[2467] in peace2
Fwd: Important: E-mail/call-in for free trade tomorrow
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (sboza@MIT.EDU)
Sun Apr 13 12:12:57 2003
From: sboza@MIT.EDU
Message-ID: <1050250314.3e998c4a69b9c@webmail.mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 12:11:54 -0400
To: utr-announce@mit.edu, peace-announce@mit.edu
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The April 13th protests in DC are against the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) and similar measures in Latin America: 11:00 am Malcolm X
Park (also known as Meridian Park) 16th St & Euclid St NW
http://www.lasolidarity.org/events/A2003/march.htm
**IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE PROTESTS:**
The mobilization committee is calling for all persons to at least e-mail their
senators on **APRIL 14TH**. This is Easter recess, so the DC staffers will be
in DC, but your Senators should be home…schedule a meeting if you can, or at
least call in the office!
1) Go to http://www.senate.gov/
Select your state to find your senator's contact information.
Key Senators (on Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Export and
Trade Promotion):
-Maryland: Paul S. Sarbanes, http://sarbanes.senate.gov/pages/email.html
-Connecticut: Christopher J. Dodd, http://dodd.senate.gov/webmail/
-Minnesota: Norm Coleman, http://coleman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
-Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee, http://chafee.senate.gov/webform.htm
-New Jersey: Jon S. Corzine, http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
-West Virginia: John D. Rockefeller, senator@rockefeller.senate.gov
-Nebraska: Chuck Hagel, chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov
-Wyoming: Michael B. Enzi, senator@enzi.senate.gov
-Tennessee: Lamar Alexander, http://alexander.senate.gov/contact.cfm
2) Send the following text (put your name & address at the bottom) or your
personalized version, or better yet call the home office on the phone:
Dear Senator:
I am writing to express my concern with the proceedings of the U.S.-Central
American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
While the agreement will affect millions, no draft text of the agreement has
been made available to any of the participating countries' Congresses and
National Assemblies or to the general American or Central American public.
Rather, transnational companies are being allowed to view draft texts and
participate in the negotiations. This double standard puts at risk those
persons whose health, economic security and quality of life will be affected by
CAFTA but who will have no say in the agreement.
CAFTA is an extension of the North-American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which
promised economic benefits but has resulted in an 58% to 70% increase in
poverty in Mexico, the rapid degredation of public health services and dramatic
increases in morbidity and mortality among the poor, and job loss for 700,000
Americans.
Given the effects of NAFTA, it is imperative that CAFTA be negotiated in a
transparent and democratic fashion. I am contacting you to respectfully request
information on how you plan to turn the CAFTA negotiations into a transparent
process that receives and responds to commentary from civil society and results
in a document that is fully in concordance with health, labor and human rights
standards.
I am following the trade negotiations process closely and will be in continued
contact with you on this issue. I look forward to your reply.
Best regards,
