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Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
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Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
ISSUE 332, FRIDAY 23rd November, 2001
D'oha!
"The rich nations are still negotiating primarily in the interests of their major multinationals. And they are still shutting the poor nations out of the negotiating process. The more cynical trade watchers say that this is the way trade negotiations have always been conducted." - Barry Coates, World Development Movement
It ended in victory for protestors in Seattle two years ago (see SchNEWS 240) but in the Qatar desert last week U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick was celebrating, "Today the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have sent a powerful signal.we have removed the stain of Seattle." After six days of 'talks' in Doha, Qatar, a last minute declaration was produced, with the wealthy nations describing the new trade round as the 'Doha development round' - supposedly good for the world's poor and good for the world's economy. This outrageous declaration was practically written by the US and European Union alone and delegates from poorer countries were forced to sign.
The Declaration came after complaints of bully-boy tactics from the powerful nations who used arm twisting and threats of loss of aid and debt relief. This and fear of being branded 'deal breakers' responsible for global recession if they didn't comply, forced poorer countries to sign on the dotted line. Richard Bernal one of Jamaica's official delegates, explained the pressure, "We are made to feel that we are holding up the rescue of the global economy if we don't agree to a new trade round here."
This 'new' development round will only further the goals of the rich and powerful and line the pockets of corporate shareholders. As Barry Coates from the World Development Movement points out "For the world's poorest countries.little has changed - their exports are blocked, their businesses are wiped out by foreign multinationals and their farmers are driven off their land by subsidised exports from the rich countries. The EU and US have exploited the vulnerability of poor countries in order to force their agenda on them. Even where it appears that developing countries may benefit, the Declaration is so riddled with holes and get-out clauses that the gains are likely to be illusory."
Mark Curtis from Christian Aid added, "Poor countries have come away from Qatar with a fistful of crumbs but they're yet to have any significant slice of the WTO's cake."
* What does this trade round mean? You tell us! There's gonna be more talks to clarify things the WTO have talked about before, and a commitment for all WTO member states to start talks on four new issues at the next ministerial meeting in two years time. Got that?
"Eat my shorts"
Forty two countries and hundreds of cities around the world saw protests during the WTO meetings.
In Aoteroa, New Zealand, the hometown of Mike Moore, director of the WTO 200 people went on a 'tour of capitalist greed' around the city. In Bangkok, Thailand 1,500 farmers, jasmine rice producers, trade unionists and HIV/AIDS activists marched from Bangkok's World Trade Centre to the US Embassy. In New Delhi India 500,000 peasants, landless labourers, youth, women and trade union activists took part in civil disobedience. Seoul, South Korea 20,000 marched for labour rights in the midst of neoliberal restructuring and to show solidarity with international protests against the war on Afghanistan. Ljubliana, Slovenia Despite heavy snow 2,000 had a street party that shut downtown, and in Teheran, Iran, 500 workers rallied peacefully at the Tehran University campus. For a full list www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/qatar/index1
- Read the daily reports from Doha www.foodfirst.org
- Check out www.gatt.org for the truth about the WTO
- 'The WTO's Hidden Agenda,' confidential documents between business and UK government officials pushing for a pro-business WTO www.corpwatch.org
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More than 80 countries now have per capita incomes lower than a decade ago and, as the United Nations development programme points out, it is often those countries which are highly 'integrated' into the global economy that are becoming more marginal. For example in spite of the fact that exports from sub-Saharan Africa, have reached nearly 30% of GDP the number of people living in poverty there continues to grow. Even the International Monetary Fund admits, "in recent decades, nearly one-fifth of the world population has regressed." |
POISONED CHALICE
The Mexican government lost its appeal against a decision made under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the free trade area covering Canada, USA and Mexico. Like the WTO, NAFTA removes "barriers to trade", such obstructive unnecessary things like labour laws, environmental and health regulations.
All poor old Metalclad Corp wanted to do was build a toxic waste dump in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Local people took direct action to stop it being built because it would poison the local water supply and forced the local government to refuse planning permission and declare the site part of an ecological reserve. This was however - thanks to NAFTA - a barrier to trade, an infringement of the corporations rights (yes, corporations feel pain as well you know) and illegal. So the company sued for $90 million in damages, including compensation for lost profits and future business! They got $16.9 million in the end, but we're sure for the Californian based company that will do nicely thank-you-very-much.
