World Social Forum concludes in Karachi

Karachi, Mar 29 (UNI) The World Social Forum (WSF) concluded here today after discussing some of the burning issues, especially of South Asian region such as peace initiative between India and Pakistan, the Jammu and Kashmir issue and ongoing US-led process of globalisation.

Majority of delegates from some 58 countries described the forum as a major success in addressing the core issues of imperialism and globalisation, which have led to increased poverty and social injustices in the developing world.

''It had been a big success as it enabled the delegates to discuss some of very important issues such as fighting dictatorships, promoting democracies, ensuring social justice and eradicating poverty from the developing world,'' a British Social Workers Party leader Geoff Brown told reporters.

Over 20,000 delegates from south and South-East Asia, China, West Asia, Europe and the Americas attended the six-day forum, which had begun last Friday with a slogan 'another world is possible' and a call to ''rethink and recreate'' globalisation.

The forum was founded in 2001 by community organisers, trade unionists, youth groups and academics, as an alternative to the establishment of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Mr Brown did not agree to the contentions by some of the delegates including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik that WSF is no longer capable of representing voice of the oppressed as it had become a debating club.

''Yasin Malik is wrong... He misunderstands the basic concept of the forum'' to discuss and debate the issues, he added.

He said the Karachi forum would give a big boost to resistance movements all over the world.

Ms Nirmala Desh Pande, member Rajya Sabha, said ''Now we should think of raising another slogan, victory to whole world for peace and justice.'' UNI XC AD MSJ RS1859