Greenpeace joins participants of the World Social Forum in a protest against war with Iraq.
Today Greenpeace will protest the war against Iraq, joining the
participants of the World Social Forum (WSF) 2003. Activists will
carry the banner Oil Fuels War / Save the Planet in the peace march
that marks the opening of the III Forum in Porto Alegre,
Brazil.
Greenpeace opposes war, including the one against Iraq. For 30
years, the international organization has campaigned against
nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Greenpeace believes
these weapons must be eliminated by Iraq, the United States and all
countries that possess them.
"This war is largely about oil, not about Saddam Hussein's
weapons of mass destruction! If the United States (which has the
world s largest supply of weapons of mass destruction of all sorts)
were serious about eliminating nuclear weapons, why has it taken no
sanctions against North Korea, which makes no secret of its nuclear
plans? The answer: North Korea does not have oil. However replacing
Saddam Hussein will give US oil companies access to the world's
second largest oil reserve," said Lasse Gustavsson, of Greenpeace
International.
Greenpeace made their comments on the first day of the World
Social Forum a meeting where social, environment and indigenous
movements, as well as trade unions, come together to demand action
and hold governments and corporations accountable.
It comes less than six months after the World Summit for
Sustainable Development 2002 in Johannesburg where there was a
clear failure of governments to address the social and
environmental challenges facing our planet or to demonstrate a
political will to take action
At the WSF, Greenpeace will be promoting three key objectives:
supporting new renewable energy and opposing nuclear power;
protesting against genetically modified organisms and Monsanto's
take over of the world s staple food crops; and mobilising for the
next World Trade Organisation meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in
September 2003. Specifically, Greenpeace Brazil will launch its
campaign against the Brazilian proposal to build a third nuclear
power plant Angra 3 and in favour of incentives for new renewable
energy sources.
Corporate-driven globalisation is fuelling wars, environmental
destruction and social degradation, said Marcelo Furtado, of
Greenpeace International. We re here to oppose that and share
proposals for a just and sustainable future.
Notes: The Third World Social Forum meeting will take place in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from January 23 through January 28, 2003.Monsanto briefing Monsanto out of our food available at http://www.greenpeace.org.br/wsf2003/pdf/monsanto.pdf More information on Greenpeace activities at the WSF can be found at http://www.greenpeace.org.br/wsf2003