WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Most Put Social Questions Before Profits

Mario Osava*

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, Jan 23 (IPS) - The globalisation process has brought about an increasing concentration of wealth, and social conditions should take priority over profits, according to a majority of people interviewed in 15 countries in a survey whose results were presented at the World Social Forum (WSF), which opened Thursday in Brazil.

The interests of large transnational corporations have a direct influence on globalisation, according to 53 percent of the 15,000 respondents -- 1,000 from each country.

The view that globalisation favours the rich was expressed by 55 percent, while 61 percent said social questions should be put before economic matters, in the poll carried out over the past two months by the WSF, with the support of the International Environics Institute.

''The survey demonstrates that we are winning the ideological battle,'' said Cándido Grzybowiski, a member of the organising committee of the WSF, whose third annual edition runs through next Tuesday in Porto Alegre, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

But opinions were found to vary widely from country to country, and curiously it was in the poorest countries that the lowest priority was set on social aspects: only 31 percent put social problems before economic questions in Mexico, followed by 44 percent in Russia, 51 percent in Nigeria and 53 percent in India.

At the other end of the spectrum, 80 percent of the Italian and South Korean respondents, 78 percent of those interviewed in the Netherlands, and 70 percent of Canadians put the question of economic development in second place.

Another curious aspect was that 74 percent of Germans and 71 percent of South Koreans said the economy was controlled by outside forces, compared to just 40 percent of those surveyed in Argentina. A majority of Chinese respondents -- 63 percent -- said they saw the globalisation process as ''the natural evolution of the economy.''

It was also the South Koreans and Germans who most loudly condemned globalisation for fuelling inequalities, while a majority of respondents in Mexico, Qatar, the United States and Nigeria said it presented ''opportunities for everyone.''

The WSF international council, made up of representatives of 130 organisations from around the world, and the organising commission presented the results of the study as evidence that the huge annual international gathering of social activists and left- leaning political leaders and academics in Porto Alegre reflects the concerns and desires of a majority of the world's population.

The effects of the WSF have also been felt in the peace demonstrations held across the globe since the United States generated a climate of ''terror and war'' in the wake of the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, said Grzybowiski.

The protests, like the one that brought a million people together during the European Social Forum in Florence, Italy in November, highlight the public's objections to a war on Iraq.

But the issue of what many see as an impending US-led war against Iraq was virtually absent in the massive demonstration held to mark the opening of the WSF Thursday afternoon.

The question seemed to be more of a concern among the foreigners who have arrived at the WSF than among the Brazilian demonstrators.

It was Brazil's new president, long-time trade unionist and leader of the leftist Workers' Party (PT) Luiz Inácio ''Lula'' da Silva, as well as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who were the heroes -- though present in spirit only -- of the huge march.

The Palestinian issue was at the top of people's minds, judging from the support for the Palestinian cause evident at the demonstration. Men and women, some with faces covered by the traditional Palestinian scarves, were cheered by bystanders all along the route of the march.

The placards that were raised against war in Iraq had slogans like ''Bush=Hitler'' and ''Oil War''. But these little signs and their slogans were drowned in the sea of red PT flags and the passionate chanting in support of Lula and Arafat.

There were as many people lined up along the streets cheering the marchers as those who joined the flow. People were chanting and dancing, whether taking part in the demonstration or out on the street to show support.

Following Lula's victory in Brazil's October elections with 61 percent of the vote, the left is no longer the marginal force it had seemed to have become just a few years ago.

A sea of red flags gave the rally its dominant colour. Heroes of the left, like the legendary Cuban guerrilla Che Guevara and Cuban President Fidel Castro, seemed to be borne on red flags with renewed confidence.

While Lula has toned down his strong leftist rhetoric of earlier years, his victory has served to reinforce even the extreme fringes of the left he stepped away from, evident in their presence at the rally.

Scores of unions, political groups and non-governmental organisations joined the demonstration. What gave it strength was the spontaneous support it drummed up from the public, quite independent of the WSF agenda.

At the WSF inaugural ceremony, Porto Alegre Mayor Joao Verle lamented the decision to hold next year's edition in India, saying that Rio Grande do Sul and its capital would gladly host the fourth edition of the annual forum that emerged in 2001 as a sort of counterpoint to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

At any rate, Porto Alegre is to once again be the venue in 2005, as it has been in the first three editions.

According to Amid Sengupta, with the India branch of the WSF, and other representatives from Asia, the decision to hold next year's gathering in India will give the leading global movement against neoliberal economic policies a more international flavour.

Noting that the delegations from Africa and Asia are small due to the enormous distances and costs involved in participating, Sengupta argued that the WSF must be held in other regions, not only South America, in order to become ''truly international.''

Although the decision has yet to be formally approved next month at a meeting of social and labour activists and womens' groups in New Delhi, Indian textile trade unionist Meena Menon told IPS that it was highly unlikely that her country would turn down the opportunity.

But Porto Alegre will continue to host the parallel activities to the WSF, such as the World Education Forum, said Roberto Savio, president emeritus of Inter Press Service (IPS) and a member of the WSF international council.

Along with media outlets like Le Monde Diplomatique, the IPS international news agency is participating in communications activities surrounding the WSF. For example, IPS is producing Terraviva, an on-line and print publication that has basically become the daily newspaper of international conferences.

The WSF belongs to civil society, and the Brazilian government respects its autonomous character, said Luiz Dulci, secretary- general of the presidency, who represented Lula in the inaugural ceremony.

''We must combat inequality, while respecting and valuing differences as a fundamental aspect of democracy,'' stated Dulci, who recognised the WSF's ability to reflect diversity in a sort of ''mosaic,'' which he said was an example for governments to follow.

The WSF is exclusive to civil society, and independent of governments and political parties, whose representatives can participate as guests but without setting forth initiatives, said Francisco Withaker, another member of the Brazilian organising committee.

The host governments offer their support, including funding, but without interfering, he pointed out, adding that they accept the ''total autonomy'' of the Forum.

The geometric growth of the annual gathering, however, has generated increasing organisational difficulties. This year some 100,000 people are taking part, up from 75,000 last year. The schedule for the 1,700 workshops and seminars to take place over the next five days was not even ready when the Forum opened.

* With contributions from IPS correspondents Gustavo Capdevila and Sanjay Suri. (END/2003)