EAPN at the World Social Forum

133.000 people from 142 countries gathered in the city of Belem – Brazil for the 9th World Social Forum (WSF) which took place from 27 January through to 1 February. The Forum was held in Belem to acknowledge the vital importance of the natural resources that still exist in that part of the planet and which are tremendously threatened by our current model of development.  The forum took place in the context of several world crisis: economic, social, environmental, cultural and political and was an opportunity for progressive movements to ‘re fuel’ and to set out a road map for further actions to promote a world based on greater democratic accountability which is more social and sustainable.  Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN, was present at the WSF.
 
For EAPN participating in the WSF was an opportunity to link the struggle against poverty in Europe to the struggle against poverty in other parts of the globe. EAPN’s participation in the WSF was facilitated by our engagement with Dignity International.  At the side of the WSF, Dignity International organised a meeting where EAPN participated, involving the Four Regions Slum Network and the Assembly of the Poor from Thailand, the International Alliance of Inhabitants, the Nairobi People’s settlement Network, Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (Mumbai) and the Union of Movements for Housing from Brazil.  Through Dignity International, EAPN has for the last number of years been building up contacts with these movements as part of a ‘linking and learning’ programme on human rights.  This meeting allowed this contact to develop further and to begin to develop a global human rights campaign aimed at strengthening the on the ground work of each of the organisations involved.  The same partners were also involved in a session on ‘people’s power’ as part of the events in the WSF.
 
Been present in Belem was also an opportunity to visit some settlements in the city and to see first had the extent of the problems faced and the work undertaken by the social movements there.  One visit was to a settlement where just over three years ago 1700 families had occupied some private land.  After resisting efforts at eviction and after long negotiations with the local and Federal authorities, three years later the communities are in the middle of building a housing programme of some 2000 houses.  One resident of one of the newly constructed houses invited us into her home and told us of the improvement it has made to her life and the life of her two children, to have been able to move from the temporary wooden huts to the new house.  It was clear that while there had been a huge improvement that life continued to be difficult living without any regular income.
 
Such stories of ‘peoples power’ are at the heart of the inspiration that comes from the privilege of been present at the WSF.  Such stories also reaffirm that as EAPN we must struggle to ensure that cooperation rather than competition is the motto for EU action and that social and sustainable development replaces the current paradigm of competitiveness and growth.  In doing this work EAPN can play its part in trying to ensure that the WSF has some real follow up and can keep alive the dream that another world is possible.