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# White Band Man
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/white-band-man/
- Published: 2005-01-26T18:01:17.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:32:49.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:15

I'll spare overmuch description of the [event](http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd%5Flanguage=2&id%5Fmenu=&ref=opendemocracy.net); i've just arrived, and have seen little, as yet. Such as I have resembles a vibrant pile-up, somewhere between Glastonbury and a refugee camp. The big event of tomorrow, and perhaps of the week, seems to be a breakfast meeting. For 12000 people. In a local Football Stadium. At 8:30 in the morning. [President Lula](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lula?ref=opendemocracy.net) \- variously described in the programme as hero of the workers and running dog of the neo-liberal hegemony - will be joining this absurdly early gathering before (we think) heading off to join the less glastonbury / refugee camp surroundings at DAVOS. The event is to launch the [Global Call to Action Against Poverty](http://www.whiteband.org/?ref=opendemocracy.net), who will be spending the year handing out stylish [white bands (pdf)](http://www.whiteband.org/downloads/files/en%5Fposter.pdf?ref=opendemocracy.net) \- think pink ribbons, but different - in support of fair trade, more aid and less debt. Quite how this can be the launch of a group who have been around for six months or so, we're not sure. We'll go and find out tomorrow, and hope someone is providing wake-up coffee in truly global quantities.