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 Re: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - MUMBAI-INDIA (Re: Elmamoun khider)
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WORLD SOCIAL FORUM
- 19 January - 4th Day Report
by Dr. Leo Rebello
Today, 19th January, 2004, from 9 am to 1 pm "Towards World Parliament" workshop was held at the World Social Forum. 50 persons from 20 countries participated in the discussions. Nicola Vallinoto of the World Federalist Movement (www.wfm.org, Italy, was the convenor. Dr. Leo Rebello, Co-President of World Constitution and Parliament Association chaired the session.
Following persons spoke :
- James Arputharaj, Sri Lanka, World Federalist Movement.
- Rasmus Tenberger, Germany, The Global Democracy Experiment.
- ######## Burkhart & Mona Lee, USA, Bike for Global Democracy.
- Dr. Sichendra Bista, Nepal, eParliament.org
- Rob Wheeler, France, Forum for a World Parliament
- Dr. Carmo D'Souza, India, Lecturer in Goa Law College.
- Mikael Nordfors, Norway, Vivarto Co-operative.
- Troy Davis, USA, World Citizens Foundation.
- Werner Bulling, Germany, Citizens Initiative for For the Europe of the Citizens.
- Prof. Andrew Strauss, USA, Widener University, School of Law.
- Manuel Mononelles, Campaign for Indepth Reform of International Insitutions.
- Prof. Seshrao Chavan, President, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Aurangabad Chapter, India.
- Shishir Srivastava, Dy. Head of World Unity and Peace Education Deptt. CMS, Lucknow.
The talks were followed by comments from the audience in which every one participated.
Following resolutions were adopted unanimously.
1.. Establish World Parliament by 2010.
2.. World Democracy as the main theme at the next WSF.
3.. Website on World Parliament with weblinks to other Mundialist organisations.
4.. Network or Federation of World Democracy Organisations.
5.. World Parliament E-Forum to evolve World People's Basic Manifesto.
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After 1.00 pm, I reached the venue of World Parliamentary Forum to participate in the second day's deliberations.
Because of yesterday's protest, today Mr. Pema Jungney, the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, was allowed to speak. He urged the WPF to support them in their just demand and help to make Tibet a Zone of Peace and Ahimsa. Because of translations, and since the FM frequency not catching, some speeches in Portuguese, Spanish and French could not be understood. The Indian Parliamentarians who spoke included : Ram Vilas Paswan, R.S.Gavai, Ramdas Athavale, Manoj Bhattacharya and Nilotpal Basu, the convenor.
Dr. Leo Rebello urged the World Parliamentarians to create a Better World. He enumerated for them some world problems, which they cannot afford to neglect :
(a) Nuclear weapons, threat of nuclear war and nuclear winter.
(b) Other weapons of mass death and destruction.
(c) Conversion from armaments to a peaceful world economy.
(d) Nuclear energy production and unsolved waste disposal problems.
(e) Third world debt and development : Imminent collapse of global financial infrastructure without basic changes.
(f) Transition to New World Economic Order for adequate development, full employment at useful work for all, and global economic equity.
(h) Rapid increase of carbon dioxide in atmosphere, which may result in cataclysmic climatic changes. CO2 increase coming from burning fossil fuels, massive de-forestation, and de-mineralization of soils.
(i) Acid rain and transnational air pollution.
(j) Threat of a new ice age or melting polar caps. Global campaign to prevent such a disaster.
(k) Global transition from fossil fuels and nuclear energy to safe and sustainable energy supplies.
(l) Stopping the use of land to produce tobacco, alcoholic beverages, harmful drugs, sugar, and to satisfy meat industry.
(m) Drought conditions which are increasing and spreading, resulting in starvation and migration of millions of people. Causes and cure.
(n) Mal-distribution of world food supply, resulting in wide spread of malnutrition, resulting in widespread mental malfunctioning leading to threat to civilisation.
(o) Transnational pollution of fresh water supplies leading to shortage of pure drinking water and water riots.
(p) Ocean pollution which threatens Earth's fish and oxygen supplies.
(q) World wide use and abuse of pesticides harmful to people.
(r) Rapidity of technological changes, resulting in technological unemployment,
social and community instabilities, unforeseen adverse ecological impacts.
(s) Vast disparities between hi-tech economies versus low-tech economies. The process of technology transfer so as to benefit everyone.
(t) Tariffs, trade barriers, vast disparities in wage levels, inequitable access to resources and markets, movement of industries to low wage countries.
(u) Regulation of MNCs which manipulate, buy over or destroy even sovereignty of the state.
(v) Big dams which silt up quickly, cause ecological damage and displace people.
(w) Unsolved local problems due to supra-national factors leading to instabilities and dictatorships.
(x) Ethnic, religious, racial and political intolerances, regional wars, and problem of refugees.
(y) Terrorism: many forms, many causes.
(z) Global planning for wise use of natural resources as common heritage of humanity.
Farewell dinner was hosted by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who was present. I was on the table with the CM, Ram Vilas Paswan, MP and former Union Minister, R.S.Gavai, MP and others. Food spread was lavish and food was tasty. I have always maintained that no one can compete with us when it comes to food variety.
Reading through this morning’s newspapers, two things hit the eyes. An editorial in the Indian Express which called WSF a bubble and Free Press Journal reported the arrest of a South African High Court Judge in Bombay for "raping" Lizzane Solome Isacacs.
Briefly, Judge Sirajuddien Desai, 53, and Lizzane, 27, who is working as Project Manager of AIDS Awareness Resources Trust, are from South Africa. She was invited by the World Social Forum and was given a room on 3rd floor of Hotel Taj President, while Judge Desai was on the 9th floor room. She returned after dining and wining at Athena Club at 2.30 am, and visited the judge's room along with her colleague and had another round of wine with him. Thereafter she left with a friend. So far so good. But she called Judge Desai on his mobile again and with his permission she went to see him again (this time alone) at 3.30 am. He "raped" her and she shouted, but the room was closed and no one came to help her. Later she reported the incident to the hotel staff and they in turn called the police. Who is guilty? Judge or the AIDS project manager?
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Elmamoun khider
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست