New PEI FTAA Brochure!

Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 00:16:12 -0400
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Aaron Koleszar <aaronk@isn.net>
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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



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