Speaking Tour: "Free" Trade, Repression & Poverty
[2nd Announcement 03 Jan 2001]Speaking Tour in Canada and the US
March-April, 2001FTAA ["Free" Trade Area of the Americas], Poverty & Repression
An opportunity to learn about "free" trade, impoverishment and repression in Honduras, Guatemala and Chiapas, and about community economic development alternatives. In late March & April 2001, Rights Action [formerly Guatemala Partners] will organize 2 speaking tours, for community human rights and development activists from Honduras, Guatemala and/or Chiapas, who will travel through the US and Canada, speaking in public educational forums.
Their tours will culminate in Quebec City April 15-21, 2001, during the "Summit of the Americas" when leaders from across the Americas will meet to discuss the "Free" Trade Area of the Americas - FTAA.
Along with accompanying Rights Action staff persons, our southern activist partners will talk about:
- The nature of the "free" economic development models, well entrenched in their countries, that systematically violate the economic and social rights of millions of people, and that contribute directly to violations of political and civil rights.
- The FTAA, as an extension of NAFTA [North American "Free" Trade Agreement], and why thousands of citizens from across the Americas will gather in Quebec City, April 2001, to participate in educational, advocacy and protest activities concerning the FTAA and the "Summit of the Americas".
- What NGOs and CBOs (community-based organizations) are doing in Honduras, Guatemala and Chiapas, to build economic development models that guarantee respect for the basic economic and social rights of the majority poor, as well as their cultural, civil and political rights, and the environment.
- How individuals and organizations in Canada and the US can work with partner groups in the south to enable them to build just societies and development models.
Is your university, school, church, institution or community organization interested in organizing an educational and fund-raising event(s) for one of our speakers - accompanied by a Rights Action person — in late March and April 2001?
If so, let us know as soon as possible.
Contact: Grahame Russell, Tel: 416-654-2074. E: info@rightsaction.org
Rights Action [formerly Guatemala Partners]. With offices in Washington DC, Toronto and Guatemala City, Rights Action is a tax-exempt organization that funds and provides technical support to development, humanitarian relief and human rights organizations in Guatemala, Chiapas (Mexico), Honduras and Haiti; and educates in the US and Canada about international rights, humanitarian and development issues. For more information, see www.rightsaction.org.