MINELRES: EFA Defends Cultural Diversity at the World Social Forum (WSF)

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Eva Mendoza <emendoza@e-f-a.org>


European Free Alliance
PRESS RELEASE

Porto Alegre, Brazil, 29th January 2005

EFA DEFENDS CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM (WSF)

Several representatives of the European Free Alliance (EFA) are
participating these days in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre,
Brasil.

EFA co-organizes with the Galiza Sempre Foundation a workshop about
Cultural Diversity and Democratic Deficit. G�nther Dauwen, Co-director
of EFA, will be one of the intervenants and will talk about the
necessity of a multilingual and multicultural society. Xos� Manuel
Beiras,  "President of the Fundaci�n Galiza Sempre" and member of the
Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG) and Hamilton Pereira, President of the
"Funda��o Perseu
Abramo (Brasil)" will form the panel with the EFA representative.
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya's representative Pillar Dellunde is
also participating in this WSF, as well as Camilo Nogueira, former EFA
MEP from the BNG.

Nelly Maes, President of EFA, demands:

"An international and juridical instrument protecting cultural
diversity. The market is not going to protect the cultural and
linguistic diversity. On the contrary, each year, UNESCO experts said,
30 languages die. Cultural products and services cannot be seen just as
products and should therefore be exempted from WTO negotiations. The EU
must take the lead in this debate and as an example they should
recognise all the regional languages in the EU and make them an official
language."

Pillar Dellunde, (ERC) declared:

"We welcome that this year one of the main WSF themes is Protecting
Diversity, plurality and identity. EFA is very much concerned about the
alarming process of disappearance of cultural, linguistic and social
diversity in the world. Humanity has to stop this process before we have
come to a point of no return."

EFA is closely collaborating with it partners from the European Greens
in several actions during this WSF and has been participating in the WSF
since its foundation in 2001. Promoting diversity and peace has always
been EFA's main demands.


For more information:
G�nther Dauwen/ Eva Mendoza
EFA headquarters: info@e-f-a.org  
Tel. 003225133476/4851 
www.e-f-a.org

The European Free Alliance asbl (EFA) is one of the eight recognised
European Political Parties. EFA supports European unity and the creation
of a European union of free peoples based on the principle of
subsidiarity who believe in solidarity with each other and other peoples
of the world. The defense of human rights and the rights of peoples, in
particular the right to self-determination. Protection of the
environment and sustainable development. The creation of a fair society
based on solidarity, with policies which favour progress, social
cohesion and equal opportunities for all citizens. The principles of
parliamentary democracy.