>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 22:39:04 -0800 >From: Campaign for Labor Rights <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: April 16: Endorse the demands > >Labor Alerts (6,388 subscribers): a free service of >Campaign for Labor Rights, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice >To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Web site: <www.summersault.com/~agj/clr> >Phone: (541) 344-5410 Fax: (541) 431-0523 >Membership/newsletter: Send $35.00 to Campaign for Labor Rights, 1247 "E" >Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Sample newsletter available on request. > >APRIL 16: ENDORSE THE DEMANDS >posted March 12, 2000 > >In this alert: >April 16 key events >April 16 outreach booklet >ACTION REQUEST: Endorse the demands >Video: Global Village or Global Pillage? > ><><><><><> >APRIL 16 KEY EVENTS > >THE BIG EVENT of the mobilization in Washington, DC will be the protest at >the IMF on Sunday, April 16. Please come to DC for this important >opportunity to show the decision-makers of the IMF (who are scheduled to >meet on that day) that we want a world economy managed for people, not for >corporate profit. Key events during the April 9-17 mobilization in DC: > >* April 9 - Jubilee 2000/USA - break the chains of debt >* April 14 - sweatshop teach-in (organized by Campaign for Labor Rights and >co-sponsored by United Students Against Sweatshops and Global Exchange) >* April 14 - International Forum on Globalization >* April 15 - Latin America solidarity conference >* April 16 - protest the IMF meeting >* April 17 - protest the World Bank meeting > >For lots more information, see the mobilization web site <www.a16.org>. > ><><><><><> >APRIL 16 OUTREACH BOOKLET > >If you have not yet ordered the 24-page outreach booklet for the April 16 >mobilization, be sure to do so now. It explains the reason for the >mobilization. It also serves as a way to educate people about the IMF, >World Bank and WTO long after April. To order "False Profits: Who wins, who >loses when the IMF, World Bank and WTO come to town": > >Send mail orders to: >Booklets/Campaign for Labor Rights >1247 "E" Street SE >Washington, DC 20003 > >For Visa/MasterCard/Discover payment, contact: >Campaign for Labor Rights >Phone: 541/344-5410 >Fax: 541/431-0523 >Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >and provide: >Your name exactly as it appears on your card >Credit card number >Expiration date >And don't forget to include your postal address! > >PRICE: >Quantity Price/copy Postage >1 $1.45 55 cents >2-10 1.00 $3.00 Priority >11-24 1.00 $5.00 Priority >25-99 1.00 Call Campaign for Labor Rights >100 + .75 Call Campaign for Labor Rights > ><><><><><> >APRIL 16: ENDORSE THE DEMANDS > >This is a call for ORGANIZATIONAL endorsements of the demands that the 50 >Years Is Enough Network is making to the World Bank and IMF. Please send >the following three lines (not this entire alert!) to Campaign for Labor >Rights by email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or fax (541) 431-0523: > >Our organization endorses the April 16 mobilization demands. >NAME OF ORGANIZATION: >ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERS (city, country): > >OUR DEMANDS OF THE IMF AND WORLD BANK >March/April 2000 > >On the occasion of the first meetings of the governing bodies of the >International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the 21st century, we call >for the immediate suspension of the policies and practices that have caused >widespread poverty, inequality, and suffering among the world's peoples and >damage to the world's environment. We assert the responsibility of these >anti-democratic institutions, together with the World Trade Organization, >for an unjust world economic system. We note that these institutions are >controlled by wealthy governments, and that their policies have benefited >international private sector financiers, transnational corporations, and >corrupt officials. > >We issue this call in the name of global justice, in solidarity with the >peoples of the Global South and the former "Soviet bloc" countries who >struggle for survival and dignity in the face of unjust, imperialistic >economic policies. We stand in solidarity too with the millions in the >wealthy countries of the Global North who have borne the burden of >"globalization" policies and been subjected to policies that mirror those >imposed on the South. > >Only when the coercive powers of the international financial institutions >are rescinded shall governments be accountable first and foremost to the >will of their peoples. Only when a system that allocates power chiefly to >the wealthiest nations for the purpose of dictating the policies of the >poorer ones is reversed shall nations and their peoples be able to forge >bonds - economic and otherwise - based on mutual respect and the common >needs of the planet and its inhabitants. Only when integrity is restored to >economic development, and both the corrupter and the corrupted held >accountable, shall the people begin to have confidence in the decisions >that affect their communities. Only when the well-being of all, including >the most vulnerable people and ecosystems, is given priority over corporate >profits shall we achieve genuine sustainable development and create a world >of justice, equality, and peace where fundamental human rights, including >social and economic rights, can be respected. > >With these ends in mind, we make the following demands of those meeting in >Washington April 16-19, 2000 for the semi-annual meetings of the World Bank >and the International Monetary Fund: > >1. That the IMF and World Bank cancel all debts owed them. Any funds >required for this purpose should come from positive net capital and assets >held by those institutions. > >2. That the IMF and World Bank immediately cease imposing the economic >austerity measures known as structural adjustment and/or other >macroeconomic "reform," which have exacerbated poverty and inequality, as >conditions of loans, credits, or debt relief. This requires both the >suspension of those conditions