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World Social Forum leaves organisers in upbeat mood(Gulf News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Karachi: The six-day World Social Forum ended in Karachi yesterday. Thousands of activists attended the concluding ceremony and a musical concert in which performers sang and danced almost all night to the delight of the cheering crowd. The forum, with peace, democracy and women and workers' rights on its agenda was a huge success, said organisers. "The World Social Forum [WSF] was a success beyond our expectations," said Karamat Ali, one of the main organisers and a senior labour leader. "We were expecting a modest participation, but more than 20,000 delegates participated in the WSF, including 3,000 foreigners," he said. "Though the forum did not pass any resolutions, the organisations and individuals raised several key issues." Farmers, industrial workers, fishermen, human rights and political activists and youngsters from all over the world attended the forum which included more than 400 events. It gave Pakistani leftist groups a platform to air their views. "One of the major achievements of the forum was that for the first time leaders from both sides of Kashmir met and discussed the issue at length," Ali said. Anti-US sentiment dominated the forum where every day participants condemned the American occupation of Iraq. Labour rights, environmental degeneration, and globalisation attracted the most heated debates led mostly by the Indian delegation, which was the biggest with about 700 people. But the biggest winner was Karachi, which is seen as a dangerous place for foreigners because of a string of terrorist attacks and its history of political and religious violence. "My impressions about Karachi have changed," said Marjan Lucas, a delegate from Holland. "It is a very vibrant city with friendly people. The reality is different from whatever is being portrayed in the media." Organisers said despite its anti-establishment agenda, the government went all out to facilitate the event, which would go a long way in building Karachi's image. |