In January 21, 2003, in a mood of fierce condemnation of the WTO (World Trade Organization), the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the trade agreements, the transnational companies and the use of GMO in agriculture, as well as the calling to arms of the Bush administration, the Peasants' World Assembly launched off in midst of the Third World Social Forum of Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil. Around 350 delegates and guests attended, come from the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. From the start one could feel an atmosphere of struggle, hope and optimism. The opening speaches underlined the broad perspectives that opened themselves for the peasants' movement and people's resistance against the neoliberal globalization. This kind of globalization suffered severe defeats since Seattle. Now Latin America and the Caribbean harbor big hopes for change, in the wake of the triumph in the polls of the social forces engaged in opposing the plans of imposition of the FTAA (Free Trade Agreement of the Americas), and committed to full Agrarian Reform. The assembly is convened in the convention hall of Colegio Rainha do Brasil, and proposes an exchange of ideas on the big challenges facing the peasant and social movements worldwide. Among the main themes debated were the struggle for food sovereingty and against WTO and FTAA, the global campaign for agrarian reform, the campaign against GMOs and the intelectual property rights of resources, as well as the efforts to respect human rights, and the unity with the whole social movement on regional, continental and international level. Rafael Alegría, of the Coordinating Committee of Rural Organizations of Honduras (COCOCH) and a member of the International Coordinating Commission of Via Campesina, pointed out these movements are now engaged in a struggle to stop the dismantling of agriculture. This dismantling is the real goal behind the implementation of the FTAA and NAFTA. He foresees that faced with the Ministerial Conference of the WTO, in September 2003 in Cancun, social movements will start a broad struggle to achieve in order that agriculture is excluded from the Summit's negotiations. The opening of the World Peasants' Assembly presented a wide artistic and cultural scope and also an exposition of various native agrarian products coming from different continents. Itelvina Masioli of MST-Brazil welcomed the delegates and guests, while Peter Rosset, of Food First (a US based NGO) delivered a message of support in the name of the Friends of Via Campesina present at the Forum. Via Campesina is an international movement coordinating peasants' organizations of small and medium farms, landworkers, women landworkers, and native communities in Asia, Africa, America and Europe. The Peasants' Assembly will go on until January 23, in order to coincide with the opening of the Third World Social Forum.