[1590] in peace2
FTAA event tomorrow in Boston
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jeff Duritz)
Fri Mar 22 23:26:28 2002
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To: peace-announce@MIT.EDU, greens-announce@MIT.EDU
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Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 23:26:16 -0500
From: Jeff Duritz <jdu@MIT.EDU>
REMINDER -- FTAA EVENT THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 23
VOICES OF RESISTANCE: JUSTICE FOR THE AMERICAS
Saturday, March 23, 3:30-6:00pm
St. Anthony's Shrine
100 Arch Street, Boston (near Downtown Crossing)
Spanish translation available.
The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is an attempt to extend the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the entire western hemisphere. It
would
harm workers, farmers, indigenous peoples, the
environment, public services, and democratic sovereignty while shifting more
power
into corporate hands. In essence, the FTAA would create the foundation for a
vast
sweatshop zone across the hemisphere.
Opposition to this corporate project is growing, in Latin America, the
Caribbean,
North America, and here at home in Boston.
This March, Boston will host leaders of social movements from Mexico, Brazil
and the
United States, who together with local activists will present testimony on the
effects of corporate globalization on their communities and ours - and how
the FTAA
will make things worse.
Come find out about plans for fighting the FTAA and how you can join the
movement to
stop it!
The day will be dedicated to Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, murdered by El
Salvador's death squads on March 24, 1980.
Tour sponsored by the Alliance for Responsible Trade and the Mexico
Solidarity Network. Local event sponsored by Boston Global Action Network,
Jobs
with Justice, CISPES, United for a Fair Economy, and Grassroots
International.
For more information contact: Catherine Benedict, Boston Global Action
Network,
catherinebenedict@earthlink.net, Cassie Watters, Jobs with Justice,
617.524.8778,
cassiefw@aol.com
----
Voices of Resistance for Justice in the Americas Event
and an Organizers' Meeting to Confront the FTAA
Dear Jeffrey Duritz,
Please join us for an afternoon of discussion about the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), and the way it could affect the people of Massachusetts.
Voices of Resistance Organizers Meeting:
Saturday, March 23, 1:00-3:30pm
St. Anthony's Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston (near Downtown Crossing)
Followed by a public event 3:30-6:00pm.
The 1:00-3:30 Organizers Meeting will begin with presentations by speakers
from
Mexico and Washington DC, who will talk about the effects of NAFTA and
describe the
FTAA. This will be followed by small group discussion, broken out by sector,
to
determine how local issues and campaigns would be affected by the FTAA if it
passes,
and to talk about ways to bring this information back to your constituencies.
It
will conclude with information sharing between sectors, and strategizing for
an
ongoing campaign of education and mobilization.
In the organizer's meeting we hope you can share with others the following:
1. What issues/campaigns that you're working on are affected by globalization
and/or
will be made worse by the FTAA?
2. Are the problems you are fighting against part of the push toward
globalization
and the race to the bottom, which sets the stage for the FTAA?
3. How can we work with you to build FTAA awareness-raising into your work?
(We
have many resources to help you with this, including written materials and
guest
speakers.)
4. How would you like awareness of your issues brought into an anti-FTAA
campaign?
5. We are planning to hold a fall conference on the FTAA. What would you
like to
see covered? What other strategies do you think might work for resisting the
FTAA?
The 3:30-6:00 Public Event will feature local activists, as well as speakers
from
Mexico, Brazil, and the US. They will give testimony about local and
international
conditions which would be made worse by the FTAA, and will share inspiring
news of
resistance from throughout the Americas. The day will be dedicated to
Archbishop
Oscar A. Romero, murdered by El Salvador's death squads on March 24, 1980.
Please join us if you can. If you have any questions, please contact me at
617-524-8778.
In solidarity,
Cassie F. Watters
Jobs with Justice
