polo writes
Walden Bello visited Cancun this week, and spoke about how the 5th Ministerial "could be the grave-yard of the WTO". Todays local newspapers warn of security forces using an "iron fist" against any disruptive protesters. As at least 25,000 people prepare to descend upon the Yucatan, the lines are being drawn for the much anticipated "Battles of Cancun'. Here are some parts of the new Puente a Cancun....
3rd Cancun News Bulletin: Things Come Together...

10 August 2003



...As the organizing activities bear fruit, the panorama for the Cancun

mobilization has become filled with a myriad range of Forums, meetings,

workshops, convergences, actions and demonstrations.



1. News from Cancun

2. News from Mexico

3. News from the Rest of the World

4. WTO Organizing resources

5. The Official World of the WTO

6. Media update

7. Visa update



1. NEWS FROM CANCUN

a. Forum and Camping Spaces Confirmed

The spaces for the Peoples Forums and Camping have been approved
by thelocal Benito Juarez Council to the satisfaction of activists and the

negotiators from the ComitŽ de Bienvenido and OWINFS (Our World Is Not For

Sale). Confirmed are La Plaza de la Reforma, el Parque de las Palapas, the

Kuchil Baxal Gym, Expo Cancun. The Casa de la Cultura and the Beto Avila

Stadium are to be arranged with the state government.

The expected 20,000 protesters will be comfortably accommodated in these

locations for the prospective Forums and camping, although finer details

regarding water supplies, sanitary facilities and communications have yet to

be nailed down.

According to the Comites calculations, the Social Forum will count on the

participation of 10,000 peasants, 2,500 european activists, 250 Koreans,

3,000 indigenous from all over Mexico, 2000 Trade Unionists, and a 1000

environmentalists.

Check out the ComitŽ De Bienvenida, website here -

http://www.cancuncommittee.org

Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) have been doing great work on the ground

in Cancun, supporting the ComitŽ de Bienvenido and organizing the Peoples

Forum

http://www.ourworldisnotforsale.org/global.asp



b. People's Forum for an Alternative Against the WTO

Actions focused on creating pressure in the capitals on governments or

representatives leaving to come to Cancun to negotiate pressure to represent

the people. Direct non-violent action, blockades, strikes. etc.

Program for the Peoples Forum, Cancun City, 7th - 14th September.



The Peoples Forum will be held in a variety of locations spread around Central Cancun, including the City Theatre, the Culture House, the Football Stadium, the Expo Auditorium, the Kuxil Baxal gymnasium and two public parks – Plaza de la Reforma and Parque de las Palapas.



7th September

Fisher-peoples Forum.



7th-8th September

Communications Workshop



8th – 9th Sep

International Agricultural Forum

Parliamentary Forum

Womens Forum

Youth Forum


 


  9th Sep – Opening of the 5th WTO Ministerial.

Official Opening of the Peoples Forum, City Hall Area, 6.00p.m.



9th – 10 th September

Forestry Forum

Indigenous Forum



10th September

Heinrich Boelle Forum.



10th – 11th September

Craftwork Exposition

Globalization Forum

Solidarity with Cuba Forum



11th Sep – Mass Protest March around the City Hall Area

Cultural Identity Forum



11th – 12th Sep

Business and Services Forum

Privatization of Public Services Forum.



12th –13th September

Human Rights Forum



13th September

Mass March - Youth Forum



13th-14th

Environmental, Bio-piracy and Intellectual Rights Forum

Labor Forum

Sovereignty and Peaceful Co-existance Forum



14th September

End of the WTO Ministerial

Official Closing of the Peoples Forum, City Hall Area, 6.00p.m.



