In a speech at the launching of the Global Call for Action against Poverty, at the V World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the encounter confirms that another world is possible, especially when it chooses hunger and poverty as a theme.
The campaign, which represents an initiative by over 100 organizations representing civil society, calls for the pardon of poor countries’ foreign debts and changes in international trade, in order to fulfill the Goals of the Millenium proposed by the United Nations (UN).
Lula criticized the time when Brazil had its view fixed exclusively on Europe and the United States, and he affirmed that this stance put the country in the position of turning its back on South America and Africa.
Lula said that, despite being a poor country, Brazil helps finance the development of other South American countries through partnerships with the participation of the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES).
The Brazilian president also referred to the attention paid by Brazil to the African continent and partnerships established with Arab countries and large countries such as India and China.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil