The event will begin at noon on the North steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse (facing Water Street) with some brief background on the negative impacts of our nation's current globalization policies. Featured speakers are local residents whose lives have suffered as a result of these policies. Each featured speaker will be introduced by a local scholar who will fill in important

details of how our government's policies and those of free trade groups like NAFTA and the WTO bear responsibility for the suffering described.

After this brief gathering rally, we will march across town to Laurel Street Park (behind Louden Nelson Center) where we will be met by a rally of a very different sort. Musicians will play, food will be available, and activities for children will be offered. We will be featuring personal stories and opportunities for human-based global community such as fair trade networks and person-to-person connections made through technology and programs such as the Santa Cruz sister city program, student pen-pal programs, etc.

The local march and rally will coincide with the WTO meetings in Cancun and will be in solidarity with similar demonstrations all over the world calling for people and community based connections that support the general welfare, and demanding an end to the globalization that serves corporate greed at the expense of human need. Those connections are more important now than ever before. With bases in 138 countries worldwide and trade ties around the globe, the United States is arguably one of the most globally connected nations in the world. And with California's record ethnic diversity and immigrant population we are one of the most globalized in the Union. But these United States clearly lack consensus on the benefits and costs of globalization. NAFTA has cost the state of California alone almost a billion dollars for the privilege of democratically protecting our water supply by instituting a phased-in ban on ground water-contaminating MTBE. Such private courts run by NAFTA and the WTO judge complaints from corporations against governments with no accountability or transparency to the people being affected. Meanwhile, in the false name of security, military expenditures are exempted from WTO regulation and continue to be subsidized with the dollars we need for education and public health. This type of globalization hurts everyone, benefiting only the short term gains of a few wealthy capitalists. On the other hand, the cultural and scientific gains of living in a globally connected society are legion. How can we, as a democratic society, enjoy the benefits of this inter-connectivity without the economic race to the bottom that drives modern trade policy?

Join the Santa Cruz Peace Coalition and other progressive organizations to celebrate human-based global community and saying no to corporate governance.

For more information, call Susan Zeman @ 831-423-1626, ext. 308,
or email her @ <susanzeman (at) baymoon.com>.

Santa Cruz Peace Coalition
scpc (at) onebox.com - email
831-423-1626, ext. 308
www.santacruzpeacecoalition.org