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Home > Programs > Trade and Agriculture > WTO Meeting: Doha > Calendar of Events |
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Calendar of Events Challenging the WTO
Worldwide Events Challenging the 4th WTO Ministerial in Qatar. (Alphabetical by Nation)Updated: November 6, 2001 Hundreds of events are planned in capitals and cities around the world to coincide with the 4th Ministerial of the WTO. Choosing Doha as the site for the Ministerial seems designed to avoid public participation and scrutiny, indeed civil society is severely restricted in terms of access to the Ministerial. The anti-corporate globalization movement that started in Seattle has only grown in depth, diversity and size since then, and can not be silenced. More and more people around the world are living the negative consequences of a cynical globalization agenda – whether it is through lack of adequate healthcare; no access to schools; job losses; a deteriorating environment; elimination of family farms and a weakening of our food safety. If the proponents of the status-quo globalization model though that locating the Ministerial in Qatar could silence us they were wrong. Instead we have brought our voices to capitals and communities all over the world. AustraliaAustralian Events for WTO Ministerial The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (www.aftinet.org.au) a network of over 50 unions and community groups, is sponsoring a seminar, band night and public rally in Sydney, November 11-13. The rally coincides with the conference of the International Metalworkers Federation which is to be held in Sydney at that time, attended by 1000 union activists from around the world. We expect the rally to attract thousands of people from both unions and community organizations. Sydney seminar on the WTO and Fair Trade alternatives 11:30 am Sunday November 11, Tom Mann Theatre, Chalmers St, Surrry Hills. Fair Trade band night with popular bands 7.30 PM Sunday Nov 11 Sydney , Metro theatre, George St. Sydney Fair Trade Rally 12 noon, Darling Harbour Sydney, march through the city to Martin Place. The rally will be reported on the Indymedia website with pictures Patricia Ranald, pranald@piac.asn.au AustriaATTAC Austria is organizing an alternative event. The world is not for sale; to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Qatar on 10th of November in LINZ/Austria. It will last the whole day and consists of lectures from different perspectives (agriculture, agriculture and genetic engineering, women, service industry,) in combination with workshops; a press conferences is planned together with Greenpeace and WWF as well as press releases and position papers. Maybe additional actions are planned. Christian Mayr (for ATTAC), infos@attac-austria.org BangladeshBangladesh Mukto Sramik Federation (BMSF) Dhaka Meeting & demonstration from November 9-11 Belgium6 November, Press Conference in Brussels organized by FoE Europe, Oxfam Solidarity and CPE Alexandra Wandel (alexandra.wandel@foeeurope.org) or CanadaATLANTIC CANADA Halifax, Nova Scotia St. John, New Brunswick Quebec City NOV. 9- Protest Rally in Old Quebec City. CONTACT: Sebastian Bouchard, OQP: appui@oqp2001.com ONTARIO Ottawa NOV. 9- CARAVAN CONVERGENCE and march to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Noon Rally with Speakers, banners and street theatre. Evening Event: CONTACT: David Robbins, Council of Canadians and Betrand Begin, Canadian Labour Congress drobbins@canadians.org Toronto NOV. 9- Noon Rally outside City Hall. Flyering at public places throughout the day. Creative direct actions throught the afternoon. CONTACT: Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice and Kim Philips, Council of Canadians mob4glob@tao.ca NOV. 9- Evening Workshop "WTO and Other Corporate Bullies", 7pm at the Steelworkers Hall.- 8:30 Wine & Cheese Reception for International Guests. NOV. 10 - 9:30 - 10:30 Caravan Joins Local Activists caravan for trip through city with stops at 2 Corporate targets. Town Hall Meeting "A Better World IS Possible", 11am at City Hall- International Speakers - Raging Grannies to perform. CONTACT: Peter Boyle, Kingson and District Labour Council: pboyle@kos.net Sudbury NOV. 9- Protest at local MPs Riding Office and Anti-War Teach-In at Laurentian University CONTACT:
Aurele Bertrand North Bay NOV. 8- Public Forum, 1-3pm, Fedeli Business Centre, Nipissing University CONTACT: Barbara Anella, DAWN Ontario Thunder Bay NOV. 9- Vegetariana 2001and Evening of food, music and conversation- "There are always alternatives" NOV. 10- Sustainable Solutions 2001 focus on fair trade and locally owned and operated businesses CONTACT: Bob Ewing, Thunder Bay Coalition Against Poverty WESTERN CANADAVancouver, British Columbia NOV. 9- Evening Public Forum NOV. 10- Teach-In on the WTO with Panels, workshops and street theatre, time and location? CONTACT: Tara Scurr, Trading Strategiestscurr@canadians.org Edmonton, Alberta NOV. 9- What is the WTO? Part of Global Visions Film Festival CONTACT: Marika Schwantt, Global Visions Festival Societymarika Regina, Saskatchewan NOV. 9- Protest against WTO CONTACT: Loretta Gerlach, Trade and Democracy Now! And Barb Byers, Saskatchewan Fed. of Labour lgerlach@canadians.org and sfl.byers@sk.sympatico.ca Annahid Dashtgard, Organizer for the Common Front on the WTO (CFWTO) Phone: 416-53-cfwto (532-3986) Fax: 416-532-6191 Email: cfwto@sympatico.ca Website: www.wtoaction.org/cfwto NorwayOn 9 November there will be a demonstration in Oslo, arranged by a coalition of more than 30 organizations, including trade unions, the environmental movement, development organizations, peasants' association, ATTAC Norway, political parties, youth organizations and others. Speakers will be the Vice President of the Norwegian Union of Municipal Employees, the President of ATTAC Norway and the previous President of