NO-MAN'S ISLAND
The small island of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean has become the first victim of climate change. The island's 11,000 inhabitants are being forced to abandon their homes as sea level rise has caused coastal erosion, increased storms and salinization of their drinking water. New Zealand has agreed to accept all of the island's residents. Tuvaluans are laying the blame on the U.S: ".they've effectively denied future generations of Tuvaluans their fundamental freedom to live where our ancestors have lived for thousands of years." Current estimates reckon that sea level could rise up to 1 metre during this century this could this would inundate not only islands but large parts of countries such as Bangladesh which could cause millions of climate refugees. www.earth-policy.org
TopCRAP ARREST OF THE WEEK
For looking after an injured friend... While demonstrating outside the home of the owner of Newchurch guinea pig farm (supliers to the vivisection industry), 2 protesters were hospitalised after a vicious attack by security. One man suffered three large head wounds and was beaten so severely he was left unrecognisable while the other needed his head stapled back together after being bludgeoned with a club. When the cops turned up they ordered all the activists to leave immediately under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act but one man refused wanting to stay with his severely injured mate until the ambulances had arrived. For this act of kindness he was nicked while the thugs were left alone. www.guineapigs.org.uk
HEATHGROW
Residents of west London were stocking up on earplugs this week after the government announced the go ahead for a fifth terminal at Heathrow. British Airways insist that the new terminal is needed to boost the economy. After a 4 year planning enquiry, the planning inspector agreed but did go on to say that this should be the last new development at Heathrow. Oh yeah? Well that's what they said when they allowed Terminal 4 to be built. As the Middlesex Gazzette so rightly predicted in 1947 "An atomic bomb dropped at Heathrow could not spread devastation more widely than the disruption caused by the construction of an airport on this spot."
If you think you've got noisy neighbours then imagine living under the Heathrow flight path, about 1 million people do, and have to put up with a plane flying over their house about every 90 seconds from 4.30am to 10pm. For them, Terminal 5 will mean more and probably bigger planes, such as the new European airbus. It is also going to mean more road traffic; with an estimated 49,000 extra car journeys in what is already the most congested area of the south east. For them the continued creation of a mega-airport on their doorstep is totally unacceptable just so the government can boast 'our airports bigger than yours'. As one local resident says "They call it progress, but it seems like sheer greed to me."
If the aviation industry continues to grow then it's likely that there's going to be many more airport expansions. To make sure this and other controversial schemes aren't slowed down by whinging do-gooders Neo-Labour are 'modernising' planning laws. Which in effect mean that if ministers decide a scheme should go ahead in 'the national interest' then there is next to bugger-all anyone can do to legally oppose this. Planning inquiries are to become discussions on how roads are landscaped or what colour that new nuclear power station should be, but the public will just have to trust the government that the scheme is needed and the proposal of alternatives or questioning the need will be ignored. The Campaign for Planning Sanity is opposing these changes and have organised a training weekend 8-9th Dec in Birmingham www.onlincam.freeserve.co.uk
* This Saturday (24th) November, HACAN ClearSkies who've been campaigning against Terminal 5 are marching in London. Meet Whitehall Place (just off Whitehall) at 11am. 020 7737 6641 www.hacan.org.uk
* Flying may be a cheap way to get across the globe, but not only is it concreting the countryside, it also plays a massive part in the cooking of the planet. For example a return flight from London to India emits as much carbon as the average person in the world generates in a year. Flying is the least energy efficient form of transport and the fastest increasing source of greenhouse gases. Look at this website before you book a flight: www.chooseclimate.org
* A protest camp on the route of the proposed A6 bypass near Alvaston, Derbyshire want more people to live on site. Directions 07812434217, dot@theadora.screaming.net
* Doormice, protected under EU and UK law, have been found on the route of the proposed Lamberhurst Bypass. Doormice are according to English Nature a 'key indicator of ancient woodland'. www.lamberhurstbypass.com
* There's a growing campaign against the proposed Tyne road tunnel under the river between North Tyneside and Jarrow, which will greatly increase traffic and pollution in the area. More info from 0113 2428150 www.tyne-crossings.org
Positive SchNEWS
The Planning for Real process has been used in many areas to get local people together to talk about what they'd like to see happen to improve their communities. Using a scale model of their area people can identify problems and then discuss what they'd like to see happen and how that can be made to happen. Help and advice on how to run a Planning for Real advent are available from. The Neighbourhood Initiatives Foundation at, The Poplars, Lightmoor, Telford TF4 3QN 0870 7700339 www.nifonline.org.uk
They Shot the Sheriff
The Trident Ploughshares campaign has made a formal complaint about comments made by a Sheriff during a court case at Faslane trident nuclear base. "I look upon you so-called peace protesters as parasites, causing untold damage to fences, disrupting the base and wasting this country's money which could be spent elsewhere." Er, wasting money? Trident costs Britain £1.5 billion a year. And a bit more than a few fences would be damaged if one of those friendly missiles ever went off.
TopSchNEWS in brief
- Demo Saturday 24th, 2pm at the Glen, St.Leonards on Sea , East Sussex. Developers have moved in despite the local residents association trying to raise money to buy the land and preserve it as an open space for community use. The Glen is a small natural oasis of woodland, wetland and scrub, much of it is ancient woodland, and home to badgers, newts and owls. 0845 458 9572 email: save_the_glen@hotmail.com
- A group of intercontinental anti-capitalist artists have an exhibition in East London (9th -16th December) and want more contributions from artists (any medium). email: alturnertiveart@yahoo.com
- A US Government funded $2.5 million bio-prospecting project of Mayan medicinal plants and traditional knowledge in the Chiapas region of Mexico has been 'definitively cancelled'. This is a victory for the indigenous people as they can now propose their own alternative approaches to using the resources.
