Porto Alegre, January 15, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The World Social Forum III, in Porto Alegre, from January 22 to 28, is expected to draw around 100 thousand people from 121 countries, to discuss themes that run counter to those of the Davos Economic Forum, scheduled for the same period, in Switzerland.

The World Social Forum (WSF) is a space open for reflection, debate, the formulation of proposals, exchange of ideas, and the coordination of activities by organizations and movements that represent civil society, oppose neo-liberalism and the domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are dedicated to the construction of a global society centered around human beings.

The WSF sets itself the task of debating alternatives in order to forge a solidary globalization, that respects universal human rights in all nations and the environment and is based on democratic international systems and institutions pledged to social justice, equality, and the sovereignty of nations. (DAS)