Make trade fair

The Trade Justice Movement (TJM) is calling on the government to change their policy so that the poor of this world stop being exploited by some of the richest multi national companies. It is a lead up to the next WTO (world trade organization) meeting, which will happen in Cancun, Mexico next September.

The 4 things it is asking for are:
-stop forcing poor countries to open their markets; and champion their right to manage their own economies
-regulate big business and their investments to ensure people and the environment come before profits
-stop rich countries promoting the interests of big business through trade interventions that harm the poor and the environment
-ensure trade policy is made in a fair, transparent and democratic way

This event is the biggest simultaneous lobby of MP`s ever in Britain, 500 in all.

Tony Blair put off these questions at the G8 summit in Evian recently and said they would be dealt with the next WTO (world trade organisation) meeting which is happening in Cancun, Mexico in 3 months.

major focus was brought on the WTO in November 1999, when thousands of people protested against their policies, unfortunately the media only covered the rioting of a small minority of those protesting as opposed to exploring what they were all protesting about.
 http://www.angelfire.com/oh5/hazen/urls2.html Is link to what went on

Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001,was head of WTO but left as he felt it is unjust and said it is making the world poorer. He has just wrote a book Globalization and Its Discontents, in which he argues that the anti-globalizing protestors have much to say and that we should all listen to them.  http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bobuk/scripts/display_product_info.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0119749514.1056826084@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccciadcijkkfglicefeceegdfigdffo.0&productid=014101038X
is the Blackwell’s summary of the book

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Summary of today’s event:

1-Anti war banners and protestors
2-Intro to world trade systems, fair trade not free trade
3-Short films from Senegal, Ghana and Bangladesh
4-Margaret Prussella from Kenya, guest speaker
5-a trade union activist from Colombia, guest speaker
6-Andrew Smith odd arrival
7-Trade justice campaign’s 4 proposals and discussion with the floor

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1
There were anti war banners and some protestors outside the town hall this morning at 10am. But the meeting went ahead as planned
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2
About 120 people packed into the main chamber for today’s meeting, which started with an Intro to world trade systems, fair trade not free trade, WTO, IMF, world bank.
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3
Short films from Senegal, Ghana and Bangladesh were shown
In the Senegalese one a man sat with the traditional dish of the country, but explained that today in his dish most of the food comes from faraway western countries, as a result of “opening the markets”- basically the farmers of the country are being put out of business so that the rich in other countries get richer, meanwhile people there loose income, loose jobs, starve and die

The Bangladeshi film showed how workers were organising themselves to fight the WTO and co, with the chant “Make trade fair”
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4
Margaret Prussella from Kenya, outlined how things were from the ground. She told us David’s story and praised all groups in organizing this event and their constant pressure on governments to make trade fairer, she said they were “the voice for the voiceless”
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5
A trade union activist from Colombia, which it seems is a very dodgy position in Colombia at present with the government taking many of them out- (a flyer left on all seats informed us that theres 7000 people a year killed by political violence) didn’t manage to catch his name, spoke in Spanish with an interpreter. he talked about US imperialism, how their government and other multinational companies were destroying his country, coca cola, nestle, BP were blacklisted. BP, he said openly funded state paramilitaries that are violating human rights with impunity from prosecution. He also talked about coffee and other issues that proved how trade rules imposed by world bank, IMF, WTO were ruining what was once a prosperous country.
Colombia is a human rights emergency
 http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/

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6
Andrew Smith only arrived during the Colombians presentation, whereby he came in then went back out again. It was not until a member of the audience demanded that he come in and listen to this mans passionate story, which received much applause from the audience, that he did.

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7
The meeting then split into 2 separate council chambers, Andrew Smith and his constituents stayed put and Evan Harris and his moved elsewhere.

The 4 TJM conditions were put to the MP-
-stop forcing poor countries to open their markets; and champion their right to manage their own economies
-regulate big business and their investments to ensure people and the environment come before profits
-stop rich countries promoting the interests of big business through trade interventions that harm the poor and the environment
-ensure trade policy is made in a fair, transparent and democratic way

these questions were dealt with in order,

A local lady produced a can of tomatoes and asked about the unfair trade systems which make so much of the world poor,

A man from Rwanda said the World Bank has to be tackled, the WTO`s “structural adjustment programme” is completely unfair

A local trade unionist questioned smith about the issues to do with the funding of paramilitaries in Colombia, smith said he missed this bit ( as he was outside for this), no explanation was given as to why he was missing for this vital account?

A man gave a coffee jar to smith with about enough in it for 1 last cup, he said that that is how much the farmers of that coffee made, due to unfair trade systems

Another local woman asked “can the world move foreword in a MORAL way” she stated how it was outrageous how the worlds leading multi nationals make such a massive profit by exploiting poorer countries and how the main governments of the world don’t seem to do anything about it.

A question was asked about bringing in a “global eco tax” whereby the moving of goods, food etc would be taxed in according to how much their environmental cost is, production, transport, packaging etc. so basically it would cost more to fly tons of tomatoes from the US to Africa, thereby encouraging local food development, as it was for so long before- as the Senegalese film showed us

Smith stated at this point that the government is trying to make multi national companies transparent

A question about the GATTS, how FREEr trade is not FAIRer trade

Another person expressed concern about the governments minister who has taken Claire Shorts role without the public having a say, this person will represent Britain in Cancun. He then stated that the recent attack on Iraq was an example of how this government does not care about fair trade, how free trade has been forced on the Iraqis, who had no say on the mater. It seems that if you don’t agree to WTO and co you might feel the full force of BUSH, BLAIR AND CO?

The Rwanda man spoke again and asked why his country had not been sorted out as Iraq has been, was it because there was not any oil? And he also stated that perhaps it also had to do that the British government make so much money from its arms trade. This received a loud applause

The chairman had to redirect things back to trade issues, as many people had other interests, ie the war and smiths unwillingness to have a public forum.

Smith said the UN needs to be reformed

So that’s about it, these are just my sketchy notes from the meeting, feel free to add more or expand on some of the issues raised at today’s forum

You have the power to do something, find out more about FAIR TRADE, support it, get involved with a group, inform more people

I did not get a chance to inform people publicly at the meeting about INDYMEDIA OXFORD or WORLD BANK BOYCOTT, which Is a very easy way to do something positive

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2003/05/67529.html

dunk

Come to the European anti-WTO Convergence around the ExCel Centre in London's Docklands.
Tues 9th --> Fri 12th Sept.

Come and protest against the WTO and the arms trade - two birds with one stone :-)


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See www.dsei.org for details about the international demonstrations against Europe's Biggest Arms Fair, the DSEi. These protests will also act as a focus for anti-WTO dissent. After all, so called "defence" is merely the military wing of the kind of trade-injustice being forced on developing countries by the likes of IMF, World Bank and WTO.

So all you Trade Justice people, see you on 9th...

:-)

Site given as www.tjm.org.uk/help/badge. shtml. oops, sorry now isee what ididnt
sorry. should have pressed /help. request remains. janet