- Mayday 2002 Planning Meeting Sunday 25th 2pm, London Activist Resource Centre, Fieldgate St (Whitechapel tube) Located behind big Mosque email: londonmayday@yahoo.co.uk
INSIDE SchNEWS
Three organisers of the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) have received one-year prison sentences for "Conspiracy to Cause a Public Nuisance". The charges related to the publication of the SHAC newsletter, which allegedly encouraged readers to call more than once, send black faxes and unsolicited mail to Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) employees and investors. The reason for targeting SHAC campaigners was that they have been successful in bringing a multi-million pound company to its knees in a few years. Originally there were a lot of conspiracy charges, including incitement to cause mental grievous bodily harm (which never reached court), and incitement to cause criminal damage (a plea bargain was entered and only a year sentence was given instead of up to four years).
But when it comes to prosecuting animal abusers the authorities seem less keen. One HLS employee received only 50 hours community service for punching a dog in the face and HLS only received slap on the wrist for breaches of the Good Laboratory Practice regulations for their fraudulent science and horrendous record of animal abuse. Recently HLS were found guilty for failing to hold an AGM, but received an unconditional discharge. Another prosecution against the Managing Director and board members is expected soon.
Despite the jailings the SHAC campaign continues contact www.shac.net 0845-4580630.
Send letters of support to those jailed: Heather Avery (TE1951) and Natasha Dellamaigne (TE1952), both at HMP and YOI Highpoint, Stradis Hall, New Market, Suffolk, CB8 9YG. And Greg Avery (SS9142), HMP Belmarsh, Weston Way, Thamesmead, London, SE28 0EB.
SUMMING UP
"According to a Police spokesman, only 25 people attended Sunday's Peace Rally in Trafalgar Square - the other 50 odd thousand 'were just tourists who'd picked up banners by mistake.'" - www.spin-on-this.com
SchNEWS reckons about 55,423 ½ turned up (neither the ridiculously low 15,000 reckoned by the mathematically challenged boys in blue nor the exaggerated 100,000 claimed by the stop-the-war coalition). The usual suspects (peaceniks, anarchos and socialist paper sellers) were joined by all sorts of 'ordinary' people, home counties mums alongside inner-city Asian youth, students and masked up muslim women in a show of solidarity with the oppressed and bombed of Afghanistan.
* Earlier this week Laura Bush and Cherie Booth both made patronising speeches to the western press denouncing the burka (full veil) worn by Afghani women as an example of women's oppression under Islam. Obviously Afghani women are suffering and they deserve our support, they are being bombed by military servicemen (and women!) and made homeless and starved by the existence of war. The Taliban have undoubtedly oppressed women but this bit of media spin is a cynical ploy to prop up the so-called War-on-Terror. Before this the UK and US cared little about Afghani women, and they'll undoubtedly forget about them soon.
* Politicians and businessmen alike are having wet dreams about the moneymaking potential of the newly acquired Afghanistan. The World Bank is helping to make these dreams a reality by hosting an international conference in Pakistan next week to talk about rebuilding the country. In reality it's about rebuilding in the western image and exploiting for profit. Their first priority will be oil, but then they'll probably turn their attention to making sure the people are 'free' to work in sweatshops or as prostitutes. Um' we wonder if Cherie will still be speaking up for women then.
* Last Saturday, fifty Trident Ploughshares campaigners padlocked themselves to the gates of Downing Street for an hour before being cut free, no-one was arrested. On Monday, they occupied the offices of Rolls-Royce in London who construct nuclear reactors for submarines launching cruise missile attacks on Afghanistan. Trident Ploughshares: 07876-593016/07752-378993 www.tridentploughshares.org
* 1st December is Prisoners for Peace Day organised by War Resisters International. 0207 72784040 www.wri-irg.org
...and finally...
Shaggy Dog Story. A drunk who claimed he had been raped by a dog was jailed for 12 months by a judge. Martin Hoyle, was arrested by police after a passing motorist and his girlfriend found a Staffordshire bull terrier, called Badger, having sex with him at the side of a road. The couple had stopped to help because they thought Hoyle was being attacked by the animal. But when they got closer they saw that he had his trousers round his ankles, was down on all fours and the dog was straddling him from behind. Another passing motorist contacted the police and Hoyle was arrested as he walked with the dog down the road. Hoyle told police "I can't help it if the dog took a liking to me. The dog pulled my trousers down." Hoyle's barrister said the accused had no memory of the incident because of his drunken state, but was now very remorseful and incredibly embarrassed.
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Last updated 23rd November, 2001
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