Tens of thousands of anti-globalization activists gathered to renew their vows against big business and express concern at the prospect of war against Iraq.

Tens of thousands of protesters demonstrate in an anti-globalization and anti-war rally that opened the 3rd World Social Forum in Porto Alegre on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003. The forum is an annual protest against the World Economic Forum held simultaneously in Davos, Switzerland.

The World Social Forum opened at Catholic University to a flurry of anti-war banners, with activists waving two Iraqi flags and carrying a photo-montage that compared US President George W. Bush to Hitler with the caption "Down with the imperialist war on Iraq."

"Peace and an anti-war position are being outlined as the main theme," organizer Sergio Haddad said.

At the opening ceremony, organizers released a survey of 15,000 people in 15 countries that found six in 10 people believe social issues should take precedence over globalization and economic growth.

"The survey shows how in tune we are with the thoughts of society, with ordinary people, and it shows us that this is a movement we must believe in," said Candido Grzybowski, one of the poll's organizers.

The forum runs for six days, and for the third year will seek to act as a counter-weight to the World Economic Forum of business and economic leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Organizers said 100,000 people from 157 countries would take part in the forum, which will be addressed by the country's new left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who has been confronted by an opposition general strike.

About 30,000 people have set up a camp in the center of Porto Alegre where organic food is served and the sun and moon are the emblems on specially-minted currency to circulate for the duration of the forum.

Lula was to attend the opening day of the Porto Alegre forum and speak at the Davos economic forum, though he said he would take the same message of the need to fight hunger and social inequality to both gatherings.

"After having participating for the third time at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, I'm going to Davos to show that another world is possible. Davos should listen to Porto Alegre," Lula said in a statement.

"Just as a new social contract is needed in Brazil, a global pact is needed to reduce the distance between rich countries and poor countries.

"It's unacceptable that at the start of a new millennium, millions of human beings have nothing to eat," he said.

Lula, who is to go to Davos on January 26, said his message to world economic and business leaders will be that "rich nations need to distribute the planet's wealth."

But much of the talks at the social forum will be on Iraq, and the growing likelihood of a US-led war against its leader Saddam Hussein.

A debate on how peace can be achieved despite that threat is scheduled for January 27, "the day UN weapons inspectors are due to deliver their report on their inspections in Iraq" to the UN Security Council, said organizer Candido Grybowski.

The Venezuelan ambassador to Brazil, Vladimir Villegas, said the country's beleaguered leader, Chavez, would make an appearance at the social forum on Sunday.

Chavez, who has been confronted by an opposition general strike for more than seven weeks, was invited by a solidarity committee at the forum.

Ministers from other major governments, including France's Education Minister Luc Ferry, will also be in Porto Alegre.

Last year, 55,000 people took part in the forum, more than double the level of participation in 2001.

The United States has the largest delegation this year, with 1,800 participants from the world business and political superpower.

Organizers said the forum has gathered a momentum of its own since the first gathering in 2001, also in Porto Alegre, moving away from simply stating the case against rampant capitalism.

"The people who make the trip come in search of alternatives, not so much against globalization but in favor of another kind of globalization, that makes man a priority once again," said Benoit Berger, a member of the World Social Forum international council.

Copyright 2003 AFP

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