(eng) Alles over de protesten in Cancun
Een completer overzicht is waarschijnlijk niet mogelijk. Alles over de acties en manifestaties die de komende dagen in Cancun, Mexico tegen de WTO zullen plaatsvinden.
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4th News Bulletin from Cancun, Part 1.
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jueves, 04 septiembre 2003
por Puente a Cancun
Correo-e:
Sumario: September 03, 2003
WTO Scrambling to Rescue the 5th Ministerial from Imminent Failure, Protesters Numbers grow….
Summary — With a week or so left before the beginning of the Cancun Ministerial, three key factors are beginning to predominate…
a) The WTO is under duress, as agreement for the proposed accords (particularly in Agriculture) looks more and more unlikely. Failure to advance on the Doha Development Agenda in Cancun would mark a disaster for the trade liberalization organization. To keep up on regular commentaries about the
WTO negotiations from a progressive, developing-country perspective, please see Third World Network’s TWN Info Service at http://www.twnside.org.sg/trade_11.htm
b) The protests will be larger, more widespread, and better organized than originally anticipated. After a slow and somewhat messy build-up over the last 6 months, it seems that the protesters may well surprise everyone, including themselves, by upstaging and indeed de-railing the WTO!
c) The security forces on the ground have created an overbearing climate of fear and tension. The Police Commissioner of the Federal Preventative Police force flexed his security muscle saying his force would “trade an eye for an eye” with the protesters. Meanwhile, we’ve seen a militaristic build-up, spying on activists, and intimidation of people on the streets. There is the sense that the police are becoming more and more autonomous of the civil authorities and present a real danger of provoking violence. Additionally, they are reserving a bull fighting stadium and football stadium as temporary detention centers. Contents of this Bulletin: Part 1 1. What’s At Stake in Cancun: a summary of issues 2. International Solidarity Events, September 13th 3. News from Cancun Part 2 3. New from Cancun: Calendar of Events Part 3 4. News from Mexico 5. News from around the world
6. Media 7. Official WTO world 8. Security 9. Legal 10. Health 11. The Real Cancun 12. History of Quintana Roo 13. Telephone Numbers and Accomodation. Apologies to any group or event that we excluded. We have included links to other more comprehensive listings.
1. What’s at Stake in Cancun: A Short Summary Many issues will be discussed in Cancun, but there are four that many agree are the most controversial and hotly debated. They are agriculture, services (GATS), TRIPS and health, and the New Issues. How these negotiations affect women, indigenous peoples, farmers, our environment, our jobs, our health, etc will be the subject of the forums and debates, listed afterwards. Here are a few English-language web resources for more information for anyone looking for more in-depth assessment of these issues and their impacts on peoples around the world. A more in-depth, excellent summary — along with breaking news during the Ministerial – can be also found at Friends of the Earth International website at http://www.foei.org/cancun/what.html
a. AGRICULTURE: Rich countries refuse to lower their tariffs or stop subsidizing corporate agribusiness. Developing countries want access to northern markets and an end to the ‘dumping’ of cheap subsidized, industrial agribusiness products in their countries, which undermine family farmers and cause massive rural crises. Countries should be able to develop policies of Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Fair Trade, and no GMOs, among other important policies. Via Campesina, the international farmers’ and peasants’ network, says “WTO OUT of Agriculture!” Global Exchange has produced a simple 4-page analysis of Agriculture and Free Trade, which you can read at http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/FTAAWTOAgriculture.html For more information on agriculture, the FTAA and the WTO: Via Campesina www.viacampesina.org Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy www.iatp.org Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy www.foodfirst.org
b) SERVICES: GATS One of the major threats of globalization is the rapid and often unnecessary push for the privatization and corporate takeover of public services” including education, healthcare, water, social assistance, environmental, and municipal services” in countries all over the world. Large transnational corporations in the for-profit service industries are working with allied national governments, to establish a set of powerful trade rules that serve their interests — not workers or communities. Eager to pry open the services market internationally, corporations and governments are quietly negotiating a new trade and investment treaty called the GATS — General Agreement on Trade in Services. Polaris Institute, Canada www.polarisinstitute.org Public Services International www.world-psi.org Friends of the Earth International www.foei.org World Development Movement www.wdm.org.uk
c) TRIPS and Health An estimated over 5,000 people die every day from HIV/AIDS — many of whom could have lived to raise their children had they had access to life-saving medicines patented in the US. But the WTO includes Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPs, which is — in total contrast to ‘free trade’ — the largest protectionist agreement in history, to extend 20-year long
patent rights to companies that invent medicines, rather than allowing countries to produce cheap and effective generic versions of lifesaving drugs. At Doha, the WTO affirmed the right of developing countries to force companies to license the domestic production of generic versions of lifesaving drugs for a fee — called compulsory licensing — and for poor countries without domestic production capacity to import from other developing countries — called parallel importing. But ever since then, the US has been making a foul and solitary attempt to restrict compulsory licensing and parallel importing to only 3 diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria) and restrict it to a very limited number of countries (excluding, for example, Brazil and India), which would effectively sign the death warrant for thousands of people around the world. Recently negotiators came to some agreement on the TRIPs issue so that the WTO could at least claim that it is moving forward somewhat and is not stuck in a total quagmire. Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg Consumer Project on Techn
ology www.cptech.org Health GAP www.healthgap.org
d) Investment and the “New Issues” The New Issues are a package of four issues (Investment, Government Procurement, Trade Facilitation and Competition Policy) that the rich countries want to launch a new round of trade negotiations about at Cancun. The New Issues are also called the Singapore Issues. It is a primary defense of the developing countries to prevent the launching of the New Issues, particularly Investment and Government Procurement, at Cancun. Investment would give corporations far reaching new powers in local economies and take away local governments’ right to regulate foreign capital. It would give new ‘rights’ to foreign investors over and above the rights of domestic citizens and corporations. In August the 77-member African, Caribbean and Pacific countries met and declared that “there is no basis for negotiating the Singapore issues.” http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twninfo54.htm Strongest opposition has come from Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twninfo43.htm A simple summary is available at http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/FTAAWTO Investment.html For more information and up to date analysis: www.twnside.org.sg and be sure to check out www.investmentwatch.org for different in-depth policy papers from a wide coalition of groups.
e) What’s at Stake in Mexico? Spanish-language resources Ciepac, a Chiapas based think-tank has produced some excellent resource materials dealing with the WTO. Read their “Frequently Asked Questions about the WTO” at www.ciepac.org here, or if you can’t connect, follow the links: http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/rate/15 The Mexican Action Network Against Free Trade, http://www.rmalc.org.mx has a wealth of resources in Spanish as well. And the International Forum on Globalization, that has been supporting a lot of organizing on the Yucatan Peninsula, has written a helpful short guide at http://www.ifg.org/analysis/wto/cancun/plan_cancun.htm
f) Neoliberal Globalization: Cancun and Beyond. Check out this in-depth report on the WTO, written by Aziz Choudry in July of this year; it provides a critical analysis of the WTO and what’s in store in “Cancun and Beyond” as well as highlighting its relationships to militarization, regional free trade agreements, megaprojects (such as PPP) and more. From Action for Social and Ecological Justice at http://www.asej.org/#greenpaper
2. International Solidarity Events, Worldwide Day of Action Against Militarism and War, September 13th In May, a call was put out to peoples of the world to organize solidarity actions timed right before the last night of negotiations in Cancun. The goal is to make the connections between militarism and corporate globalizatin (ie War and the WTO); voice our opposition to the power politics and corporatization of our communities, democracy, and environment during the negotiations, and to give some backbone to the trade negotiators who would like to represent their developing country citizens if they had the power to stand up to last-minute arm-twisting and green room politics from the rich countries. As a result there are now actions organized in: Australia, Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Spain, the U.S., and many more. The A portion (about half) of the US actions can be seen at http://www.unitedforpeace.org
3. News from Cancun Things are really beginning to pick up here in Cancun, with more and more people arriving daily to confront the WTO. Newspaper estimates, supported by activist projections, have risen as to how many will descend upon Cancun in September …a fairly consistant figure thrown about is 20,000. The main forum and camping spaces will not be availible until the 7th, so the activity hub remains on Calle Margaritas and the Palapas Park. The Hotel Zone and the area around the (WTO) Convention Center (known locally as the “party zone” — we shall see!) is still open to all (August 30th), with little restriction. Security is supposed to be stepped up dramatically from September 1st, but it remains to be seen how draconian that will be. On the organizing front, there is lots of work still yet to be done, and everyone is encouraged to participate. If you think there would be nothing to do if you came early, think again…. The Convergence and Media centers are in full swing..
