World Social Forum - Post 2

Monday, January 22nd, 2007 at 6:23 PM

I wrote this post at the WSF at Kasarani and then battled with the WIFI connection for over an hour before I gave up. Most of the volunteers I have spoken with are not even aware that the whole conference is meant to be a WIFI hotspot and those who do did not have any clue as to what was wrong or where I could get help. Unfortunately I have seen nothing that has shown me that this situation will change. So I have got all that Celtel airtime for nothing!

This beautiful lady proudly holding her flag was part of a demonstration by the people of Western Sahara calling for, “Uhuru” (freedom).

The World Social Forum is in full flow here at Kasarani stadium. The energy around is infectious. It is brilliant being around thousands of people who are all passionate about something or another. The jargon being thrown around is daunting. If you don’t know your HIPCs from your P8s or whether or not you should be supporting EPAs then you can hide in the food tents (and while you are there eat a 75/- samosa). Everyone is friendly and smiling and the sessions seem passionate. The logistical nightmares continue, the professional journalists are pulling their hair out because they haven’t been able to go online and the electricity keeps cutting (the 10 seconds between the power cutting and the generators kicking is more than enough time to lose the 6 page article you just typed.)

My main aim here is to get a picture with Desmond Tutu so if anyone sees him around let him know Mental “The Rhino” Acrobatics would like a word.

All my pictures will be in my World Social Forum Flickr set.

Information for the masses:

• When the WIFI is working the connection is still free to the public. Do not do what I did which is load up your free celtel SIM with KSH 1000/- in anticipation of the USD 15 wireless access fee because so far the network is unprotected and you can just log on.
• Do NOT buy a Celtel SIM card as I advised earlier. You get a free one when you register.
• There are shuttle buses running from the city centre for KSH 150/- each way which is a lot cheaper than the KSH 1000/- cab drivers are charging. But where you catch the buses and where they drop you is mystery.

Technorati:
wsf | world social forum | wsf2007

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