reviews conference notes
Free trade and its opponents Andrew Elmore
While executive heads of 34 Western Hemisphere countries gathered in Santiago, Chile for the Second Summit of the Americas on April 18, another summit had ended a few blocks away. In an historic meeting of over 1,000 representatives of diverse social groups from every country in the American Continent, the Summit of the Peoples of the Americas brought together non-governmental organizations such as human rights groups and environmentalists together with organized labor.
While the heads of government negotiated commercial agreements, the People's Summit called for social protections and the defense of the interests of the majority. Free Trade on the Continent by 2005
While the Second Summit of the Americas gave lip-service to democracy, human rights, and social justice, the governmental summit reaffirmed the Con32 International Viewpoint #301 tinental leaders' commitment to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA would link together all of the hemisphere's economies (except Cuba's) by the year 2005.
This summit was a continuation of the Continental dialogue started in Miami at the 1994 Summit of the Americas. During the first summit, Mexico was held out as the model of economic reform and NAFTA as the model trade agreement. Just ten days later, however, the Mexican peso underwent a massive devaluation. Since then, and contrary to the expectations created at the December 1994 Summit, the expansion of free-trade agreements throughout the hemisphere has proceeded slowly.
Nevertheless, in this Summit governments have continued the process set in motion in 1994, proclaiming in their Final Declaration that "we are confident that the FTAA will benefit the well-being of our peoples, including economically disadvantaged people in our respective countries." A People's Summit
That confidence in favor of free trade stands in stark contrast to the Final Declarations of the People's Summit, which criticizes economic agreements like the FTAA for "causing rising unemployment, expanding the informal sector of the economy, endangering labor relations, increasing production quotas and decreasing salaries. The unconditional government support of the FTAA in the face of this, according to the Summit, means that "the proclaimed social concerns of these countries continues to be treated like smallchange in commercial negotiations."
Bertha Lujan, Coordinator of the
Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC), said that, in addition to its lack of proposals to protect social interests, the People's Summit opposed the official Summit's "participation in negotiations without the approval of the people, converting it into a discussion between governments and executive powers." A New Agenda
According to Lujan, "Social groups on the Continent, unions, women, peasants, indigenous communities, all represent an alternative path to that of neoliberalism, which is why the two Summits were in absolute opposition." The Summit of the People launched a counter-strategy to create a Continental Social Alliance which would represent all sectors of society.
The People's Summit meetings reflected the multi-faceted composition of the Summit: Organized Labor, Women, Indigenous Communities, Peasants, and Environmental activists all had a forum. For three days, these groups met to focus their agenda on topics of globalization such as sustainable development, international investments, quality of life and employment.
The Summit achieved wide-ranging agreements on a social clause for commercial negotiations in the Americas. The final declaration approved the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions' (ICFTU) proposal to base the social clause on ratified International Labor Organization (ILO) agreements, including the right to organize and to a collective contract, the prohibition of forced and child labor, and protection from discrimination in employment.
The Economic Alternatives meeting and the Parliamentary session called for all future economic agreements with special protections for the agricultural sector, indigenous autonomy, natural resources, the facilitation of technology transfers, and a focus on developing and resolving foreign debt for developing countries through international funds. Finally, these demands were all sent by Chilean Chancellor José Miguel Insulza to all the chiefs of state and of government participating in the Summit of the Americas, to analyze before beginning negotiations of the FTAA. Interamerican Labor Accord
Coordinating the Labor forum was the Interamerican Regional Labor Organization (ORIT), whose President, Dick Martin of the Canadian Labor Congress, along with Vice-President Luis Anderson presided. They in turn handed the floor to international and national Federations affiliated with the ORIT, such as the moderate Chilean Unified Federation of Workers (CUT) in Chile. Chilean independent unionists objected with heckling when the CUT invited the Chilean Minister of Labor to speak, according to Maty
coming soon
Arteaga, an organizer for Mexico's FAT.
Mexican labor organizers were visibly upset when a representative of Mexico's government-controlled Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) took the floor. "She spoke about how the CTM was the first union to oppose privatizing Social Security. When she lamented the death of Fidel Velazquez, [the former CTM patriarch] who, she said, was Mexico's most important labor leader, • we shouted "liar!" reported one independent organizer from Mexico City.
The labor session passed important measures such as the commitment to labor rights expressed in ILO agreements, some of which are still unsigned or unenforced in some Latin American countries. Those measures were included in the Final Declarations of the Summit. Women's Table Breaks Up
The women's forum split between ultra-radical and moderate Chilean groups who led the meeting, dissapointing many, including Mexican women's groups which hoped to pass numerous proposals to strengthen women's rights, including banning pregnancy as grounds for firings in the Mexican maquiladoras. Still, many women left the meeting undeterred. An Advance, but Work Left Undone
According to Bertha Lujan, if they are to confront the reality of a pending hemispheric trade agreement, future continental meetings need to take a more direct stand against commercial accords without a social clause. Specifically, "there needs to be a communication structure representing diverse sectors of society."
Yet, the Summit did unify organized labor in the Continent around three important commitments for an alliance with other social groups: the rejection of the currently planned FTAA, the importance of preventing free investment from diminishing social standards, and unity in the face of globalization.
Most importantly, the People's Summit challenges any accords reached by the Summit of the Americas by putting It to the people: "we demand that any future commercial agreement be approved by, at least, a referendum or plebiscite in every country.
