Archived press release

London Takes Centre Stage in Fight for Global Justice

12 October 2004

Date: Friday 15^th October

Time: 12:10

Venue: Great Hall 10, Alexandra Palace, London

Four of the world's foremost environmental and development campaigners are to address a press conference on Friday 15^th October, the opening day of the European Social Forum (ESF). All are addressing major platforms at the European Social Forum, being held from 15 to 17 October in London. They will talk about their work and explain why they consider social forums and the London ESF a crucial part of the fight against corporate globalisation and environmental destruction.

Walden Bello is Director of Focus on the Global South, academic, campaigner and outspoken critic of the World Trade Organisation, IMF, World Bank and US imperialism.

Oronto Douglas, human rights lawyer and environmental activist, has campaigned tirelessly on issues around oil and Shell's exploitation in the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

Rudolph Amenga-Etego, winner of the 2004 Goldman Prize for grassroots environmental campaigning, is a founder of the Campaign against Water Privatisation in Ghana.

Berenice Celeyta is Director of Human Rights for Colombia trade union SINTRAEMCALI, which is fighting the privatisation of essential services in the country.

The press conference is organised by Friends of the Earth, War on Want and the World Development Movement - all members of the Organising Committee of the ESF. The Babels Network will provide simultaneous translation to and from English, French and Spanish.

Notes

Journalists wishing to attend the ESF must register to get access to the venue. Online registration can be found at www.fse-esf.org

The European Social Forum (ESF) is a giant gathering for everyone opposed to war, racism and corporate power, everyone who wants to see global justice, workers' rights and a sustainable society. The ESF emerged from the spectacular success of the World Social Forum that began in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001. The first two ESFs in Florence (2002) and Paris (2003) attracted over 50,000 participants from across Europe and beyond.

The ESF is an open international event organised along democratic principles by all participating organisations. A range of European social movements and civil society organisations will debate ways of making "another world possible" and alternatives to the "process of globalisation commanded by the large multinational corporations and by the governments and international institutions at the service of those corporations' interests".

Speakers at this year's ESF include:

Tony Benn, George Galloway, Tariq Ramadan, Hilary Wainwright, George Monbiot, John Pilger, Dave Prentis, Walden Bello, Caroline Lucas, Ann Pettifor, Shami Chakrabarti, Samir Amin, Jose Bove, Bob Crow, Mark Curtis, Ken Livingstone.

Further details can be found at: www.fse-esf.org

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust