Nairobi will turn to a beehive of historic proportions when an estimated 150,000 participants of the World Social Forum (WSF) gather to reflect on how to reverse global socio-economic injustices.
Most of the participants will hail from the global civil society and other social movements including faith institutions that are critical of neo-liberalism, seen to be spread by economic globalization.
Briefing a meeting in Nairobi of representatives of churches and church related agencies from all over Africa, Mr Oduor Ogweno, the head of the logistics committee for then forum, pointed out that WSF meetings will take place at Nyayo stadium and Kenyatta International Conference Centre to manage what is considered as logistics nightmare,
A global youth camp will be held at Railway Club. The opening and closing ceremony for the forum, planned for January will be at Uhuru Park, he went on adding that “there are quarters who expect Africa to fail in the hosting of WSF but I can assure you that the Nairobi meeting will succeed.”
A representative of Brazilian Ecumenical Forum Mr Jorge Atilio noted that Africa remains excluded from the world agenda except for its mineral resources. “This is as if Africans are sub-humans. WSF will provide an opportunity for Africa to find ways of exerting itself into the world agenda.”
The first WSF was held in Brazil six years ago and Mr Atilio is in Nairobi to share their experiences with the churches and church related agencies on how they can make an effective presence at the WSF. The present meeting which ends on Friday is an ecumenical consultation hosted by AACC and Caritas Africa
He expressed the hope that the African media, particularly in the host country, will play its social responsibility role to inform and educate the public on the WSF noting that the Brazilian media rose to the occasion to promote the participation of the people and social movements when Brazil held the WSF.
During plenary discussions examples of exploitation of African wealth was raised. It was noted that Belgium for instance, is the world’s largest exporter of diamonds while it has no diamond mine. Some 40 per cent on the global supply of Colton, a mineral used for the manufacture of mobile phones, comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Referring to the strength of the global ecumenical movement, Mr Atilio noted that the ecumenical development agencies were spending over US $ one billion a year on relief and development programmes in the Third World.
Concerns were also expressed on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Delegates said the proliferation was the cause of human insecurity in Africa. Kenya, it was noted, remains a destination of smuggled arms from the Horn of Africa.
Freedom, the delegates went on to note, can only be achieved if equality existed in a society and in international relations. They also noted that while United Nations championed the cause for human rights, the leading violators of human rights were governments.