hey yall,
Looks like activists & small countries actually FOUGHT the WTO recently
& had a nice little victory....
It forced the WTO to cancel
it's plans for a new, typically undemocratic "insider" trick (they're sly little "Mini-Ministerial" gimmick.))
The story is below or you could checkout these sites::
http://www.citizenstrade.org
&
http://www.citizen.org/...
If we don't help wake-up folks on WTO & related UN-democratic trade deals,
we'll soon find that their closed-door tricks will
suck our longterm
jobs/Economy out the window...
& It'll be too late if we miss our OWN window---
a window of opportunity to keep the momentum rolling against these classic theives.
Undemocratic WTO Mini-Ministerial
Canceled
as Developing Nations, Civil Society
Protest
Dear Fair Trade Activist,
What if nothing less than the future of your job,
whether your kids can hope for a good standard of living,
whether your loved ones can access the medicines required for their survival,
live in a peaceful world with a safe environment and healthy food,
and even the fate of the basic human rights --
from democratic decision-making to labor rights --
were all up for grabs...
and you were locked out of the room?
Sounds like an overwritten horror flick?
Unfortunately, it's business as usual as the World Trade Organization.
The goods news is
that an attempt to
ram through a deal to extend the
WTO's poisonous, muscular tentacles into even more non-trade elements of our daily lives
was narrowly foiled last week.
The plan was to 'overcome' opposition by a majority of the countries who are signatories to the WTO to a major powergrab called the "Doha Round" of WTO expansion talks by simply locking 100-plus countries out of the room. The WTO's Director General, Pascal Lamy, had called for an exclusive, invitation-only "Mini-Ministerial" meeting -- to which only certain countries were invited -- so the minority in favor of imposing the WTO's corporate rule could agree without interference of democratic process.
After African trade ministers filed an official protest -- and a large bloc of other developing countries joined in -- Public Citizen, and 124 other organizations from some 40 countries entered the fray as reinforcements -- calling for the undemocratic gathering to be canceled. Read the civil society statement here. (PDF)
The wave of resistance to this undemocratic maneuver peaked, and in a great victory, Lamy was forced to cancel the Mini-Ministerial.
But unfortunately, the Doha Round itself was not cancelled -- and that is where you come in!
Instead of fixing the massive problems demonstrated by the WTO's dismal 11 year record of eroding democracy, eviscerating environmental protections and pushing the race-to-the-bottom on wages and workers' rights around the globe, U.S. and EU government officials are seeking to expand the WTO's failed model in favor of the corporate interests they represent. Negotiations have been deadlocked because many countries have realized that the WTO model of corporate globalization will damage their economies.
With the forced cancellation of the Geneva Mini-Ministerial, we will be on the alert to ferret out whatever next tricks may be tried -- and make sure you know what you can do to add your voice to those from around the world demanding:
No New WTO "Round" -- WTO TURNAROUND!"