Mumbai WSF and HIV/AIDS issues

[Guest guest]

The World Social Forum 2004 in Bombay has attracted almost 100,000

anti-globalisation activists from not just across India, but around

the world. It is the fourth year that an event has been held in

parallel with the World Economic Forum, a gathering of business

leaders and politicians in Davos, Switzerland.

Message of Hope Sandeep Chachra ActionAid India

A new world is both a hope and a dream and one that is possible.

This was the resounding message from representatives of dispossessed

people at the World Social Forum in Mumbai. More than a 100,000

people sang, danced and protested. We found collective dreams. And we

discussed and debated with hope and enthusiasm. Friendships defined

the forum. While many questions were asked, many answers were found.

Why do people go hungry? Why are people excluded? Why do nations

suffer and who creates the suffering. Why do nations kill? What can

we do to stop this? How do women define the world?

Why are minorities pushed and killed? What does religion teach? How

do we redefine the world order? Equity, justice and peace were at the

crux of all the answers.

African participation It was the first time the forum had a large

African participation and that HIV/AIDS was discussed on a number of

platforms. It was also the first time that the World Social Forum was

not held in Brazil, enabling groups from across India to take part.

The forum brought together small groups for poor people, larger non-

governmental organisations, social movements and trade.

They shared one platform, along with their differences, to debate

issues such as land and housing rights, religious fundamentalism,

ethnicity and issues which concern excluded groups such as disabled

people, sex workers, street children, those living in chronic hunger,

HIV-positive people, " untouchables " and tribespeople.

Alliances

Alliances were formed. One such, which ActionAid India helped

facilitate, was the Alliance of the Marginalised People.

More than 1,000 people joined the alliance to develop an agenda for

care and social change. Participants joined from all over India -

homeless people, street children, sex workers, HIV-positive people,

those with disabilities, people living in chronic hunger, landless

labourers, " untouchables " and others affected by violence and

conflict.

The forum conveyed messages in more powerful and effective ways

through cultural events. These included picture exhibitions, stage

and street drama, poetry recitals, songs, dance, mimicry and

documentary films. When the forum started, a young woman asked me

what she could take away from the event. She wanted to know more

about the world. It was perhaps enough just to go around the forum,

participating and learning about protests against injustice happening

around the globe. It would have been instructive of how the world is

today and what life is like for millions of people.

And she made new friends at the forum. This young woman could see for

herself the bricks which can build a new world. It will need her

strength of will, united with the collective effort of many others,

to turn our shared dreams into reality.

Sandeep Chachra is policy and partnership director for ActionAid

India

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3417059.stm