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LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE THE FILE SENT AS AN ATTACHMENT. -A [COVER] EXPOSE and OPPOSE the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) [NO FTAA IMAGE] Quebec City April 20-22 STOP THE CORPORATE TAKEOVER! [INSIDE PANEL 1] What is the FTAA? The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is the name given to the process of expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to all the other countries of the western hemisphere except for Cuba. It is intended by it's architects to be the most far reaching and toughest trade agreement in history, extending free trade's reach not only into many new countries, but into new sectors as well. The FTAA is currently being negotiated behind closed doors by trade ministers and bureaucrats, and is scheduled to be unilaterally imposed between 2003-2005. While the public is denied access to the FTAA text, it is made available to over 500 corporate representatives. Like the World Trade Organization and other related institutions, the FTAA is another engine in the form of a ‘free' trade accord which drives corporate globalization. NAFTA - Father of the FTAA The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1994 by Canada, Mexico, and the US. Under NAFTA ‘unfair trade barriers', which can be things such as environmental and health protection laws, are not allowed. So NAFTA allows foreign companies to sue domestic governments when a law, regulation, or policy hurts a company's profits or damages their reputation. These lawsuits are decided in secret by a panel of three trade bureaucrats who make their decision based solely on the trade agreement. Environmental or social concerns are not considered. Free trade agreements have a "chill effect" since the threat of a lawsuit makes governments hesitant to pass legislation for the public good if it hurts corporate profit. Under these agreements, citizens and local governments no longer have the right to govern or to protect themselves from things like toxic pollution, unless they are willing to pay millions or billions of dollars in compensation. Corporate globalization is not about trade. It is about replacing local government with corporate rule. [INSIDE PANEL 2] Under NAFTA (Father of the FTAA)... Some NAFTA Rulings *Metalclad Corp. (USA) sued the Mexican government for refusing to allow a toxic waste dump. The NAFTA tribunal found in favour of Metalclad and ordered Mexico to pay$16.7 million (US) to Metalclad. *S.D. Myers (a US hazardous waste company) sued the Canadian government over their ban on the export (from Canada) of hazardous PCB waste. Canada lost and the amount of damages they will need to pay to S.D. Myers is expected to be in the range of 20-50 million dollars. NAFTA Out-of-court Settlement *Ethyl Corporation (USA) sued the Canadian government for over $200 million due to a ban on Ethyl's dangerous (neurotoxin) gasoline additive MMT. The Canadian government agreed to an out of court settlement and paid Ethyl $19.3 million for lost revenue, dropped the ban, and issued a public statement saying MMT is safe. Some Pending NAFTA Cases *The Canadian government is being sued by Sun Belt Water Corporation (USA) for $10.5 billion due to BC's ban on bulk water exports. *The USA is being sued by Methanex Corporation (BC) for $970 million because California has banned MTBE, a gasoline additive which has polluted their groundwater. *The Canadian government is being sued by UPS (a US courier company) for $230 million because they give financial support to government owned Canada Post, but not to the privately owned UPS. Corporate Relocation Under NAFTA many companies have closed factories in Canada and the USA and moved to Mexico, where wages and labour standards are much lower. This results in job losses as well as lower wages and labour conditions in Canada and the USA. [INSIDE PANEL 3] Summit of the Americas This April 20-22, Quebec City has the dubious honor of hosting the Summit of the Americas, which brings together the 34 heads of state of North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean (except Cuba). Besides the usual scare-mongering about security and terrorism, and empty rhetoric about democracy and human rights, the stated purpose of the Summit will be to put the final touches on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement. The Summit of the Americas meeting will be the largest police and security operation in Canadian history, held within a secure fortress, long all while the 34 leaders and an entourage of big business elites, technocrats and corporate media enjoy their cocktail parties, gala dinners and public relations spectacles. [CORPORATE HEADS IMAGE] A Resistance Movement Demonstrations against the WTO in Seattle announced to the world the existence of a resistance movement in Canada and the United States. In Seattle and at many other events where bureaucrats meet behind closed doors, thousands took to the streets to refuse the ‘free' market fundamentalism of governments and big business. EXPOSE FTAA! This April in Quebec City there will be a large-scale grassroots mobilization against the FTAA (including teach-ins, conferences, workshops, concerts, cabarets, street theater, direct actions, protests and more). Solidarity actions will take place in PEI and around the world. [OTHER PANEL] Police (and State) Terror Campaign The police and government have already started a two-pronged public terror campaign, to make the public fearful of the protesters and to intimidate the protesters. After the success of WTO protests in Seattle, police have stepped up their efforts to scare people away from this movement. It is now common practice before mass demonstrations for police to visit high schools, universities, and churches to warn people not to get involved with these ‘dangerous' protesters. Businesses are being warned that their property is in grave danger. Police are carrying out a similar media public relations campaign to demonize the protesters, manufacturing an excuse for their unjustifiable violence and chemical warfare that frequently happens at mass protests. 5000+ police will be on hand (including 800+ riot police) with a variety of weapons to 'control' protesters. People have already been arrested just for handing out leaflets. Expect the harassment to increase as the protest nears. Some commonly used tactics are unjustified arrests, unconstitutional searches, and illegal raids. If you are a potential protester, or happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, your rights no longer apply. Quebec has passed a law prohibiting scarves, bandanas, or anything that can be used to cover your face. [COP SHADOW IMAGE HERE] During the Summit, a 4-km long fence will be erected around downtown Quebec. The 3 m tall fence will have a 1m concrete base and barbed or razor wire at the top. The public will not be allowed inside this fence, and residents and workers will require a special ID to enter. IS THIS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE? [BACK PANEL] PEI Mobilization for Global Justice Saying NO to the FTAA and Corporate Globalization PEI Mobilization for Global Justice is a coalition of groups and individuals that has come together specifically to expose and oppose the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement and corporate globalization. We are mobilizing to attend protests in Quebec City this April 20-22, where FTAA negotiations are scheduled at the Summit of the Americas. Come to Quebec!!! We are looking into a number of inexpensive group transportation options including buses, trains, and vans. We are fundraising to provide subsidies for people in need. Get in touch right away and fill out a registration to book your spot. Weekly meetings Every Monday at 7 PM at Colonel Grey High School Want to help? Things we Need spread the word $$$ / medical supplies get in touch things to sell at the flea market FTAA Related Websites http://www.a20.org/ http://www.stopftaa.org http://www.quebec2001.org http://wtoaction.org http://www.oqp2001.org http://www.canadians.org http://quebec.indymedia.org For Independent news before, during, and after the Summit of the Americas - non-corporate coverage of the issues, protests, police violence, and rights violations. PEI Mobilization for Global Justice Janette Cormier Aaron Koleszar <jcormier@hushmail.com> <aaronk@isn.net> 566-5916 659-2570 ********************************************************************* Aaron Koleszar <aaronk@isn.net> --------------------------------------------------------------------- "It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society." -J. Krishnamurti --------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR INDEPENDENT NEWS ON PROTESTS AND DIRECT ACTION http://www.indymedia.org - The Independent Media Center (IMC) --------------------------------------------------------------------- FTAA/Quebec Related Websites Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) http://www.quebec2001.org OQP (Occupation Quebec Printemps [Spring] ) http://www.oqp2001.org http://quebec.indymedia.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Biotic Baking Brigade.....coming soon to a pie-o-region near you. bbb@asis.com http://www.asis.com/~bbb/ International Month of Pie-rect action against Capital and State - Dessert the State in the Lead up to Mayday O P E R A T I O N D E S S E R T S T O R M April 1 (April Fools Day) till May 1st (Mayday) http://www.dessertstorm.org -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar) -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Questions about sust-mar? Problems? Email <sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> Please remember to UNSUBSCRIBE if your email account is changing, or if you are going away. To leave the list, just send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> As the text of your message, type only "unsubscribe sust-mar" (without quotes)
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