[mobglob-discuss] Protest the FTAA on Thursday November 20th

[Robert Baxter]

** Please distribute widely **

Hunger Strike against the FTAA has entered day 24.

Contents of today's update:
1.  FTAA Vigil Thursday at Noon
2.  Teach-in Events Thursday
3.  Contact Pettigrew’s Office
4.  Latest Media Release


1.  FTAA Vigil Thursday at Noon

Come to the vigil at Noon until 1 PM on Thursday, November 20, in front of
the World Trade Centre (http://www.boardoftrade.com/vbot_page.asp?pageid=29)
at Canada Place. The vigil is to show solidarity with thousands that will be
protesting during the FTAA Ministerial Meetings in Miami on November 20 and
21. There will be updates from Vancouver residents who are in Miami and the
local hunger strike.

Bring banners, signs, friends, and supporters. Please forward this
announcement out as wide as possible.


2.  There are Two Teach-in Events Thursday

THE FTAA - WHAT THE TRADE MINISTERS WON'T TELL YOU
Thursday November 20th, 7:00 PM
Maritime Labour Centre - Boardroom 3
111 Victoria Drive, parking lot entrance

Sponsored by the Council of Canadians
and Vancouver District Labour Council
A panel discussion and video presentation

- Chief Garry John, Seton Lake Indian Band
- Nicole Schabus, Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade
- Marc Lee, Economist/Researcher Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
- Sparrow O'Brien, Peace Arch hunger striker joins us and ends her fast this
day
- Jorge Munoz, Human Rights Lawyer an Anthopologist from Colombia

We will be showing relevant excerpts from three videos
Commentary provided by Claudia Medina-Culos, BC Organizer of the Council
of Canadians

*Life and Debt:
What the corporate free trade model has done to Jamaica

Tear Gas Holiday:
The people of the Americas converge on Quebec City to protest unfair trade

The World Trade Organization in Cancun:
At the juncture of North and South the people unite in powerful opposition
to the corporate trade negotiators

this is a free event

A TEACH-IN ON THE FTAA AND EDUCATION
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Surrey -- 4:00-5:30 pm
Room G1205A Conference Centre,
Surrey Campus, Kwantlen University College (126th Street and 72nd Avenue)

Vancouver -- 7:30-9:00 pm
BCTF Building, 550 West Sixth, Vancouver

Negotiations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) are taking place
in Miami on November 20 & 21, 2003. Public services, including education,
are a part of the FTAA proposals.

Find out more about:
·  The impact trade agreements (FTAA & GATS) have on public K-12 public
education and
   post-secondary education.
·  Why is there a push to privatize and make education a tradable commodity.
·  What are education unions throughout the Americas doing to oppose
education in trade agreements?

This event is part of the Continental Campaign Against Education in Trade
Agreements.  Events and protests are being organized by education unions
around the Americas. Presenters will be Larry Kuehn, BC Teachers' Federation
and Jim Grieshaber-Otto, author of Perilous Lessons: The Impact of the WTO
Services Agreement (GATS) on Canada's Public Education System

Sponsored by the Public Education Coalition (B.C. Government & Services
Employees’ Union, B.C. Teachers’ Federation, Canadian Federation of
Students, College-Institute Educators’ Association, CUPE, Confederation of
University Faculty Associations)


3.  Contact Federal Trade Minister Pettigrew’s Office

Starting November 20 the staff of the Canadian Federal Trade Office will be
negotiating at the FTAA meeting in Miami.  Email to them on behalf of the
hundreds of thousands of Mexican farmers that have been displaced because of
NAFTA, on behalf of the children in Canada who must breath dirtier air
because of NAFTA, on behalf of the forests that will be cut down under the
new trade agreements, on behalf of the hunger striker who has gone 24 days
without food... Ask Pettigrew’s office and staff to demand that citizen’s
concerns be included in the agreement, to stand up to George W. Bush and
corporations that interests are not that of the environment and peoples of
the world.

Please send your emails to all the following:

pettigrew.p at parl.gc.ca, pierre.pettigrew at dfait-maeci.gc.ca ,
andre.lemay at dfait-maeci.gc.ca , michael.arnot at dfait-maeci.gc.ca ,
don.mcdougall at dfait-maeci.gc.ca , leonard.edwards at dfait-maeci.gc.ca

And consider CCing your email to local media and your friends!


4.  Latest Media Release

http://www.alternatives.com/prms/2003/vsfc1119.pdf

Announcement About Hunger Strike On Thursday
Local Vigil Planned in Solidarity with Protests in Miami

VANCOUVER -- November 19, 2003 -- Activists will make an announcement about
the hunger strike against the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) during
a vigil at Noon on Thursday, November 20, in front of the World Trade Centre
at Canada Place. The hunger strike has continued for 24 days. During that
time there has been a camp set up at the Peace Arch border crossing as part
of the protest.

The vigil is planned to show solidarity with thousands that will be
protesting during the FTAA Ministerial Meetings in Miami on November 20 and
21. Speakers will also bring updates from Vancouver residents who are in
Miami.

In recent days the activists have received support from various levels of
government. Member of Parliament Libby Davis said, "I certainly offer my
support to you in your campaign and will continue to speak out against the
expansion of free-trade agreements."

At Tuesday night's Vancouver City Council meeting Councilors Fred Bass and
Ellen Woodsworth both spoke in support of the hunger strikers. They spoke as
council was considering a motion to support efforts by the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities to deal with the effects of international trade
agreements.

Vancouver activists began the hunger strike on October 27 to protest
Canada's negotiating position at the upcoming FTAA Ministerial Meeting in
Miami. Activists have set up a camp at the Peace Arch border crossing as
part of the protest. The protesters have presented a series of principles
that they would like immediate action on (see Principles for Immediate
Action attached).

For more information on the hunger strike visit:
http://www.economicjustice.ca
The event is being organized by Artists For Peace
(http://www.artistsforpeace.ca)

Principles for Immediate Action:

1. The City of Vancouver pass a resolution declaring Vancouver an FTAA-free
zone.

2. The Federal Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew come to Vancouver and meet
with the hunger strikers at our protest site before he attends the FTAA
Summit in Miami this November.

3. The Canadian government commence action to repeal the investor-state
provision of NAFTA (chapter 11) and preclude it's inclusion in the FTAA.

4. Before any Americas trade deal is signed by Canada, the Canadian
government must take action to ensure that the rights of all of this
continent's peoples are protected by a written code of human rights, signed
by all countries involved, with real enforceable provisions.

5. A federal referendum be held to determine our (Canadian) participation in
all present and future International Trade Agreements.

6. The FTAA not infringe on the right of local indigenous communities and
nations to govern themselves, including the ability of those local
communities and nations to control resources and lands within their
territories.

For more information, please also see:

1. Global Exchange's "Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the Free Trade Area of the
Americas": http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/ftaa/Top10NoFTAA.pdf
http://www.globalexchange.org/ftaa/topten.html

2. Council of Canadians' "Stop the FTAA":
http://www.canadians.org/documents/stop_the_ftaa-e.pdf
http://www.canadians.org/display_document.htm?id=108&isdoc=1

3. Vancouver Hunger Strike Against the FTAA:
http://www.economicjustice.ca