ECONOMY: Lula da Silva Pleads with the Mighty for War on Hunger

By Emad Mekay Reprint | | Print |

Emad Mekay

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27 2003 (IPS) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talking to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people said no to a war on Iraq and no to Western protectionist policies, but a yes to the fight against hunger and to bridging a gap between the world’s rich and poor.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talking to some of the world’s richest and most powerful people said no to a war on Iraq and no to Western protectionist policies, but a yes to the fight against hunger and to bridging a gap between the world’s rich and poor.

During a well-attended speech Sunday at the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering of corporate executives and political leaders, the recently elected Brazilian president, commonly known as Lula, 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 on one side and practise protectionism on the other side."

Lula, who had come from the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, a rival forum to the one in Davos, said that rich countries fiercely guard their protectionist policies but "we should not make any concessions to them and we are going to fight."

Lula 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 a gathering of corporate executives. "If the rich countries are hard-nosed negotiators, we can’t give in either."

Lula who appeared relaxed and confident during his first time at the exclusive organization said in reference to a possible U.S. war against Iraq that rich countries 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," he said. "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 spending money 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."

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

Lula 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, who he 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 joked towards the end of his encounter with some of the world’s richest and most powerful people saying that he is going home intact and urged more dialogue between the Porto Alegre forum and the one 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," he told hundreds of participants. "Nor have I taken a bite out of you. 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, he said. "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 see so huge."

Lula, who was applauded several times, appeared to be also well received here.

"It was very important that he was coming from Porto Alegre," Philippe Petit from 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 anti-corporate globalisation activities and corporate leaders.

"I think that it’s very important that he tries to bridge a gap between Porto Alegre and Davos," said 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 participants in designer’s suits and Rolex watches with an important message. "You’re going to be hearing a lot about one scrappy president," he said.