Forums include Bill Gates (the richest man in the world with an estimated fortune of 85 billion dollars, according to Forbes magazine), Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Ernesto Zedillo and WTO Director, Mike Moore. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General, has also been at Davos, but this time has expressed his desire for a successful Porto Alegre Forum and has promised to "follow the deliberations with special interest", according to a communication sent to Olivio Dutra, Governor of Río Grande do Sul. |
Porto Alegre expects to receive 2700 delegates, including peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, women, Churches, citizens' networks, local authorities and NGOs from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Democratic, pluralist and solidary thinkers participating include José Ramos Horta, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize; the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano; the Brasilian theologean Leonardo Boff; Egyptian economist Samir Amin; Indian ecologist, feminist and writer Vandana Shiva; 1998 Nobel Literature Laureate, José Saramago. 150 parlamentarians are expected to arrive from different countries, including 10 from Switzerland.
The objectives of these forums are totally different. Davos is an instrument to set forth neoliberal policies that began in the 70's and 80's with the governments of Margaret Tatcher in Great Britain, Ronald Reagan in the United States and Pinochet in Chile. In the 90's it extended around the world. Trade initiatives like the GATT Uruguay Round, which was the base for the current WTO and the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, are some of the main outcomes. Davos is the symbol and inspiration of dogmatic neoliberalism that promotes reducing the State, privatisations, market and capital liberalisation, reducing taxes for the rich and cut backs on social expenses.
The main objectives of the Porto Alegre Forum are to create an alternative space for theoretical, cultural, political, economic and social thinking as well as providing an encounter space for various organisations that in the last few years have been resisting the neoliberal project. "This idea has matured in the last few years and has developed also due to the large demonstrations in Seattle, Prague, Washington D.C., the world marches in New York and the continental movements that struggle for land, indigenous peoples' rights and employment ", expressed Rosseto.
The two events will also have distinct agendas. In Davos, representatives from transnational corporations and their allies will discuss key themes such as "The Formation of a Global Corporation", "Biotechnology: Planning our future" and "How to face the counter reaction to globalisation". In the 300 meetings planned for six days, the powerful businessmen, politicians and intellectuals will try to reach consensus on globalisation issues, which has favoured them immensely, and how to continue extending their businesses and power while neutralising adversaries, which grow and are better organised every day.
Globalisation promoted by the Davos Forum has increased inequalities, social exclusion and poverty, according to its critiques. The three richest multimillionaires owe more than the Gross National Product of all the least developed countries and its 600 million inhabitants, according to the United Nations 1999 Human Development Report. While 200 transnational corporations distribute the world among themselves and are more powerful than many states, 1 billion 200 million people live with less than one dollar a day. 11 million children under 5 years old die each year due to preventable diseases, 1 billion people do not have access to safe water and 2 billion 500 million people to dot have adequate sanitary systems.
To face this situation, the Porto Alegre Forum will discuss the production, distribution and concentration of world richness among and within nations. There will also be workshops on work, employment, financial capital and the consequences of IMF and WB promoted structural adjustment programs in the last 20 years. Another theme will be democracy and the loss of sovereignty of Nation States and the lack of democratic or citizen control of transnationals and large international agencies.
The Forum will define an executive structure that will allow it to continue to work as an international network, respecting the plurality of thinking and movements represented. "We think that the Forum says Miguel Rosseto- should also produce political directions that combine an energetic criticism of adjustment policies and its consequences for all nations, with the formulation of alternatives in relation to international trade, control of financial capital, respect of basic social rights and distribution of richness".
The cards are on the table: two forums, two actors, and two different ways of living and considering globalisation.
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