La Jornada
February 5, 2002

Porto Alegre, Brazil - The second Global Social Forum (FSM) was closed this Tuesday with a party of lively music and the name "possible other world", a slogan of the event that has become the main event of anti-neo-liberal globalization on the planet and that had a turnout of 60 thousand, three times greater than the event of the past year. The FSM ended with a manifest -sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations -- from the organizations, with a clear message: "resistance against neo-liberalism, militarism and the war: for peace and social justice", along with clear criticisms of the "uni-lateralism" of the United States, the armed intervention in Afghanistan and a massive solidarity with Argentina. "We are a global solidarity movement, united in our determination to struggle against the concentration of wealth, the proliferation of poverty and the destruction of our planet. We are building an alternative system and using creative means to promote it," they concluded.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multi-lateral credit organizations, banks, corporations and governments of the developed countries were declared guilty of an invalid external debt, during a "trial" in an International Popular Tribunal of Debt set up by the FSM.

The manifest includes the decision by the "court" to "demand the restitution of the wealth taken from the south, as well as the payment of damages caused", and asks that the governments solicit "a consultation from the International Court of Hague about the validity of the external debt, and that the interest payments be suspended."

Another of the consensuses is a control and assessment of the movements of financial capitals: they ask that taxes be created on speculative capital and tax havens abolished. In another point the United States is accused of defending the interests of its large businesses while not respecting the agreements with Kyoto.

In Latin America the anti-ALCA (Free Trade of the Americas Area, propelled by the United States) is reflected in regional meetings of the Social Forum, and in the demonstrations that will reach a high point next September, when various street protests against the project will take place.

The conference summoned under the name "Another world is possible" for "A World without wars", in which Nobel Peace prize winner Roberta Menchu (1992, Guatemala), Adolfo Perez Esquivel (1980,Argentina) and Doctors without Borders (1999), represented by the International Committee president Morten Rostrup, participated ended with a manifest full of criticisms towards Washington, in particular for their actions in the war on terrorism.

"The terrorist attacks of September 11th were answered with the opening of terror as an answer in how countries should relate to one another", the text confirmed, according to which " the United States steps to impose its own will forcefully" and "a feeling of a new cold war was set in the world."

The Global Social Forum attacked the UN for their lack of action as a mediator in world conflicts, and called for a democratization of the organism or the creation of another with a true capacity for intervention.

The weight of the debates, that defended a variety of causes from sexual diversity to the reform of multi-lateral organizations, grew five fold.

Porto Alegre was consolidated as the capital of anti-neo-liberal globalization, though not forever. The third Global Social Forum will take place in 2003, but this edition will be preceded by the continental forums, of which, it has already been agreed, one will be in Quito and possibly another in Jerusalem. The idea is to take it to India in 2004.

The presence of thousands of various left-wing politicians in parallel forums of the parliaments and mayors, and international organisms -- in principal, a message sent from UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, helped to recognize and legitimize the forum, said the anti-neo-liberal Frenchman Jose Bove.

The closing ceremonies combined lively rhythms with a message from Nobel Prize for Literature winner Jose Saramago from Portugal, supporting justice and democracy; an indigenous ritual of thanks to Mother Earth and testimonies from the participants confirming the message of commitment to create a new world order in terms of economy, politics and society.

With a fable about justice, Saramago asked for "justice, simply justice, not the one that is wrapped in theatrical techniques... not the sword that cuts more from one side than the other, but justice, man's daily companion, essential to the spirit as life and nourishment of the body."

The indigenous Columbian Jose Pereira offered a ritual of thanks to nature, that takes place "when important things begin and end. Mother Earth is our essence, our reason for life", said Pereira, at the time he summoned the wind and the earth with a seashell, dressed entirely in white and with a scarf with a rainbow, a symbol for the diversity of the indigenous people.

Since January 31st, the participants of the forum discussed a wide range of concerns of the social movements in more than 800 conferences, debates and workshops in order to set a new world order, based on social justice.

This year the Global Social Forum, that became the largest anti-neo-liberal globalization meeting on the planet, had 51 thousand 300 participants, 15 thousand 230 delegates in the conferences, 11 thousand 600 young people in the Youth Camp and 4 thousand 909 organizations from 130 countries, the organization informed at the close of the meeting. The forum served to enforce the movements of those opposed to globalization before the Head of State Chiefs of Europe in Barcelona (Spain), the Conference of Nations United about the Financing Development of Monterrey (Mexico), both in March, or the Conference of the G-8 in June in Canada.

Translated from Spanish by Cynthia Connell.