Cancun Calendar of Events — Here is a link to the latest (August 31) calender from Cancun, which has the most current information available, covering events from the 1st of September to the last day of the mobilization. Compiled by OWINFS, it can be found here: http://slash.autonomedia.org/print.pl?sid=03/09/01/0721229
GETTING ORIENTED: The Margaritas Strip. As if by fate, the main sites of alternative activist interest — the Convention Center and the Indymedia Center — are all located on one street, leading to the Palapas Park, which will host many cultural resistance events of the alternative forums. Five minutes from the central bus station is Calle Margaritas (turn south at the bookstore Libreriaa La Rana Sabia on Calle Uxmal; the Convergence Centre is the large 4-story building, about 25 metres down the street). The Convergence Center is an autonomously organized gathering space and information hub where people arriving in Cancun can get oriented, network with others, plug into various working groups, make banners and puppets, get trainings in first aid, legal rights, nonviolent direct action, and other useful skills. Cultural events and spokescouncil meetings to plan the actions will take place here nightly, and all are welcome to attend. The Indymedia Center, next door to the Convergence Center, is preparing for the Tidal Wave Alternative Media and Tech Convergence (September 1 — 7) and afterwards will serve as the base of operations for dozens of independent journalists. Independent media coverage of the mobilization is vital for the spread of accurate information. If you would like to participate in and/or assist in organizing for the Media Convergence and Cancun Indymedia please contact:
The Global Exchange Puente House, located further down the road, has been the de-facto welcoming house for many national and international activists arriving in Cancun, and continues as a logistical space until the eve of the protests. Conact Puente a Cancun at
GET INVOLVED!
Alternative Cancun — Hook into the various working groups! Different working groups have been formed around what are seen as key and exciting issues to address, such as the alternative media convergence from the 1-7th of September, food for the thousands of descending protestors, tactical communication, and medical support. We invite you to participate in this effort for a successful resistance to the WTO and all it represents in the struggle against corporate domination. This is by no means a definitive list. Please use the contacts below for the working groups you are interested in helping out.
These projects are all organic creations, which will only improve with your participation and initiative. We must respond to their determination for control with our creative resistance. These are the seeds of dissent. Make them grow! Street Medics: Medical teams are being assembled to assist in the mobilizations. If you are a doctor, paramedic, EMT, or would like to be trained as a street medic, please contact:
Creative tactics and Puppetistas: Many forms of creative resistance will be taking place. Several projects are under way, from giant puppets of angry Mayan gods to giant banners to amazing stencils. We invite you to write to this list if you plan on bringing your own project or would like to participate in any of the ones already in formation. All creative ideas are welcome. Contact:
Direct Action: The working group focused on developing a plan for direct action has been very productive, compiling information from various sources and coming up with proposals to present to student groups in Mexico City who will be arriving later in the week. Much progress has been made, and many creative and effective strategies are coming together.
Film festival: A protest film festival will be taking place throughout the week of the mobilization. We will show films about protest movements and political struggles, particularly recent films on the anticapitalist globalization movement. Many independent filmmakers will be will be bringing their work in person. If you are a filmmaker, film collector, technician, or would like to help organize, please contact:
Music: Concerts will be occurring during the week of mobilizations. If you would like to participate as a performer, sound engineer, stagehand, or in any other way, please contact:
Food: For the mobilization to succeed, thousands of people will need to be fed daily. Food Not Bombs will be in Cancún to provide support. If you would like to participate in this important aspect of nourishing the dissent, please contact:
Tactical Communications: An independent communications infrastructure will be set up to support the mobilization and critical actions. If you are interested in participating please contact:
EVENTS in chronological order of first start date. (This list primarily includes large multi-organization forums and is based on information publicized to date. Individual events or workshops organized by specific groups will also be plentiful. A full schedule will be available upon arrival in Cancún.)
**Sept 10th, Massive Peasant and Farmers March, September 10th, time TBA
**Sept 13th, Massive march Against the WTO, part of the Worldwide Day of Action Against Corporate Globalization and Militarism
World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers, Sept 5-9th September 5 Opening of the WFF Coordination Committee meeting September 6 WFF Coordination Committee meeting (continued) September 7 International meeting of Fish Harvesters in Isla Mujeres. September 8 – 9 Workshop with fish harvesters’ organizations from different countries. Closure of the WFF Coordination Committee meeting. For more information Pedro AvedaÃo, Presidente, Foro Mundial de Pescadores
Social Movements’ Assembly, Sept 7th, 8th, & 11th Update on World Social Forum, Mumbai, and Anti-war activists meeting Location: SNTSS (Social Security Workers Union) or the Ex Palenque Sept 7th: 4 pm – 8 pm. Update on the social movements from Porto Alegre to Cancun. Update and discusstion on in
formation from Via Campesina . Talks by Walden Bello – Focus on the Global South, and Raffaela Bolini – ARCI . Sept 8th: 10 am – 2 pm. Coordinating a common agenda from Cancun to Mumbai From the information by the Network Contact Group. Update by members of the WSF 2004 Indian Organizing Committee and by the WSF International Secretariat Sept 8th: 4 pm – 7 pm – Antiwar activists meeting: strategies and organization. (includes the debate on the International People’s Tribunal), with discussion and updates from the Jakarta Peace Consensus network, European antiwar social movements and the Continental Campaign Against Militarization. Sept 11th, 1-6 pm “Launch of the WSF 2004: From Cancún to India (Int’l Council of the World Social Forum) Ex Palenque Grupo de Contacto de la Red de los Movimientos Sociales. Rua General Jardim, 660 7o andar. 01223-010 Sao Paulo-SP, Brasil. tel/fax: (55 11) 3237 2122. http://www.movsoc.org
Forum of the International Parlamentary Network, Sept 8th Hotel Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, Blvd Kukulkan Km 16.5 Hosted by the Mexican Senate, this meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the rules of international trade and realice new proposals to achieve equitable and fair trade.
The International Parlamentary Network defends the role of parlamentarians in international trade negotiaoins and has a platform of concrete proposals for the agenda of the WTO.
International Women and Trade Forum, Sept 8-9th Hotel Best Western, Plaza Caribe Tulum & Uxmal Lote 19, Cancun The International Women’s Forum is the space for the articulation of their organizations’ activities, within the People’s Forum for an Alternative to the WTO, before and during the meeting of the Minister of the World Trade Organization, in Cancun, in September 2003. Tel/fax: 52 (55) 5 544-2202, Tel. 52 (55) 5 544-6902 For more information
INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS AND FARMERS FORUM, Sept 8-11th “Foodsovereignty and free trade” For this Forum we invite invite other movements and befriended NGO’s to participate and co-organise some parts of this Forum together with us. We expect about 2500 participants and we will work in Spanish, English and Maya. Location: Gimnasio Cuxil Baxaal The Forum has 4 parts: 1) 8th of September will be organsied by peasant organisations and they will set the agenda and the debates. Other movements and NGO’s are invited to participate however it will be above all a space exchange between peasant organisations. After the inauguration and the initial plenary there will be 10 parallel workshops. Plenary meeting of farmer organizations and their friends regarding the agricultural agreement of the WTO, followed by parallel working groups on agricultural topics. 2) 9th of September will be a day of workshops. Gimnasio Cuxil Baxaal, Casa de La Cultura 10 parallel workshops from 9-noon and another 10 workshops from 12-3. Also there will an indigenous round table 9-15h00. Working groups on trangenics, subsidies, Farm Bill, NAFTA, FTAA, PPP, and the impact of new technologies on small agriculture. At the end of the day there will be a final plenary to share the work done in the different workshops. Including, for example: 9am-12pm “Agriculture, Trade and New Technologies” (Public Citizen, ETC Group, Food First, NFFC) 12-3pm Biopiracy and Patents Panel and Workshp (ETC Group) 3) The 10th of September there will be a big panel before we go to the peasant march.
4) The 11th of September there will be an exchange between the peasant and the trade union movement. For more information regarding subscription and logistics:
“Imagine That!” Corporate Awards Event, Sept 9th Teatro de Cancun Blvd. Kukulcan KM 4; Zona Hotelera immediately following IFG Teach-In Event to highlight the corporations behind the scenes who have most egregiously lobbied governments to write the rules of the global economy for corporate profit at the expense of communities and the environment. Sponsored By the Polaris Institute, Canada, as well as Friend of the Earth International, Food First, Public Citizen, Global Exchange, Council of Canandians, and CorpWatch.
