World Social Forum: 'Globalization is destroying itself'

BELEM, Brazil (AFP) — The world economic crisis spells the death of globalization and action is needed to protect the poor, said organizers of the World Social Forum as it wrapped up in Brazil on Sunday.

"We have come out against neoliberal globalization, and now that this globalization is destroying itself we have to define the world we want," the founder of the event, Candido Grzybowski, told AFP.

Another member of the forum's organizing committee, Fatima Mello, said: "The crisis has forced us to improve our proposals. We have built up a big network against the crisis and we will launch various days of world action and campaigns this year to make sure the poor don't pay its high price."

The forum's leaders hailed the strong participation at this year's gathering, which brought together 133,000 people from unions, religious associations, family organizations, ecologists and other leftwing groups.

A large proportion of young attendees "guarantees the continuity of the World Social Forum," Grzybowski said.

The first major protest to be mounted from meetings at the forum will be on March 28, against a G20 summit ... // 58% Remaining