Brazilian President Urges Davos-Porto Alegre Cooperation

‘Tough Fight’ Ahead - Lula

By Emad Mekay

DAVOS, Switzerland – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva talked tough here, but noted there was room for communication between the guardians of corporate globalisation and their rivals from the social justice movement.

Lula, who appeared relaxed and confident during his first time at the exclusive World Economic Forum in Davos, vowed "a tough fight" against trade barriers and protectionist policies by rich and industrialised nations.

"We want free trade, but a free trade that characterizes itself by reciprocity," he said through a translator. "It will be useless, all the exports that we will develop, if the rich countries continue to preach free trade … and practise protectionism."

Lula, who had come from the rival World Social Forum in Porto Alegre declared: "we should not make any concessions to them and we are going to fight".

He said other Latin American countries shared his views and that they were ready to stand against the might of industrialised nations on the free trade issue.

"We don't accept the idea that free trade should benefit only developed countries ... we don't want to be treated like second-class citizens but like equals," he told the wealthy and powerful leaders of developed countries and multinational corporations. "If the rich countries are hard-nosed negotiators, we can't give in either."

No to war

The new Brazilian president, whose attendance had been widely anticipated here, tackled the subject of the imminent US war against Iraq. Rich countries, he noted, were better advised investing money in development and fighting hunger rather wasting money on lethal military conflicts.

"Conflicts should be solved politically and within the United Nations. Peace is not only a moral objective it is a rational one. Countries are spending billions and billions of dollars in an arms race and … on things that are not priorities. We look at the third world countries and millions and millions of women and children die because they don't manage to eat the calories they need."

He proposed instead an international anti-hunger fund for developing countries called "the World Agreement for Peace and Against Hunger", to give the hungry of the world "breakfast, lunch and dinner".

He also called for greater sharing of scientific information and technology between the industrialised countries and the developing ones.

The 57-year old president, however, sounded a conciliatory note with representatives of international businesses that he had often accused in the past of impoverishing millions of people across the world. He said Brazil would welcome their investments in infrastructure projects.

The former metal worker and labour leader joked that he was going home intact after his encounter with Davos representatives and he urged more dialogue between the social justice activists in Porto Alegre and the powerful political and business leaders in Davos.
"The most fantastic thing is that I'm going back to the World Social Forum, and my comrades will notice that you haven't taken a bite out of me, nor have I taken a bite out of you," he told the well attended session.

"I think there is room for us to get together to talk. I think the people in Davos should talk to the people in Porto Alegre … This is like a simple negotiation between management and unions that seem to be far away in contract talks. But when they sit down, the distance doesn't seem so huge."

Applause

Lula’s attendance at the Davos meeting had been criticised by his supporters in the social justice movement. They charged that his going would not send a strong enough message that he rejected their worldview. But the Brazilian president was warmly received in Davos and his speech garnered several rounds of applause.

"It was very important that he was coming from Porto Alegre," Philippe Petit, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) told IPS. "This certainly serves a dialogue, which everybody wishes to see happening between the two forums. The aims are the same, but recipes are different and that's why we need to discuss the recipes."

Fritz R. Stehelin, president of the Swiss Peace Foundation, said Lula was the right man to work on better communications between the social justice activists and corporate leaders.

"I think that it's very important that he tries to bridge a gap between Porto Alegre and Davos," Stehelin. "There are possibilities of interaction between them. Lula is a very intelligent man. He knows what message he needs to deliver at home and what message he has to deliver here."

Before his departure, Lula left the Davos participants with an important message. "You're going to be hearing a lot about one scrappy president", he said.