Mexican delegates sent these and all the final demands of the Summit to Jaime Zabludosky, Mexico's Secretary of Commerce, who was a chief negotiator of NAFTA. Press Black-out
While the Chilean press covered the
People's Summit in both print and television, media in the rest of the Americas has ignored it. Nevertheless, information (including Summit documents) is available directly through the internet at the
People's Summit web page:
members.tripod.com/~redchile/indice2.htm.
Source: Mexican Labor News and Analysis,
<103144.2651@compuserve.com> www.igc.apc.org/unitedelect/.
All-European Security in the year 2000 Prague, Czech Republic 9-10 June
Organised by the Bloc-free Europe Information Forum and the Czech Civic Initiative for a Charter on European Security. Panel discussions on the OSCE • the Charter on European Security • a Europe free of military alliances and nuclear weapons • Ecology Contact: Roman Raczynski, fax/tel: +42 2 731397. Cardiff Counter Summit Cardiff, Britain, June 12-14
A Counter Summit is being organised by the Reclaim Europe coalition, in response to the Summit of European Union leaders, which opens in Cardiff on June 15th. Like the June 1997 Amsterdam counter summit, it will host a range of debates, criticisms and discussions of the EU aimed at national and international campaigners. This will include: • Friday: International speakers and updates on campaigning. • Saturday: Forum on the EU and the consequences of its present agenda.
Speakers panel on four broad themes:
Employment, social welfare, the enviroment and implications for the rest of the world, followed by workshops and • Sunday: Discussions and workshops on "alternatives to the present EU and campaigning strategies
On Saturday 13th at 1.30pm the counter-summit will be suspended for the demonstration "No to a big business Europe - Yes to Jobs, Public services and Democracy." This mass demonstration is organised by the Cardiff Euro Summit Demonstration Committee. It will focus on Welfare cuts, employment, equality, environment and social exclusion/racism. It will start and finish with a rally with a panel of national and international speakers
A Fourth International meeting will also be held. For details contact Alan on +44 181 800 7460, fax 880 1846, e-mail <outlook@gn.apc.org>
Other events on Sunday 14th include an Animal Rights demonstration organised by "Uncaged", and a "People's vigil for peace and justice," Organised by the People's Vigil Steering Group, on the theme "Jubilee 2000, and the cancellation of 3rd world debt. Speakers include Glenys Kinnock MEP. This is not an explicitly religious event, but it is supported by the churches of the Cardiff Churches Form and other religious bodies of Cardiff Interfaith Forum and was initiated and is been underwritten by Church in Wales.
Free sleeping bag accommodation for those travelling from abroad. University accommodation at £15 ($22.50) a night.
Contact: Reclaim Europe!, 1 B Waterlow Rd, London N19
5NJ Tel: +44-171-272 9333 Fax: 561 0800, E-mail:
europ@globalnet.co.uk or europ@astra.global.net.uk
/www.geocities.com/Rainforest/5581/
LCR Festival Paris, France, June 13-14. A weekend of debates and concerts with a French and international flavour. Contact: LCR, 2 rue Richard Lenoir, 93100 Montreuil, France. Tel. +33.1.48 70 42 20 Email <redaction@Icr-rouge.org> Black Radical Congress Chicago, USA, June 19-21 For full details contact Black Radical Congress, PO Box 5766, Chicago IL 60680-5766 Violence against women Amsterdam, Netherlands, 21-25 June (French and Spanish only)
Co-organised by the Brussels-based Committee for Cancellation of Third World Debt (COCAD) and the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) in Amsterdam. IIRE, PO Box 53290, 1007 RG Amsterdam, Netherlands. Tel. +31 20 6717263, fax 6732106, <iire@antenna.nl> Neo-Liberalism, The IMF, And International Solidarity Seoul, South Korea, July 3-5, 1998
Sponsored by a range of progressive organizations, including the KCTU, Action Network for International Solidarity, PICIS Newsletter, and Solidarity for Democracy and Progress. For more information, contact PICIS Newsletter at 15783, Woosung Bdg. 5F, Shilim1Dong, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul, Korea. Fax: ++82 2 839 4359 Phone: ++82 2 837 2853. <hanboss@nownuri.net> <hanboss@mail.nownuri.neb http://kpd.sing-kr.org/~picis International socialist youth camp Jutland, Demark. 25-31 July
See page 36 for details. Trade Unions, homosexuality & work Amsterdam, 29-31 July 1998
The 1998 International Conference on Trade Unions, Homosexuality and Work provides a forum for lesbian and gay trade unionists to exchange information, policies and strategies. For full details see International Viewpoint #298 or contact the organisers.
PO Box 732, NL 2700 AL, Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Tel:
+31-30- 273 2627. fax: 271 0512. E-mail:
<modijk@knoware.nl> utopia.knoware.nl/users/modijk Solidarity Summer School
Chicago, USA. 3-6 August
The US socialist and feminist group will hold its annual summer school at the usual venue. The group's convention will run from 7-9 August. LCR Summer School
Grenoble, France, August 26-30
Cost: 959FF including accomodation and all meals
Youth/unemployed discount available. Contact: LCR, 2 rue Richard Lenoir, 93100 Montreuil, France. Tel.
+33.1.48 70 42 20. Email <redaction@Icr-rouge.org>
Latin American Marxist Magazines
Buenos Aires, 25-27 September
Focus on "the Communist Manitesto in Latin America Today."
Contact Alberto Teszkiewicz at <marxlat@dia.edu.ar>