Other events

8th – 14th September : Craft Fair ( Palapas)

9th – 14th September : Fair Trade Fair

9th September – 14th September : Peasant Encampment activities ( Football Stadium)

10th – 13th September – Cultural Activities in the Palapas.


c. Good News From Mexico«s Peasant Organizations

Via Campesina (http://www.viacampesina.org) Mexican affiliate UNORCA

(National Union of Regional Autonomous Peasant Organizations) are mobilizing

at least 1,500 of their rank and file peasant and indigenous members and an

international delegation of some 200 delegates from farmer organizations

from around the world to participate in the International Farmer Forum (8th,

9th), and some 8,000-10,000 in the International Peasant March "For Peasant

Rights and Food Sovereignty" on Sep 10. The UNORCA delegation will also

participate in the People's Forum, September 11-14, and the International

March and Global Day of Action Against the WTO, September 13. Other Via

Campesina member organizations from the El Campo No Aguanta Mas - "The

Countryside Can«t Take it Anymore" - coalition are also mobilizing their

membership toward the Farmer Forum and March in Cancun.


d. Update on the Cancun Alternative Media-Tech Convergence ~ Building

Alternatives, Disseminating Realities, September 1-7 in Cancun:



There is less than a month until the Alternative Media-Tech Convergence and

Tidal Wave Cancun descend on Cancun with the explicit goals of putting the

media tools and skills into the hands of the people.

http://espora.org/cancun03/index.pl?CancunAlternat iveMediaTechConvergence



We are reminding people that there is limited space available for

participants and that people should begin to register themselves and the

workshops that they would like to give as well as receive. Recent workshops

that have been announced include:

Human rights observation and media use in non-violent direct action settings

Forum on Communication Rights vs. 'Free Trade'

FM/Server workshops

Popular communications and popular news

FM production, edition and live radio

Construction of Low Power FM transmitters and antennas

Gender and Communications (Experiences from women making media)

Tactical Media



To register for this event please go to

http://espora.org/cancun03/index.pl?RegistroRegist ration or send an email to

convergencia@mediosindependientes.org. The DEADLINE for registration is

AUGUST 24th.



e. The International Women's Forum is the space for the articulation of

women's demands, within the People's Forum for an Alternative to the WTO,

before and during the meeting of the Minister of the World Trade

Organization, in Cancun, in September 2003.

For more information, please contact: mujereshaciacancun@yahoo.com.mx

mujerdialogo@prodigy.net.mx

Tel/fax/tŽlŽcopieur: 52 (55) 5 544-2202, Tel. 52 (55) 5 544-6902



f. Political and Cultural Opening Event, 9th Sep, promises to showcase a

variety of local, national and international acts that will raise the spirit

of the assembled multitude. A dream list of international performers would

include Manu Chao, Eddie Vedder, Michael Franti, members of Maldito

Vencinidad, etc. Nothing is confirmed as yet, but a wide variety of artists

and musicians have been invited. Maybe we should all make an effort to

invite personally our favourite performers. There is space for all!

http://www.focusweb.org



g. International Forum on Globalization Teach-in, September 9th

Teatro Cancœn. Please see www.ifg.org for more information.



h. Fair Trade Fair hosted by IATP, Comercio Justo Mexico, Oxfam, and

others. Please see http://www.fairtradefair.com for more information.



i. New Youth Organizing Group on the ground, Cancun.

Uniting youth, students, counter-culture and non-violent direct action

enthusiasts, the JUVENTUD GLOBAL group began a campaign of raising awareness

by tabling and flyering a local Tanguis market, holding a press conference

and showing the WTO video.

They can be contacted at juventud_global@hotmail.com

Their slogan is For the Art of Change.



j. Legal issues - Mexican legal observers are organizing to insure that the

rights of demonstrators will be respected. They promise to have a full team

on the streets between the 7th and 14th September.

Red Nacional "Todos los derechos para todos": cancunddhh@hotmail.com



k. World anti-WTO leaders in Cancun

This week Walden Bello ("The Other Chomsky..") and Peter Rosset (Food First,

Via Campesina) spoke to the Comite de Bienvenido and assorted activists on

the balcony of the Comite Offices ( Coco 4, SMZ 25, Cancun City). The

tropical night was balmy and a hush descended upon the assembled as the

Filipino man spoke.......

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/feature/dis play/20/index.php



l. Hotel Booking

For comprehensive information on hotels in the Hotel Zone (the beach) , try

perusing the official WTO site Mexican Organizing Committee website where

you can make your reservation directly with the hotel of your choice. They

may assume you are part of the official activities.

