Festivals, films and funny faces - a calmer kind of protest

Only those with a crystal ball know whether or not this ministerial conference will manage to reach its conclusion without suffering the anti-globalisation violence that has blighted WTO conferences since the Seattle meeting in 2000.

But it is going to be a hectic week for the city's civic groups that want to voice their causes to trade ministers, as well as members of the public who want to join the anti-WTO events.

Anti-WTO activities are more than protest and marches. Activists have promised the events are going to be 'carnival-like' and 'cultural and educational'.

Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor and Albert Lai Kwong-tak - representatives of two civic forces at work to mobilise the city's public attention to the WTO's work - says they hope that by organising diverse programmes, attention will be on the contents of the trade negotiation and its impact, instead of protest and security threat.

Hence, activities on the card ranging from a rice festival to a book launch and film viewing; from an ecumenical women's forum to a rock concert.

Diversity of events means Victoria Park is not the only venue for civil society to make their voices heard. The activities will be spreading out in different parts of the city - the harbour, the YMCA Youth village in Wu Kai Sha, the Southorn Playground in Wan Chai, the University of Hong Kong campus in the Western District, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and some community centres.