International Global Justice Movement Discusses Alternative Development Models at World Social Forum in Brazil
Interview by Between The Lines' Scott Harris
While the corporate elite, political leaders, protesters and police competed for attention and control of the cold streets of New York during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, social justice activists from around the globe converged on Porto Alegre, Brazil for the World Social Forum. Designed to offer an alternative to the Economic Forum's market-driven vision for the world, the Social Forum drew more than 40,000 this year from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin and North America.
Luminaries of the left such as social critic Noam Chomsky, and Jose Bove, the French farmer whose acts of civil disobedience against McDonald's won him international folk hero status, were among the thousands of activists, academics, workers and students representing the growing global social justice movement there. Hundreds of workshops, meetings and plenary sessions were held in Porto Alegre to explore alternative models for economic and environmentally sustainable development.
Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with John Cavanagh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies, who attended the World Social Forum and discusses the deliberations and action plans that came out of the Porto Alegre gathering.
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Contact the Institute for Policy Studies at (202) 234-9382 or visit their Web site at www.ips-dc.org The World Social Forum Web site can be accessed at www.worldsocialforum.org
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