Salt of the Earth: WTO meets in Seattle

Salt shakers
November 1999

Activists plan to shake up world trade
The World Trade Organization (WTO)will be in Seattle from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3, 1999—the eve of its fifth anniversary. This historic Summit will determine the WTO’s agenda for the coming decade. Labor, human rights, and environmentalists don't exactly share the same concerns as the members of the WTO—a transnational, uberbody, they argue, that has done little but make the world safer for corporate raiding. (Visit the People for Fair Trade's "Model resolution opposing the anti-democratic structure and decisions of the WTO.")

Trade Ministers from 134 nations will be welcomed by President Clinton, who wants the WTO to begin a new round of "free trade" negotiations. Citizen activists across the country and the world are preparing to meet in Seattle to conduct a counter conference of workshops and demonstrations against the WTO.

Some of the events planned during the WTO meeting:

The International Forum on Globalization will host a Globalization Teach-In at the Symphony Hall on Saturday November 27^th.

The AFL-CIO is organizing a massive rally and march at the WTO on Tuesday the 30th and Fair Trade networks throughout the world are mobilizing to march with them.

The Washington Association of Churches will convene an international interfaith service on Monday evening, Nov. 29th.

The Citizens Trade Campaign will host a Citizens’ Summit in the large and lovely sanctuary of the United Methodist Church, downtown. Each day of the week will be devoted to a different set of related issues and include symposia, plenaries, panels, skills-sharing, strategy sessions and dramatic press events.

The Council of Canadians are planning to mobilize in Vancouver for a conference immediately prior to the Summit and then come to Seattle: 604-688-8846)

Peoples Global Action will dispatch delegations—including an amazing caravan across North America.

The Ruckus Society, Art & Revolution, and the local militant Network Opposed to the WTO (NO2WTO) are each expected to communicate with trade ministers in creative and demonstrative ways.

Visit www.seattlewto.org for continuous updates on the various events, concerts, accommodations, discussion, policy News, etc. You can also contact the organizers on the ground in Seattle by calling the Trade Watch downtown HQ: 206-770-9044.
For more information:
email mdolan@citizen.org or visit www.tradewatch.org, People for Fair Trade or www.seattlewto.org.
WTO Host Committee (toll-free) 1-877-STOPWTO
People for Fair Trade
2343 NW 100th
Seattle, WA 98177 USA

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