For the real collective experience, the free Mass Camping Facilities could

be availble from the first week of September. (Not confirmed). But certainly

from the 7th - 14th.


2. NEWS FROM MEXICO

a. News From Chiapas

The Chiapas State Meeting on the road to Cancun, 2nd August.

Report by Ana Laura, Puente a Cancun.



70 representatives from 30 social organizations met in San Cristobal to

discuss strategy and tactics towards mobilizing for the WTO ministerial in

Cancun in September. Represented were peasant organizations, women,

indigenous, social organizations and NGOs from almost every region of the

state.

Many more people were unable to attend the meeting due to their commitment

to attend the Zapatista mobilization to be held in the Aguascalientes in

Oventic 6th-9th. Economic reasons made it impossible for many delegates to

make the long trip to both events.

The Ciepac video, "The WTO: A Threat to the People" was received by the

assembled with interest, followed by shut down the WTO in Seattle, showing

the real and tangible link between Seattle, Chiapas and the WTO protests in

Cancun.

As the debate moved around to logistical questions, strategy emerged as an

important element. How exactly could we "De-rail the WTO?" The prospects

outlined presented many challenges.

The agreements arrived at the Honduras Forum (MesoAmerican Forum Against

Neo-Liberalism) were articulated including their decision to try to "Destroy

the WTO". Lively debate ensued.

Questions abounded as to the logistical situation regarding the Women's

Forum, the Media Convergence and the Peoples Forum etc.

A caravan will set off from San Cristobal on the 7th September with a

cooperation of 300-500 pesos required.

The actions planned in Cancun include participation in the various forums,

street action, support networks and solidarity with the nation wide actions,

including the Mexican piqueteros blocking main artery roads and borders.



The next state meeting will take place 23 August.



b. Zapatistas look towards the Cancun Horizon:

August 9, Oventic, Chiapas , the EZLN inaugurated a "Just Government" in the

name of Humanity and Against Neo-liberalism. Before a large gathering of

Zapatistas, activists and press, the leadership announced the creation of

"Caracol" centers as a point of interchange between the indigenous

communities and the people beyond. The attempted launch of Radio

Insurgente ( Chiapas.mediosindependientes.org ) was frustrated by the

authorities blocking the airwaves. Commandante Zebedeo spoke of the

gathering in Cancun and denounced the policies of the WTO claiming "another

world is possible". No concrete details yet of how the Zapatistas will

support the mobilizations or how many representatives they will send with

the Chiapas Caravan.


3. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

a. Puente a Cancœn Report Back from Honduras

Mid-July in Honduras



The Jornadas de Resistencia, in Honduras (http://foroshonduras.org.hn)

during mid-July were based on a series of forums held in Esperanza, Intubic‡

and Tegucigalpa. These forums led to a series of agreements made about the

WTO. The most significant agreement made in the round table discussions

held during the IVth Mesoamerican Forum was to launch a collective and

concerted campaign against the WTO titled "All of Mesoamerica for the

Destruction of the WTO."

The working group agreed upon and defined the following general themes as a

point of departure for the Mesoamerican campaign against the WTO:



Parallel local and regional mobilizations in each of our Mesoamerican

countries on September 9th 2003 with the expressed goal to derail the WTO

negotiations.

Promote wide participation of civil society in Cancœn during the Global Week

of Mobilizations from the 7-14th of September 2003.

Conduct educational workshops on the WTO, call press conferences, public

forums, and show a general rejection of the neo-liberal economic politics

imposed by the WTO



After hours of discussion in the working group dedicated to the WTO, with

more then 50 participants from dozens of organizations from all of

Mesoamerica (Mexico to Panam‡) the US, Canada, and several European

delegates, a variety of detailed agreements and actions were made decided

upon:



Although there had been much murmuring in the wind about the possibilities

of organizing a Central American Caravan from Panama to Cancun, the

subcommittee created to discuss the viability of this option deemed that the

logistics would be extremely complicated, costly and that time was now short

for organizing such a mobilization. No Central American Caravan will be

organized.

Most Central American countries will send small delegations representative

of the organizations and popular movements in each country. CIEPAC,RAMLC,

UCIZONI will help with the visas for Honduras/Guatemala, Nicaragua/El

Salvador, an d Panam‡ respectively.

