The V World Social Forum (WSF) came to an official end, January 31, with the presentation of 352 suggestions made by organizations and participants that affixed their ideas to a mural of proposals exhibiting the conclusions reached over the course of the six days of debates in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.
The Forum’s closing ceremony, which was held on the banks of the Guaíba River, preserved the plurality of nations, races, and languages extant in the capital of Rio Grande de Sul since last Wednesday, January 26.
The suggestions are wide-ranging, from the creation of work groups to discussions on women’s rights to the proposal for daily personal engagement in the fight to end inequalities.
Five artistic presentations, representing the five continents, marked the closing ceremony.
Each group put together music and dance numbers alluding to the principal global struggles, such as peace in Iraq, Palestinian liberation, and the battle against the HIV virus in Africa.
The banner of banners, created at the III Forum, was formally paraded before the participants.
Each year a huge banner formed of the banners of social movements that attend the WSF wins new adherents. The banner already stretches for more than 20 meters.
Next year’s Forum will be held simultaneously in various spots around the world. For the time being, only Venezuela and Morocco have expressed their desire to host the event. A country somewhere in Africa has already been determined as the site of the 2007 Forum.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil