Starting today, the city of Bamako, in Mali, will be hosting the African regional edition of the 6th World Social Forum (WSF). Brazilian Minister Matilde Ribeiro, head of the Special Secretariat of Policies to Promote Racial Equality (Seppir), will be the Brazilian government’s chief representative at the event.
At the opening of the Forum, Ribeiro will participate in the panel, "The Struggle of Women from the South: Ethics, Politics, and Decolonization of Thinking."
She is expected to address the situation of black women in South America and the Caribbean and highlight Brazilian policies concerning gender and race.
The Minister also plans to meet with African officials to discuss the Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the African Diaspora, which will take place in Brazil from May 8-10.
Unlike the previous five editions, this year’s World Social Forum will be decentralized and held in three cities, rather than one.
The African edition of the 6th WSF will run through January 23. The American edition will take place in Caracas, Venezuela, from January 24-29. An Asian edition is expected to be held in Karachi, Pakistan, at a date yet to be determined.
ABr