Friends of the Earth, Norway, currently MP for the Socialist Left Party. Slogans are OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE! Stop the market forces - No new round in the WTO! The GATS Agreement: Services for people - not for profit! Health and Education out of the WTO! WTO: Where protection of the environment is a barrier to trade! Human rights before patent rights - Cheap medicine for the developing countries! Agriculture out of the WTO! Globalize the struggle - Globalize the hope - Another world is possible! There are also plans for a smaller more "visual" action from midday up to the evening march, with ATTAC at the university, small farmers and transport workers together. It is planned to have a caravan of tractors, trucks, carts and people that will go around town and stop at specific places to have performances or street theatre, give out leaflets and show effects related to the topic (like giving out day rations of rice to the people of trade buildings). ATTAC Norway is initiating demonstrations in some other cities in Norway. Reidun Heiene: Asbjørn Wahl: Christoffer Klyve: PhilippinesThe anti-WTO campaign in the Philippines kicked off with acaravan organized by the peasants under Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas last Oct 18-19 and culminated in a demonstration at the presidential palace. The call was “WTO out of agriculture.” This week, Metro Manila is all plastered with KMP posters with the slogan “Junk WTO!" On November 8 the International Migrants Conference organized by Migrante International and International League of Peoples' Struggle will culminate in a march rally to the US embassy on the issue of neo-liberal globalization and the WTO. The plaza Ferguson in front of the Embassy will be occupied the whole afternoon by representatives from peasants, workers, students and other sectors joining the migrants from various countries in a "street conference" on the WTO and against a new round at Doha. This street conference will continue onvigil camp-out with cultural performancesdubbed "Kultura ng Kanayunan" at Plaza Ferguson to welcome the bigger demonstration the next day. November 9 - Anti-WTO Mobilization at the US Embassy. At 10 a.m. there will be a Human Chain in front of the US Embassy organized by KMP and a march and rally in the afternoon organized by Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance in conjunction with several multi-sectoral organizations. Tony Tujan – IBON Foundation - atujan@info.com.ph Qatar: DohaNovember 8: Location: RussiaConference on Globalization in Moscowhttp://www.vkt.org.ru/ SpainInVigo (Galicia, Spain), ATTAC-Galicia with RCADE-Vigo are going to camp in a public square from 2nd to 10th of November with the aim of inform to every people about the OMC round and carry out some events in collaboration with other organizations. Moreover, we want to finish it with a demonstration on 10th November. In Bask country on the 9/11: During the day a debate organized by a broad coalition of organizations with as speakers Patxi Zabalo, Francois Hourtart, Isabel Bermejo (Ecologistas en Acción) Patentes y Propiedad Intelectual, Paul Nicholson (Via Campesina). A colorful evening street action with the title “Our world is not for sale: Contact: galicia@attac.org or nico.verhagen@pi.be SwedenGothenburg: 9/11: Manifestation in central Gothenburg - ATTAC and FoE. 10/11 Manifestation with street theater in central Gothenburg, ATTAC. Malmö: Uppsala: Umeå:Activities in collaboration with a range of other organization under the umbrella "Umeå network for Fair Trade". Articles in local papers. Participation in programs in a regional radio station. 9/11 Minor manifestation to make people aware that the WTO ministerial is begun. 10/11 Manifestation with street theater and other activities in central Umeå. Later in the afternoon seminars and debates.
Lars-Olof Karlsson: SwitzerlandOn 29 October there will be a press conference in Geneva of Swiss NGOs ( a coalition of 30 Organizations, among them Berne Declaration, Development and Environmental Organizations and the Trade Unions) criticize the Swiss mandate for Doha. Geneva: For details contact:alice.carl@world-psi.org. See also the PSI websitewww.world-psi.org (click on the campaign on the first page) andsuisse@attac.org -schweiz@attac.org United States Events Challenging the 4th WTO Ministerial in Qatar.Washington DC: November 8: The World Trade Organization is meeting in Doha, Qatar November 9-13. They haven't changed their anti-democracy tune, as evidenced by the location of their meetings. We need to send the WTO a strong message of opposition to their global corporatism. Join us in Philadelphia at a rally on Saturday, November 10at 12:30. We will gather in front of the Liberty Bell on Market St., between 5th and 6th Sts. New York City: JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 9TH TO PARADE AND PROTEST AS WE TAKE A TOUR OF THE OFFICES OF VARIOUS GLOBAL OFFENDERS AND CALL FOR A WORLD BASED ON ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND PEACE. Also, join us Nov 10 for an evening of ART AND RESISTANCE (for info email:nov10action@yahoo.com) USA STRATEGY SUMMIT, November 8,9,10. San Francisco Bay Area: SF Bay Area Global Action Against the WTO Meetings
Sacramento: Sacramento Activists for Democratic Trade is planning on doing a protest on Nov. 10 from noon to 2:00 on the sidewalk next to Arden Blvd. At Arden Faire Mall in Sacramento. We will be emphasizing the connection between the WTO and sweatshop proliferation. If the meeting of the WTO is cancelled we will probably do a protest against Free Trade and sweatshops in general. The protest will be in conjunction with Sacramentans for International Labor Rights. Asia Russell 215-474-.9329 / cell:267-475-2645 http://www.aflcio.org/home.htm or Carrie Biggs Adams (CWA) -Cbiggs-adams@cwa-union.org ### |
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