Jo Leinen, MEP, and Javier Moreno-Sanchez, Secretary General of the Global Progressive Forum, have taken part in the Opening march of the World Social Forum, alongside the Senegalese Socialist Party on Sunday, February 6th in the afternoon. Jo Leinen, Chairman of the Committee for the Environment in the European Parliament, will intervene on February 8th in a round table on water management. Mr. Leinen stated: "Climate change is the greatest challenge of the 21st century, and in the whole world poor people are the most vulnerable to its effects. The World Social Forum offers, with all its partners, a platform to debate about more justice vis-à-vis on climate change as well as equal opportunities for all."

The European Socialists and Democrats are glad to participate to this key moment of global civil society’s mobilization. Javier Moreno Sanchez said: "By launching the first World Social Forum in 2001 in Porto Alegre, and organizing each new edition of the Forum, civil society has laid the foundations for civic engagement against a neo-liberal interpretation of globalization. The European progressives’ family strongly supports NGOs, associations, trade unions and other civil society organizations in this daily effort."