The following actions were decided upon as parallel actions in each country:

Guatemala: joint action with Chiapas for mobilizations at the border in

La Mesilla/Cd. Cuauhtemoc, mobilization at the Mexico/Guatemala border La

Libertad, actions in Guatemala City against the BID (International

Development Bank) and the World Bank

Belize: Mobilization at the border with Mexico, mobilization in front of

the OAS

Honduras: actions at the BID

El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica: Parallel actions to be decided

upon, marches, road blocks etc.

Each country will name at least one person to update and post to Cancun

Indymedia http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org

Indymedia Cancun and Indymedia Chiapas will create categories and subpages

dedicated to Mesoamerica and the parallel actions taking places throughout

Mesoamerica during the week of resistance, to then be further established

with the ultimate goal of creating an independent Indymedia Mesoamerica

http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/?category= 2

Please find a complete Spanish list of all conclusions, action plans, and

summaries of the working groups that participated in the Forums on

Biological and Cultural Diversity and the Forum Against Damns and For Life

held in Esperanza, Honduras at the following link

http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.ph p3?article_id=105479



The final declaration of the IVth Mesoamerican forum can be found at the

following link,

http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.ph p3?article_id=105514



The declaration of the third Via Campesina forum also held in Tegucigalpa,

Honduras can be found at the following link,

http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.ph p3?article_id=105504

Via Campesina confirmed the following dates for their action plan in Cancun

September 8-9 Campesino Forum in Cancun

Septemer 10 Global day of Action for Via Campesina

September 11 day of Symbolic action


d. Report from Montreal Mini-ministerial July 27-28

WTO Frustrated,Protesters On a Move.

Activists converged in Montreal last week to protest against the Mini-

Ministerial of the WTO where trade ministers from 26 nations came together

to finalize their position before Cancun. Two marches were called by the

organizers; on Monday approximately 2,000 people marched for immigrants

rights and the "freedom of movement". This march was followed by a "snake

march" the next day at 7:30 AM with the hope of disrupting the meetings.

After being charged by the police about 700 die-hard direct actionists

roamed through the city and caused a significant amount of property damage

to downtown Montreal before dispersing. All together 342 people were

arrested in Montreal, the majority who were participating in the passive

Green Zone, a safe-space for activists who did not want to participate in

the "snake march". The protests were tainted by the overwhelming police

presence and intimidation, including snatch squads who arrested several

medics and a key organizer who wasn't participating in the march at the time

of his arrest. According to the Canadian department of Foreign Trade and

Development last week's informal meeting was "a useful reality check on the

work that remains to be done to bring the Doha Development Agenda to

fruition." Canadian Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew gave clues to the WTO's

fragility by commenting that "With only one month left before Cancun, we

must now urgently focus our energies on resolving problems in key areas, if

we are to hold true to the goals we set when we launched the Doha

Development Agenda." http://www.Cmaq.net.



From Montreal to Mexico, resist the WTO!

The anti-capitalist coalition against the FTAA calls for 5 days of direct

action, creative resistance and popular education.

http://montreal.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_i d=9059&group=webcast

In the spirit of Seattle and Quebec, and in solidarity with protests in

Cancun, Mexico:

http://montreal.resist.ca/articles/acc030616e.htm



e. Tens of Thousands of Anti-WTO Activists Mobilize in France

Tens of thousands of anti-globalization activists gathered in southern

France on Friday 9 for a three-day rally taking aim at the upcoming World

Trade Organization talks in Mexico.

Both local officials and festival organizers say the festive event on the

bucolic Larzac plateau drew between 50,000 and 100,000 participants, with

militant farmer Jose Bove -- recently out of prison -- leading the charge.

The Cancun Ministerial figured prominently in discussions...Many thousands

of Europeans will come to demonstrate their opposition to the WTO this

September.

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/in dex.php



f. Worldwide Day of Action Against Globalization and War, September 13th.

While the WTO meets amidst the Bush Administration's continued reckless

quest for empire, a powerful series of grassroots mobilizations for peace

and justice are being planned for September. Organizations around the world

will be organizing o protest the WTO on September 9th, and for a Worldwide

Day of Action Against Corporate Globalization and War on September 13th.