Global Union Conference, Sept 9th: Conference on “Making Globalization Work for People: Respect for Development, Workers’ Rights and Sustainability at the 5th WTO Conference” Cancún, Mexico, Tuesday 9 September For details read here – http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/index.php
People’s Forum for an Alternative Against the WTO, Sept 9-14, Ex Palenque (mostly) Organized by the Mexican Organizing Space, Bienvenidos a Cancun, Continental Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, and Our World Is Not For Sale network. 9 Sept 7-12pm “Opening of the People’s Forum & Farmer’s Forum” Welcoming Political and Cultural Event, Plaza de la Reforma 11 Sept, 10am-1pm: “Militarism and Globalization” AND Report on the WTO Negotiations, Ex Palenque (Walden Bello (Focus on the Global South) Medea Benjamin (Global Exchange), Steven Staples and Tony Clarke, Polaris Institute (Canada), Tony Tujan, IBON Foundation (Philippines), and others from the Mexican Organizing Space, Continental Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, Bienvenidos a Cancun) 12 Sept,10am-1pm: “Privatization of Services” AND Report on the WTO Negotiations, Ex Palenque Featuring internationally acclaimed speakers from around the world. 13 Sept: Big Anti-WTO March: to coincide with Worldwide Day of Action Against Corporate Globalization and War. Marches all over the world. See http://www.unitedforpeace.org for listing of events in the US. 14 Sept,10am-1pm: “Environment and Natural Resources” AND Report on the WTO Negotiations, Ex Palenque All events organized by the Mexican Organizing Space, OWINFS, Continental Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, Bienvenidos a Cancún. 14 Sept, 5-11 pm: Closing Event of the Peoples Forum and Declaration of our Victory! Over the WTO. Ex Palenque
Third World Network events, Sept 9-14th All events in the Hotel Sierra (official NGO center in Hotel Zone, Km 10 Ave Kukulcan) Sept 9th 8-9:45 am, “Key Issues and Challenges for the Cancun Ministerial” Sept 11th 5:15-6:45 “The Singapore Issues: What’s At Stake? What Will Happen?” Sept 12th 2-4pm: “Whatever Happened to the Development Agenda?” Sept 14th 10:15am-1:15pm “The Cancun Outcome: Prospects and Problems”
Forest Forum On Globalization and the WTO, Sept 10th: September 10: 9 :00 am to 7 :00 pm Hotel Calinda America Corner of Tulum and Brisa St. Downtown Cancun, Mexico Come participate in the Forest Forum on Globalization and the WTO, and hear about the key threats facing global forests and biodiversity due to the current agenda of the WTO. Topics include in depth coverage on how WTO negotiations on investment, tariffs & non-tariff barriers, labelling, and government procurement threaten to speed deforestation. Learn from forest activists about promoting fair trade through community-managed forests, sustainable certification processes, and new trade policies. The full day of events includes 20 speakers, including representatives from the Zona Maya Community Foresters & Wood Producers, and forest activists from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, and the US. Sponsored by Union Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales Campesinas Autonomos, Organizacion de Ejidos Productores Forestales de la Zona Maya, Pacific Environment, American Lands Alliance, Friends of the Earth-Japan, International Forum on Globalization, Global Exchange, FERN, and World Rainforest Movement. For further information please contact: Cynthia Josayma, Pacific Environment,
Indigenous People’s Forum for an Alternative to the WTO, Sept 10th Kuchil Baxal Gymnasium in Cancún, September 10 from 9 am to 9 pm The Forum is aiming to provide a space, unattended by the world’s leaders, where grassroots voices will be heard and listened to. Its aim is: – to name and denounce the consequences indigenous people suffer from free trade policies – to expose their organization
