wfn.org | LWF Delegation Participates in World Social Forum, Brazil

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

"Another World is Possible"

GENEVA, 23 January 2003 (LWI) - A Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
delegation comprising representatives of member churches in
Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and India, and some LWF staff will
participate in the World Social Forum (WSF) 2003, which begins
today in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Up to 100,000 people are expected to take part in the January
23-28 third session of the WSF focusing on debate and discussion
on concrete strategies and alternatives to current social and
economic policies worldwide. The theme of the forum is "Another
World is Possible."

Leader of the delegation, Rev. Angel Furlan, president of the
United Evangelical Lutheran Church, Argentina, and moderator of
the Bishops and Presidents Conference of the LWF Latin American
member churches, echoed this sentiment as he prepared to travel to
Porto Alegre. "We firmly believe that another world is possible,
because we have seen this world already anticipated in the
ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, we want to join the
forum firmly rooted in this hope and actively participating with
others in the construction of this other world."

The WSF, launched in Porto Alegre for the first time in January
2001, attracts a diverse range of participants from social
movements, labor unions, environmental concern groups and
faith-based groups as well as development workers and academics.
It was established as a response to the World Economic Forum and
intends to search for alternatives to current models of economic
and political governance that result in injustice and
marginalization of the poor and vulnerable.

The delegation sees its participation as a first response to the
"Call for Transforming Economic Globalization," a process begun
during the June 2002 LWF Council meeting in Wittenberg, Germany.
At the forum, the group will contribute to a much broader
ecumenical presence. As part of this ecumenical effort, the LWF
will convene workshops under the themes, "God and Globalization:
God's Project and the Neoliberal Project," "Illegitimate Debt: An
Ethical Approach to Debt Issues," and "Trade and Human Rights:
Concepts and Latest Developments". In mounting these workshops,
the LWF will cooperate with partners such as the Ecumenical
Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Church Aid, Jubilee South, and the
International NGO Committee on Human Rights in Trade and
Investment.

Summarizing his expectations of the forum, Rev. Furlan said, "We
are very happy that the LWF followed our petition of being present
at the current WSF. We expect strong impulses for our continuing
work and reflection on issues related to economic globalization,
but also as we prepare for the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly in
Winnipeg, Canada."

Members of the LWF delegation are available for interview and may
be contacted through the LWF Office for Communication Services,
Geneva, via E-mail: dmg@lutheranworld.org
or  TEL.: +41/22 791 63 53

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical 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 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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