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ITF reaches out to young workers at World Social Forum
2 February 2009
Young people from around the world have been learning more about trade unionism, thanks to the work of the ITF.
The World Social Forum, which started 27 January in Belem, Brazil, provided an opportunity for ITF staff to engage with young people one-to-one. The ITF set up a stand by the youth area of the event, so staff could speak to young people in a more relaxed setting. The team also set up an internet cafe at the youth camp, situated at the Amazonian Rural University, UFRA. Young people flocked to the stand to find out more about the ITF and the work of trade unions.
During the first day of activities, 76 people registered their names and an additional 100 showed up to see what was going on. Staff from the ITF’s Rio office distributed ITF material about youth, including the short film “Be part of something big.” ITF material, including leaflets, magazines, pins, posters, pens and T-shirts, was also given out.
Many young visitors were surprised to find a union in their camp, and were pleased to be able to talk openly about trade union work. A presentation in Portuguese and Spanish took place every day to aid understanding.
The ninth World Social Forum, which ran from January 27 to February 1, involved more than 100,000 people from 150 countries with 2,600 activities, under the motto “Another world is possible.”
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