KENYA: Thousands of people march as World Social Forum opens in Nairobi

Record ID: 360807

  • Title: KENYA: Thousands of people march as World Social Forum opens in Nairobi
  • Date: 20th January 2007
  • Summary: (BN10) NAIROBI, KENYA (JANUARY 20, 2007) (REUTERS) 'WORLD SOCIAL FORUM' DELEGATES AND PARTICIPANTS IN PEACE MARCH 'WORLD SOCIAL FORUM' BANNER HANGING ACROSS ROAD PEOPLE MARCHING WITH BANNERS AND PLACARDS LADY WITH JERRICAN LEADING OTHERS AND SINGING "WE ARE SEARCHING FOR WATER" VARIOUS OF WOMEN CARRYING POTS ON THEIR HEADS (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADWH4ZLD4F2D3T5UUGSFL4X3MZ
  • Story Text: More than 10,000 people from around the globe descended on one of Africa's biggest slums -- home to 800,000 of Kenya's poorest -- to dance, beat drums, chant and wave placards as the seventh annual World Social Forum kicks-off.
    The World Social Forum, mainly held in Latin America in the past, began in 2001 as a challenge to the annual gathering of business and government leaders in Davos, Switzerland opened on Saturday (January 20) with a march.
    A carnival-like crowd of camels, dancing street-boys, drum-beating Indians, guitar-strumming Italians and Kenyan women delicately holding pots on their heads to illustrate the difficulties African women go through to fetch water.
    The demonstrators carried banners and sang as they marched along. One woman, carrying an empty jerrican led a group of women singing "We are searching for water". And other women balanced clay pots on their heads as they marched from the slums at the start of an anti-capitalist fest hosted by the continent for the first time.
    "We are telling the world and especially the rich people in America - all over. Instead of fighting and buying arms, can they bring food and water, clean water to the women in the village and even in the slums," said Beatrice Njau from Women peace makers organisation in Nairobi,
    Organisers say about 80,000 activists and campaigners have descended on the Kenyan capital to share ideas and advocate against poverty, unfair trade rules, debt and conflict.
    "We are here to give joy and peace," said Franciscan brother Ettore Marangi, clad in flowing brown cassock and dusty rubber slippers. "Lets get violence in the name of religion out."
    Past forums have been attended by left-wing leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But the star focus this year was on Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai and South African anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu, both of whom are Nobel laureates.
    Chavez was rumoured to be coming in days, but the Venezuelan Embassy in Nairobi said they had no confirmed plans.
    Anti-American feeling was predictably rife on Saturday. Delegates held up a placard reading "World's No. 1 Terrorist" above a picture of U.S. leader George W. Bush.
    Despite all the ideals and political passion, some confessed they were simply there to have a good time. The peace march ended at Nairobi's Uhuru (Freedom) Park, where the official opening of the Forum was to take place.
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