These actions will remind our trade ministers that they are accountable to

the citizens of their own country - not the trade ministers of the rich

nations. Read more here -

http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/display.ph p3?article_id=105474

Read the Call to Action for the US at

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/805.ht ml



g. Sacramento Revisited

What did we learn from the mobilization in Sacramento in terms of Cancun?

Doyle Canning points out that there was a lot to celebrate in terms of the

organisational effort. The official meeting was a USDA/USAID/US State Dept.

meeting focused on agriculture technology--specifically biotech and genetic

engineering, and building international support for the US's position

against the EU on this issue and their WTO case. In response to this,

there was significant and unprecendented outreach to many grassroots

organizations. It was actually the LARGEST PROTEST IN US HISTORY AGAINST

GMOs, and was framed as being a " mobilization for food soverignty

democracy and justice"--linking with anti-war & empire movements, as well as

groups like the United Farm Workers, United for Peace and Justice, the

Sacramento Central Labor Council, the Justice for Janitors Campaign, and

over 130 others--and of course the 400 million strong via campesina and

over 200 organizations from the South. The local Sacramento Coalition for

Sustainable Agriculture, and the umbrella Mobilization for Food Soverignty

Democracy and Justice (bottom lined by the Institute for Social Ecology

Biotechnology Project) were the mainstays doing the public events in

Sacramento, and it was regarded by most everyone who works on agriculture

and biotech issues as a huge success.

Lesson to take away from the Sacramento mobilization? Even in a difficult

time of war and decreasing Civil Liberties, we can still organize and claim

important victories....

check out the mobilization webiste, http://www.sacmobilization.org


IndyMedia Cancun is up and running!

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org is open for publishing and that we

highly recommend people to begin to publish their information, articles,

press releases, multimedia etc onto the page.


5. THE OFFICIAL WORLD OF THE WTO

a. Draft WTO Cancun Declaration Leaked

A leaked draft declaration for the September WTO Ministerial in Cancun sets

surprisingly high expectations for negotiators. The declaration, a binding

statement to be agreed upon by the end of the Cancun meeting, pushes for

broad agreement in areas such as agriculture, industrial tariffs, access to

medicines, and the expansion negotiations into new areas. Currently,

negotiations in nearly every major area are stalled by wide and contentious

differences.

Read the Declaration here- http://www.tradeobservatory.org/pages/home.cfm



b. Some great news to cheer up anybody dreaming of a better world...

As Samuel Johnson famously observed, nothing concentrates the mind like the

imminent prospect of hanging. Five weeks before their ministerial meeting in

Cancun, Mexico, World Trade Organisation members are gripped by intimations

of impending nemesis. Unless they get down to business fast, the event is

more likely to prove a testament to collective failure than a decisive

advance towards freer trade.

From the Financial Times (and they really should know)

http://www.tradeobservatory.org/News/index.cfm?ID= 4622


6. MEDIA UPDATE

a. New York Times series on the results of the WTO on developing countries

The New York Times is writing a series called "harvesting

poverty" about the effects of developed-country's agricultural policies on

poor farmers around the world. It can be accessed at

http://www.nytimes.com/harvestingpoverty.



b. The WTO-bloc and the Six-Million-Dollar Man.

Its like a script you couldn't even make up - the Cancun Mayor is

threatening to cancel the WTO meeting if he is not supplied with $6m

dollars (immediately!) by the Federal Authorities to guarantee the security

of the town...Local Mayor Juan Ignacio Garc’a Zalvidea has threatened to

"pull the WTO Ministerial" if the Federal Government didn't chip into the

budget to cover the Municipal costs of hosting the event.

"We are here working to ensure that there is no violence," said the Mayor,

referring to the problem of controlling the so-called "globalifobicos", "

but if the support is not forthcoming from the Federation and the (WTO)

organizers, then we have a right in our own town to re-consider the whole

deal..."

It seems fairly certain that the WTO-bloc and the Six-Million-Dollar Man

will come to some amicable arrangement.

