Worcester Indymedia member reports on the World Social Forum 2009 in Belém do Para, Brazil.

More info and a 5 minute trailer on our film can be found at http://Ciclovida.org
More info about the World Social Forum, including statements from various social movements can be found at http://www.fsm2009amazonia.org.br

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr9L6prAfI8

The text below is equivalent to the narration of the 2 minute video short, offered here for those unable to view or hear the video.

The World Social Forum, now in its 9th year of existence, provides and open space for alliance and movement building in the creation of another world based on solidarity, democracy and justice. Their slogan is that “Another World Is Possible”.

Over two hundred thousand participants came to Belém, the port city to the Amazon region, to participate in workshops, seminars, and performances of all kinds from January 27 to February 1st of this year. The strong presence and participation of indigenous groups from the Amazon regions brought a powerful energy to the mega conference.

Many participants found that workshop scheduling was disorganized and dominated by large non-governmental organizations, making it hard to find activities of interest in the official program.

The convergence of so many groups, however, did provide space for more spontaneous events, such as the “Days of Anarchism”, which held events just outside the forum in a community center along with residents of a nearby neighborhood who had been kept out of and not felt welcome at the official event.

It was in these spaces, and others within the youth camp and official forum that our film team found lively locations to show the trailer to our film, Ciclovida: Lifecycle – a documentary about a group of small Brazilian farmers who bicycle 6000 miles to gather natural seeds and expose the destructive force of monocultures to produce “biofuels”. It was well received and lasting connections were made.

More info and a 5 minute trailer on our film can be found at http://Ciclovida.org
More info about the World Social Forum, including statements from various social movements can be found at http://www.fsm2009amazonia.org.br