[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Durban pre-WSF media coverage

[Patrick Bond]

(The opening sentence needs expansion, to include many other 
organisations which are planning the WSF Festival: Diakonia Council of 
Churches, Streetnet, Treatment Action Campaign, Congress of SA Trade 
Unions, CCS, etc.)

www.themercurcy.co.za

A battle to improve lives of the poor
January 25, 2008 Edition 1

Sipho Khumalo

The KwaZulu-Natal Social Movement Indaba, made up of organisations 
fighting to better the lot of the poor, has planned a workshop and a 
march through the city of Durban this weekend to highlight the 
grievances of the downtrodden.

They have been arranged to coincide with the World Social Forum Global 
Day of Action being marked by organisations fighting for "a new order" 
and the closing of the gap between the poor and the rich.

The new resolve to intensify the battle to improve the lot of the poor 
and to link up this struggle with other international organisations was 
announced by human rights activist Denis Brutus at a press conference at 
Diakonia, Durban, this week.

Brutus said that tomorrow KwaZulu-Natal would join the rest of the world 
in a Global Day of Action to protest against marginalisation of the poor 
in a world dominated by capitalists.

"We are determined to create an alternative world and fight against the 
new emerging tribe of wabenzi (those owning Mercedes-Benz vehicles) in 
Africa," he said.

He said the march would be preceded by a workshop at Diakonia where 
participants, including renowned human rights activist Fatima Meer, 
would debate the plight of the poor and work out strategies of placing 
their struggles on the government's agenda.

The World Social Forum is an open forum in which social movements, 
networks, NGOs and other civil society organisations come together to 
raise issues, debate ideas democratically, formulate proposals, share 
experiences, and network for effective action.