in existing programs and an abandonment of >any version of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative which >is founded on the concept of debt relief for policy reform. > >3. That the IMF and World Bank accept responsibility for the disastrous >impact of structural adjustment policies by paying reparations to the >peoples and communities who have borne that impact. These funds should come >from the institutions' positive net capital and assets, and should be >distributed through democratically-determined mechanisms. > >4. That the World Bank Group pay reparations to peoples relocated and >otherwise harmed by its large projects (such as dams) and compensate >governments for repayments made on projects which World Bank evaluations >rank as economic failures. A further evaluation should determine which >World Bank projects have failed on social, cultural, and environmental >grounds, and appropriate compensation paid. The funds for these payments >should come from the institutions' positive net capital and assets, and >should be distributed through democratically-determined mechanisms. > >5. That the World Bank Group immediately cease providing advice and >resources through its division* devoted to private-sector investments to >advance the goals associated with corporate globalization, such as >privatization and liberalization, and that private-sector investments >currently held be liquidated to provide funds for the reparations demanded >above. > >6. That the agencies and individuals within the World Bank Group and IMF >complicit in abetting corruption, as well as their accomplices in borrowing >countries, be prosecuted, and that those responsible, including the >institutions involved, provide compensation for resources stolen and damage >done. > >7. That the future existence, structure, and policies of international >institutions such as the World Bank Group and the IMF be determined through >a democratic, participatory and transparent process. The process must >accord full consideration of the interests of the peoples most affected by >the policies and practices of the institutions, and include a significant >role for all parts of civil society. > >The accession to these demands would require the institutions' directors to >accept and act on the need for fundamental transformation. It is possible >that the elimination of these institutions will be required for the >realization of global economic and political justice. > >We commit to work towards the defunding of the IMF and World Bank by >opposing further government allocations to them (in the form of either >direct contributions or the designation of collateral) and supporting >campaigns such as a boycott of World Bank bonds until these demands have >been met. > >*The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a division of the World >Bank Group. Also included is the Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency >(MIGA), which insures private investments in Southern countries. > >INITIAL SIGNERS: > >50 Years Is Enough Network, United States >Alternative Information & Development Centre, South Africa >Anti Debt Coalition, Indonesia >Campaign Against Neo-Liberalism in South Africa, South Africa >Campaign for Labor Rights, United States >Ecumenical Support Services, Zimbabwe >Focus on the Global South, Thailand >Food First, United States >Freedom from Debt Coalition, Philippines >Global Exchange, United States >Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project, United States >Jubilee 2000 Afrika Campaign, United Kingdom >Jubilee 2000 Afrika Campaign, United States >Jubilee 2000 South Africa, South Africa >Kenya Action Network, United States >Kenya Human Rights Commission, Kenya >LALIT, Mauritius >Nicaragua Network, United States >NICCA, United States >Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt & Development, Zimbabwe > ><><><><><> >VIDEO: GLOBAL VILLAGE OR GLOBAL PILLAGE > >Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello, the authors of the book "Global Village or >Global Pillage," have joined forces with Brendan Smith to produce a >27-minute video with the same name. > >This video is designed as an entry point for people who have not previously >thought much about the global economy. With its emphasis on recognizable >names (narration by Ed Asner) and testimony by representative of >institutions (economist Thea Lee of the AFL-CIO), the video reassures >audiences that corporate globalization is a mainstream issue. > >This is not a video for audiences already up to speed on globalization. It >would be a good video to show to union locals that are just getting ready >to work on global economic issues. Two messages repeat again and again >throughout, although not in the following words: > >* Corporate globalization hurts workers in the global north as well as >workers in the global south. > >* If working people around the world get together, we can successfully >challenge the kind of globalization we face today. > >Price: $25 per copy; $10 for students and low-income. Contact the Preamble >Center's World Economy Project at (202) 265-3263 ext. 330, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > > >_____________________________________________________________ >Want to find the best email lists? Check out the Topica 20! >http://www.topica.com/topica20 > > > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > The Socialism From Below listserve was created by the New Socialist > Group to discuss and debate socialist activism, share news relating to > revolutionary struggles around the world, assist in organizing projects > of socialist renewal and on the ground activism. Views expressed on > the SFB list do not necessarily represent the views of the New Socialist > Group as an organization or those of its members. For more information on > the New Socialist Group and its politics and its activities contact > [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit www.web.net/~newsoc >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >To join or leave the Socialism From Below list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