Cancun.Indymedia reprints the article in Spanish from the local press -

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/di splay/19/index.php



c. Local Media Report -

With little over a month to go, the local newspapers are filling with

reports about everything concerning the Ministerial, from the kind of hotels

booked by the activists to the CIA and Scotland Yards visit to inspect the

Airport facilities in Cancun. If, as many analysts say, the "Battle of

Cancun" will be won or lost in the media, then its imperative that we take

note of Zapatista wisdom and use the word as our weapon.



The ComitŽ de Bienvenida's campaign to raise awareness over the political,

social and economical issues around the WTO has made some progress in the

local press. While the press has mostly covered the WTO Ministerial in terms

of its impact on tourism and security issues dealing with the threat

of"globalifobicos", the Comites constant lobbying and weekly press

conferences are helping to change that one-sided representation. Recent

editions Por Esto actually began referring to protesters as Globalicriticos,

or Globalialternativos, instead of the derogatory globalifobicos. On the

other hand, the right-wing Voz Del Caribe continues to focus almost

exclusively on the threat of violence and encourages an almost paranoid

vigilance on the part of "concerned citizens and property owners".



Campaign of vilification against foreigners?

In a report on Radio Turquesa, journalist JosŽ Segobiano stirred up local

fear of a group of violent foreigners that were coming to tear Cancun apart.

Specifically, the journalist referred to foreigners that are currently on

the ground in Cancun that are not from Cancun and don't care about Cancun

and are in touch with people outside the country that are looking at

strategies to break the law, confront the police and, it's inferred, disrupt

the lives of the honest people of Cancun. They referred to people that might

try to fly to the convention center with hang gliders (see No. 11 of our

last bulletin) and others preparing for confrontation by inquiring of what

kind of self defense aparatus they ought to bring. It's clear that the

journalist read the contents of at least one list-serve that's used for

organizing towards Cancun.



7. VISA UPDATE

The joint Mexico-WTO hosting office has been sending around representatives

from their "NGO Attention" section to let foreigners who are accredited to

attend the WTO know that they are required to secure "FM3" in order to

attend the activities in Mexico. As far as we know, this is only for those

people who have been officially accredited with the WTO to attend the

offical WTO meeting. Those people who are attending the People's Forum, the

Farmers' Forum, or other activities do not need to get an FM3. The FM3 costs

$99 and is applicable through your local Mexican consulate. For more

information you can contact Guadalupe Gonzalez at ggonzalez@omcmexico.org.mx

or ongs@omcmexico.org.mx.


************************************************** **************************

*****************************

About Puente a Cancun....

We are a group of international activists (Mexico, US, Ireland) based in

Cancun and Chiapas, who came together to promote and help logistically

towards a successful mobilization against the WTO in Cancun. With our

experience from a variety of global mobilizations we are providing support

for the logistical effort on the ground and with our office in the ComitŽ de

Bienvenida headquarters in Cancun, we will provide information and

orientation for people arriving from other parts of Mexico, the US and

indeed, the four corners of the world. Read our convocation towards Cancun

here -

http://www.protest.net/LASC/calendrome.cgi?span=da y&day=10&month=9&year=2003

&list=Off&state_values=

or contact us here - noomc@buz.org


3rd Cancun News Bulletin: Things Come Together...

10 August 2003



...As the organizing activities bear fruit, the panorama for the Cancun

mobilization has become filled with a myriad range of Forums, meetings,

workshops, convergences, actions and demonstrations.



1. News from Cancun

2. News from Mexico

3. News from the Rest of the World

4. WTO Organizing resources

5. The Official World of the WTO

6. Media update

7. Visa update



1. NEWS FROM CANCUN

a. Forum and Camping Spaces Confirmed

The spaces for the Peoples Forums and Camping have been approved by the

local Benito Juarez Council to the satisfaction of activists and the

negotiators from the ComitŽ de Bienvenido and OWINFS (Our World Is Not For

Sale). Confirmed are La Plaza de la Reforma, el Parque de las Palapas, the

Kuchil Baxal Gym, Expo Cancun. The Casa de la Cultura and the Beto Avila

Stadium are to be arranged with the