A team of 18 young men and women from Geneva occupy two tents in a deserted neighbourhood.

Laura Crivelli, a university student, is closely following all events on the Europe-Africa relationship: "Europe has created a lot of injustice in Africa and should not impose anymore. Africa may need assistance but knows very well what it wants for its development."

Protesting injustices

At the last global-level WSF in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the youth camp had over 30,000 delegates. This time there are only 250. But the spirit of the youth remains the same: earnest, protesting against injustices and committed to building a new world.

Philip Thigo, the coordinator of the youth camp, told Terra Viva that this was the first time the camp had been integrated with the main WSF rather than being a parallel activity. A number of youth programmes are now on the main schedule.

And, despite a nearly-empty camp, the quality of participation is very good, says Thigo.

Crivelli says she enjoyed the sessions and workshops as much as the singing, dancing and interactions with other delegates.

Cecile Muret, an intern with a Swiss NGO, is keen to make friends and share with people from different countries, especially Africa.

Lack of focus

Muret is disappointed at the lack of focus: "I don’t feel a global movement here. Lots of energy is going every which way, sometimes clashing with each other. We need to find common points and construct something out of it.

"We are here to share ideas, not to sell food or products and make money," says Muret.

Sostenes C. Amlma, a young artist from Tanzania, pitched his own tent a few yards away. Kilango also works with the street children, teaching them art and craft. "This forum is very important for me," said Amlma. "I can learn so much from the delegates of other countries. Tanzania is so poor – here I find others like us."

Emiliano Endrest, a law student from Argentina, has accompanied a radical youth organisation from Venezuela. He felt the forum was too commercial: "That’s not the spirit of the WSF."

The Swiss team represented a non-government youth education project. Coordinator Mirko Arrigoni says they will leave the bad behind and "take only the good things to our countries and share it with others".