The WSF officially gets underway at 4:30 local time today, with a large demonstration through the city. However the last couple of days activists from around the world have been arriving in large numbers. At the Youth Camp, as of the 28th, there were no more than 150 people, however as of this morning the numbers had risen to over 7000, with many more to come.

Porto Alegre Brazil- The WSF officially gets underway at 4:30 local time today, with a large demonstration through the city. However the last couple of days activists from around the world have been arriving in large numbers. At the Youth Camp, as of the 28th, there were no more than 150 people, however as of this morning the numbers had risen to over 7000, with many more to come. People at the youth camp are from all around the world. Though the largest contingents are brazilean, with a substantial argentinean faction. Our quebec delegation is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50. Outside of the the youth camp are thousands upon thousands of delegates. Last night, I met a Malawi woman, a Nigerian environementalist, a detroit man in a group for the revival of the city, numerous French and Argentinian activists.
It is a nice city that is quite wealthy. The city is full of posters with the WSF statement of a better world is possible. More interesting, however, is I have seen a number of billboards that have dynamite and say that dynamite is the only way of getting rid of neo-liberalism, think about the outcry in canada over a similar billboard. The local media is full of WSF information. As well international media is everywhere. I met a reporter from the largest Milan newspaper and cameraman from Italian state run T.V. On the way down here I read articles about the WSF in the NY times, Le Devoir, La Presse and a number of Brazilean newspapers. Obviously this WSF is substantially larger than last years both in tersm of attendees and international press. It is clearly hard for mainstream media to ignore what becomes well known amongst activists.
Im currently writting from the Quebec delegations headquaters. Not the youth camp delegation, but one that consists of Jacques Parizeau and Louise Beaudoin (minister of international affairs and francophonie). The attendance of people like Beaudoin and Parizeau, as well as over 30 European Union parliament members, has fuelled a debate between the reformist and the anti-capitalist factions of the WSF. I understand that this debate has made its way to the organizers of the Forum and they have drafted a bit that calls for the militantization of the Forum.
The WSF itinerary is overwhelming. The paper with all of the seminars has over 5 pages of different discussions for each day. This is on top of the hundreds of discussions that are taking place outside of the WSf, like the Brazilean anarchist discussions taking place at a local union hall. Hopefully these different discussions and the numerous social encounters will help to share information and expand international links between the numerous different social justice activists.