and resistance strategies as real alternatives to neoliberal economic globalization. Topical Sessions: Free determination of indigenous people and the WTO policies – Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, Tebteeba International Center for Indigenous People Raiders Militarization and natural resources in indigenous zones -Ana Esther CeceÃa, Instituto de Investigacion Economica The impact of WTO agricultural agreements on indigenous territories – Carlos Gonzalez, Congreso Nacional Indigena, Region Centro Pacifico Biodiversity, bioprospection, and transgenics and indigenous people – Maria de Jesus Patricio, Congreso Nacional Indigena, Region Centro Pacifico Indigenous women facing the WTO – Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indigenas The Forum is being convened by: Foro Maya Peninsular-miembro del CNI, Autoridades Tradicionales del Municipio de Suljaa’ (Nanmai N’iaan Ndaatyuaa Suljaa’), Tribu Mayo Sonora-CNI, Alianza de Pueblos Indigenas de la Sierra Oriente del Estado de Mexico, Comisariado de Bienes Comunales de San Pedro Atlapulco- CNI, UNITONA — miembro del CNI, Asociacion Jalisciense de Apoyo a Grupos Indigenas (AJAGI), Pueblo Purapecha — CNI, Organizacion Indigena Independiente Huacateca, Semilla Nueva Ixtepec–Puebla, Xanaytiyat, Xanatlaxaja– Organizacion Medicos Tradicionales Nahuas de Tuxpan Jalisco, Comision Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos (CIDHM)–miembro del CNI, Comite Independiente de Derechos Humanos y Grupo de Mujeres
Various Forums organized by Our World Is Not for Sale members, Sept 10-14th Hotel Margaritas, Ave Yaxchilan #41, M. 22 Sm 22, Cancun Sept 10th, 9-11 am, “Debating Impacts of WTO Negotiations on Consumers” (Consumers Intl) Sept 10th,1-4:30pm, “Continental Campaign Against the FTAA” LOCATION: The Megaprojects Tent (SM 21) or the Social Security Worker’s Center, SNTSS (Hemispheric Social Alliance) Sept 10th, 2-4 pm “Business Rules: Corporate Power, Agriculture and Biodiversity” (Friends of the Earth International, Public Citizen) Sept 11th 2-5pm “Militarization, Globalization, and Resistance” (Polaris Institute, Focus on the Global South) Sept 11th 4-6pm: “Impacts of Trade Liberalization on local communities (Center for International Environmental Law) Sept 11th 5-9 pm “WTO, TNC’s and Corruption” (IBON, Asia Pacific Research Network) Sept 11th 6-8pm: “Central American Free Trade Agreement” (Friends of the Earth) Sept 11th 8-10pm: “Views from Africa: Globalization and Recolonization” (AIDC, Africa Trade Network) Sept 12th 2-4: “GATS Information Exchange” (CIEL, World Development Movement Sept 12th 4-6: “Business Rules? Corporate Power, Foreign Investment and GATS” (Friends of the Earth Intl, Public Citizen (US), Polaris Institute, Canada) Sept 12th 6-9: “Views from Africa: Defending Our Services and Rights” (AIDC, African Trade Network) Sept 12th 2-5pm “Seminar on Bilateral Trade Agreements and Bilateral Investment Agreements” (Our World Is Not for Sale Network) Sept 12th 5-8 pm: “GATS Water Tribunal” (Polaris Institute) Sept 12th 8-10 pm: “Venezuela and the Current Situation Regarding the WTO and FTAA” (Global Exchange) Sept 13th 2-4pm: “Bite Back Bush: Stop GMO Force Feeding by the WTO” (CIEL, FOEI, Public Citizen) Sept 13th 10-1: “GATS Speak-Out: Water Struggles and Victories” (Polaris Institute) Sept 13th 1-3pm: “Workshop on FTAA and Investment” (Friends of the Earth) Sept 14th 2-5pm: “Trade and Debt” (Jubilee South, including AIDC and ATN) Sept 14th 2-5pm: “Road from CancÃn to Miami” (Our World Is Not for Sale)
Fair Trade Fair & Sustainable Trade Symposium, Sept 10-12th During the WTO ministerial, civil society and producer organizations are coming togehter to promote proven solutions to global poverty and demonstrate how good international trade rules can benefit producers and consumers. An Internation
al Fair Trade Fair; a Sustainable Trade Symposium; and a Fair Trade in the Americas Strategy Forum. Hotel Casa Maya, Boulevard Kukulcan Km 5.5, Hotel Zone, Cancun and other locations. Hosted by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Comercio Justo Mexico, Oxfam International, Equiterre Canada, and others. Please see http://www.fairtradeexpo.org for a complete schedule or write
Heinrich Boell Foundation Forum, Sept 10-14th (except the 13th) Plaza Caribe Hotel Sept 10th 10am-3pm “Trade in Services” 4:30-8:30 “Trade in Environment: GATS and Gender” Sept 11th 9:30am-3pm “Resisting the WTO Grab for Water” Sept 12th 10:30-12:30pm: “Cultural Diversity” 1-3pm: “TRIPS” 4-8:30pm: “Agriculture and Food Sovereignty” Sept 14th 11am-1:30pm “WTO Reform”
Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity Between North and South, Sept 11th Hotel Margaritas, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM SIGTUR (Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights) Co-conveners : KCTU (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions), COSATU(Congress of South African Trade Unions) and CUT(Central Unica dos Trabalhadores-Brazil) 9am-11 am Challenging the WTO – Our Tactics/Strategies and toward real solidarity between North and South Simon Boshielo, COSATU, South Africa; Cho Heejoo, Korean Teachers’ Union, Korea; Jo Vaccari, CUT-Brazil; Sophie Zafari, FSU, France; Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South, Philippines 11am-12:30pm Trade Unions: Challenges in face of Neo-liberal Globalisation Rafael Freire, HAS, CUT-Brazil; Yoo Duksang, KCTU, Korea; Giacomo Barbieri, CGIL, Italia; Ferdinand Gaite, COURAGE, Philippines For more info contact Lee Changgeun, +52-998-849-4606// Fax : +52-998-849-4600,
Forum on Zapatismo y Resistencia, Sept 11th 10am-6pm Casa de la Cultura. Organized by Juventud en Resistencia
Forum: The Impacts of “New Technologies” on the Global Food System, Sept 11th: Join this discussion on free trade, new technologies, and the future of agriculture. New technologies, such as nanotechnology, food irradiation, and genetically modified organisms are critical to create a corporate-controlled global food system. Neoliberal policies have already hurt local and regional economies, and that must stop. Where: Casa de la Cultura, Cancun. When: Thursday, September 11th, 2 pm. Who: Wenonah Hauter, Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, Public Citizen USA; Gaza Varga, Hungarian Co-operative for Organic Farming; Liana Stupples, Friends of the Earth International, England, Wales, Ireland; Antonio Tujuan, IBON Foundation, The Philippines; Pat Mooney, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration, Mexico; NadÃge Adam, Council of Canadians, Canada.
ON THE GROUND Ecovillage From September 5th to the 14th, ecological designers from the US and Mexico will produce an ecovillage model of practical solutions to the corporate takeover of food, water, energy, and land use. http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/display/66/index.php
Global Youth/Juventud Global: Uniting local youth, students, counter-culture and direct action enthusiasts, the JUVENTUD GLOBAL group began a campaign of raising awareness by tabling and flyering a local Tanguis market, holding a press conference and showing a WTO video in Palapas Park. They can be contacted at
Art, Culture, Change, Puppetistas… The artistic theme for the actions taking place against the WTO in September is that the Mayan gods are angry! They are upset that the WTO, which is playing a leading role in the exploitation and impoverishment of their people, is coming to hold their secretive little meetings on sacred Mayan land. Each god and goddess has a bone to pick with this conniving group of rich men known as the WTO:
1. Chac, the god of rain, is very upset about the WTO’s plans to continue the privatization of water. 2. Itzma, the god of maize, or corn, is infuriated that the WTO has allowed the relentless flow of cheap, transgenic, and heavily subsidized US corn to flood the Mexican market, putting his people out of business and displacing them from their land. 3. Hurukan, the god of the Hurricanes, is ready to do some damage 4. Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, will make her presence known! 5. Kukulkan, the universal symbol for all of Mesoamerica, similar to the Aztec god Queztalcoatl, will be with us all during the actions. 6. Hunahpu, the god of the sun, will be urging the WTO to consider the use of solar energy. Many more gods and goddesses will be marching with us, but they need your help to be constructed, created, and given life!
Volunteers Available! Rights Action, an organization that works to augment international support of popular movements in Central America will be acting as ‘volunteer placement coordinators’ for the WTO events. Any organizations in need of volunteers, and any volunteers in need of work are encouraged to let us know what they have going on:
Medios Independientes – 5a Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC: http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/
(Dit artikel was oorspronkelijk op GlobalInfo gepubliceerd door Puente a Cancun.)