Lisa Hoyos, of CA Fair Trade Campaign with an overview of the FTAA; Fela Contreras, former factory worker from Mexico; Herlinda Hernandez, union activist & professor from Colombia; Jeff Almquist,SC County Supervisor on water privatization in SC county
The seventh Summit of the Americas will take place October 31st in Quito, Ecuador. The gathering of world leaders and trade representatives from 34 nations is designed to push for ratification of the Free Trade Area of the Americas or FTAA, extending a NAFTA-like agreement among all nations in the western hemisphere, excluding Cuba. If enacted it would be the most far reaching free trade pact in history affecting roughly 800 million people. Initiated in 1994, the FTAA will allow corporations to bypass democratically adopted environmental & worker protection laws, disproportionately affecting women and people of color, say critics of the proposal. On October 7 a coalition of groups promoting fair trade came to Santa Cruz, CA to participate in a public hearing on ithe effects of the FTAA.
For more info or to get involved in the global justice movement check out www.globalexchange.org or call the California Fair trade Campaign at (510) 663 0888 ext 102
