wfn.org | FEATURE: Contextualizing Lessons Learnt at World Social Forum

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

FEATURE: Contextualizing Lessons Learnt at World Social Forum
LWF Delegation Focused on Economic Justice, HIV/AIDS, Rights-based Issues

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil/GENEVA, 28 January 2005 (LWI) * Lutheran pastor
Augustine Jeyakumar participated in a World Social Forum (WSF) for the
first time in January 2004 in Mumbai, India. It was also the first time
that the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI) was taking
part in the global gathering of civil society groups and movements. "The
experience was so positive that in August 2004, the UELCI held a Lutheran
World Social Forum, bringing together 80 participants from different
levels of church leadership," remarks Jeyakumar, executive secretary of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) National Committee in India.

This year Jeyakumar is a member of the 60-person LWF delegation at the
January 26-31 WSF in Porto Alegre. "We learnt a lot the first time. The
objective of participating in this event is to interpret and contextualize
the information one gains here," he says. The LWF team includes member
churches' representatives drawn from 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe,
Latin America and the Caribbean and North America, as well as staff from
the Geneva secretariat and from the Department for World Service (DWS)
field programs.

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, LWF/DWS program officer for sustainable development and environment sees the WSF as a great opportunity to gather different
people and ideas and foster global strategy to encounter common concerns.
"With its unique diversity, the WSF is an excellent space for understanding the problems and issues faced by civil society today," he notes.

The LWF is part of a global ecumenical coalition that includes the World
Council of Churches (WCC), Association of WCC-related Development
Organizations in Europe (APRODEV), Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Caritas
Internationalis, International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity,
Young Men's Christian Association, Young Women's Christian Association,
World Student Christian Federation, National Children's Alliance,
Ecumenical Forum in Brazil, and a host of other world-wide ecumenical
organizations.

Under the overarching ecumenical theme, "Affirming Life in Dignity:
Enhancing Justice and Rights in a Globalized World," the LWF is organizing
and cooperating with other ecumenical organizations in seminars, workshops
and other discussion forums on interfaith dialogue and cooperation for
peace and reconciliation; illegitimate debt; human rights and economic
globalization; global governance; indigenous people; the right to food;
violence against women; children in armed conflict; and HIV/AIDS.

Célia Medrano, from the LWF/DWS Central America regional office is
participating in the WSF for the first time, but has very clear expectations of the event: "The WSF must have effective results and continuous
actions," she says. She is concerned that the enthusiasm among WSF
advocates does not "end up like a big party without concrete results." But
Medrano is also aware that the "enemies" of organized civil society
movements are wary of actions that can arise from a meeting such as this
one. "They fear that words can become actions," she adds.

This year's is the first WSF for Akberet Fre, LWF/DWS Eritrea program. She
plans to take part in workshops and seminars that focus on human rights,
equality and justice. "Independent since 1993, Eritrea is a young country
that has only recently [begun to talk openly about] the rights of women
and children," she says. Her goal "is to meet many people here in Porto
Alegre, discuss different ideas and return home with new knowledge and
experiences that can be applied locally." She applauds the LWF's initiative to organize such a diverse delegation to Porto Alegre.

The WSF is an open meeting where civil society groups and social movements
engaged in building a people-centered civil society come together to share
experiences, debate ideas, build networks and create possibilities. It was
first held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001 and is an ongoing process under
the theme "Another World is Possible." An estimated 120,000 people are
expected to take part in 2,500 events scheduled by some 4,000 non-governmental organizations from 112 countries. (642 words)

(Reported for LWI by Porto Alegre-based journalist Susanne Buchweitz.)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 65 million Lutherans. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches
in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations,
theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the
various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is
located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless
specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or
opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an
article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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