Another world is possible

Activists around the world will be organising events this weekend to mark the annual mobilisation of the World Social Forum (WSF).

The World Social Forum 2008 banner

Thousands of groups from the global justice movement will take part in the WSF's Global Day of Action on 26 January, including:

Environmental activists
Peasant farmers' movements
Women's organisations
Development and human rights groups

Social verses economic

The WSF's purpose is to coordinate global campaigns against:

Injustice and exploitation
Corporate power
Environmental destruction

The WSF is timed to coincide with the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting of global business and political leaders.

They come together to work out how to manage the global economy often in the interests of multinational corporations and global elites.

Act local, think global

Friends of the Earth will be joining development campaign organisations in an action to highlight the problems with new European trade deals, including Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

EPAs are trade deals currently being forced on 76 countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region (ACP) by the EU.

EPAs will damage industries, jobs, livelihoods and the environment in these countries

Resisting unjust trade deals

Before Christmas many ACP governments were bullied into signing up to interim deals.

In 2008 they face pressure from the EU to go even further. To sign away their rights to control investment by multinational corporations in their economies.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the UK Government to use its influence to stop these unfair deals from going ahead.

We want to halt the EU's destructive corporate-driven trade agenda.

Instead an alternative approach to trade that protects poor communities and the environment must be developed.