WSF started in Mumbai

16 January 2004

Mumbai, January 16 � World Social Forum (WSF) has officially started today in Mumbai, gathereing people from all over the world with a common vision that different world is possible. Acording to WSF organisers more then 80 000 people from approxiimately 2,666 organizations have registered from 132 countries.

Prior to the opening ceremony, press conference was held by prominent people from Iran, Palestina, United Kindom and others.
�We are here to announce that human that is hungry, that human that is suffering has no dignity�Shirin Ebadi from Iran, who won the Nobel Peace Prize told reporters.

Mr Mustafa Barghouti, who is active participant in the building of a democratic Palestinian civil society and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian struggle, said today that WSF has become second super power in the world and that can never be overcomed.
�The World Social Forum has become the second super power in the world and I say it's a better super power because it does not get inspired from the weapons and nuclear arms , it gets inspired from you, from the people and this is a power that can never, never be overcome.�

All day people were carryng posters with different anti-war messages such as: �Stop USA�, �Speak up against Bush�, �We need a better world�, �Iraqi children of a lesser God?�, �No to war�.

In the next five days WSF will host panel disscusions, debates, conferences, public meetings and about 200 workshops and discussions at which members of mass organizations and movements world-wide will exchange experiences and focus on startegies and alternatives to build a people-centered world.

Participants of the Forum decided not to have Pepsi, Coca Cola and bottled water available on the site and the only water available is purified water.
Moreover, all computers available to media in the press center are Linux operated which is an alternative to Microsoft Windows.

Organizers also chose not to accept money for the $1.8 million WSF event from the Ford Foundation based in the USA. 60 per cent of the funding for the (WSF) is coming from abroad.
According to Gautam Modi, who is coordinator for the media cell of the WSF, two Nederland-based organisations, Hivos and Novib, and the UK-based Oxfam would be providing 60 per cent of $ 1,8 million.

The ceremony will continue tonight with concert given by Pakistani rock band called Junoon, very popular band that plays mixture of rock and mystic music.
Tomorrow there will be numerous panels, debates and conferences organized by different organizations and groups. They will all follow the main themes of the WSF such as: Militarisation, War and Peace, Globalisation, Economic and Social Security, Sustainable Development, Gender, Media, Culture and many others.