"4th Cancun Bulletin"

Puente a Cancun Team

Welcome to the 4th Cancun Bulletin from the Global Exchange Puente a Cancun

team providing a road map to de-railing the 5th WTO Ministerial...



WTO Scrambling to Rescue the 5th Ministerial from Imminent Failure,

Protesters Numbers grow....


Summary – With a week or so left before the beginning of the Cancun

Ministerial, three key factors are beginning to predominate...a) The WTO is under duress, as agreement for the proposed accords

(particularly in Agriculture) looks more and more unlikely. Failure to

advance on the Doha Development Agenda in Cancun would mark a disaster for

the trade liberalization organization. To keep up on regular commentaries

about the WTO negotiations from a progressive, developing-country

perspective, please see Third World Network’s TWN Info Service at

http://www.twnside.org.sg/trade_11.htm



b) The protests will be larger, more widespread, and better organized than

originally anticipated. After a slow and somewhat messy build-up over the

last 6 months, it seems that the protesters may well surprise everyone,

including themselves, by upstaging and indeed de-railing the WTO!



c) The security forces on the ground have created an overbearing climate of

fear and tension. The Police Commissioner of the Federal Preventative Police

force flexed his security muscle saying his force would ¨trade an eye for an

eye¨ with the protesters. Meanwhile, we’ve seen a militaristic build-up,

spying on activists, and intimidation of people on the streets. There is the

sense that the police are becoming more and more autonomous of the civil

authorities and present a real danger of provoking violence. Additionally,

they are reserving a bull fighting stadium and football stadium as temporary

detention centers.



Contents of this Bulletin:

Part 1

1. What’s At Stake in Cancun: a summary of issues

2. International Solidarity Events, September 13th

3. News from Cancun

Part 2

4. News from Mexico

5. News from around the world

6. Media

7. Official WTO world

8. Security

9. Legal

10. Health

11. The Real Cancun

12. History of Quintana Roo

13. Telephone Numbers and Accomodation.

Apologies to any group or event that we excluded. We have included links to

other more comprehensive listings.



1. What’s at Stake in Cancun: A Short Summary

Many issues will be discussed in Cancun, but there are four that many agree

are the most controversial and hotly debated. They are agriculture, services

(GATS), TRIPS and health, and the New Issues. How these negotiations affect

women, indigenous peoples, farmers, our environment, our jobs, our health,

etc will be the subject of the forums and debates, listed afterwards. Here

are a few English-language web resources for more information for anyone

looking for more in-depth assessment of these issues and their impacts on

peoples around the world. A more in-depth, excellent summary – along with

breaking news during the Ministerial - can be also found at Friends of the

Earth International website at http://www.foei.org/cancun/what.html



a. AGRICULTURE:

Rich countries refuse to lower their tariffs or stop subsidizing corporate

agribusiness. Developing countries want access to northern markets and an

end to the ‘dumping’ of cheap subsidized, industrial agribusiness products

in their countries, which undermine family farmers and cause massive rural

crises. Countries should be able to develop policies of Food Security, Food

Sovereignty, and Fair Trade, and no GMOs, among other important policies.

Via Campesina, the international farmers’ and peasants’ network, says “WTO

OUT of Agriculture!”

Global Exchange has produced a simple 4-page analysis of Agriculture and

Free Trade, which you can read at

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/FTAAWT OAgriculture.html

For more information on agriculture, the FTAA and the WTO:

Via Campesina www.viacampesina.org

Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg

National Family Farm Coalition www.nffc.net

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy www.iatp.org

Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy www.foodfirst.org



b) SERVICES: GATS

One of the major threats of globalization is the rapid and often unnecessary

push for the privatization and corporate takeover of public services —

including education, healthcare, water, social assistance, environmental,

and municipal services — in countries all over the world. Large

transnational corporations in the for-profit service industries are working

with allied national governments, to establish a set of powerful trade rules

that serve their interests – not workers or communities. Eager to pry open

the services market internationally, corporations and governments are

quietly negotiating a new trade and investment treaty called the GATS –

General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Polaris Institute, Canada www.polarisinstitute.org

Public Services International www.world-psi.org

Friends of the Earth International www.foei.org

World Development Movement www.wdm.org.uk



c) TRIPS and Health

An estimated over 5,000 people die every day from HIV/AIDS – many of whom

could have lived to raise their children had they had access to life-saving

medicines patented in the US. But the WTO includes Trade-Related

Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPs, which is – in total contrast to

‘free trade’ – the largest protectionist agreement in history, to extend

20-year long patent rights to companies that invent medicines, rather than

allowing countries to produce cheap and effective generic versions of

lifesaving drugs. At Doha, the WTO affirmed the right of developing

countries to force companies to license the domestic production of generic

versions of lifesaving drugsf or a fee – called compulsory licensing – and

for poor countries without domestic production capacity to import from other

developing countries – called parallel importing. But ever since then, the

US has been making a foul and solitary attempt to restrict compulsory

licensing and parallel importing to only 3 diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis

and malaria) and restrict it to a very limited number of countries

(excluding, for example, Brazil and India), which would effectively sign the

death warrant for thousands of people around the world. Recently

negotiators came to some agreement on the TRIPs issue so that the WTO could

at least claim that it is moving forward somewhat and is not stuck in a

total quagmire.

Third World Network www.twnside.org.sg

Consumer Project on Technology www.cptech.org

Health GAP www.healthgap.org



d) Investment and the “New Issues”

The New Issues are a package of four issues (Investment, Government

Procurement, Trade Facilitation and Competition Policy) that the rich

countries want to launch a new round of trade negotiations about at Cancun.

The New Issues are also called the Singapore Issues. It is a primary defense

of the developing countries to prevent the launching of the New Issues,

particularly Investment and Government Procurement, at Cancun. Investment

would give corporations far reaching new powers in local economies and take

away local governments’ right to regulate foreign capital. It would give new

‘rights’ to foreign investors over and above the rights of domestic citizens

and corporations. In August the 77-member African, Caribbean and Pacific

countries met and declared that “there is no basis for negotiating the

Singapore issues.” http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twninfo54.htm Strongest

opposition has come from Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya,

Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/twninfo43.htm

A simple summary is available at

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/FTAAWT OInvestment.html

For more information and up to date analysis: www.twnside.org.sg and be sure

to check out www.investmentwatch.org for different in-depth policy papers

from a wide coalition of groups.



e) What’s at Stake in Mexico? Spanish-language resources

Ciepac, a Chiapas based think-tank has produced some excellent resource

materials dealing with the WTO. Read their "Frequently Asked Questions about

the WTO" at www.ciepac.org here, or if you can’t connect, follow the links:

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/ra te/15

The Mexican Action Network Against Free Trade, http://www.rmalc.org.mx has a

wealth of resources in Spanish as well. And the International Forum on

Globalization, that has been supporting a lot of organizing on the Yucatan

Peninsula, has written a helpful short guide at

http://www.ifg.org/analysis/wto/cancun/plan_cancun .htm



f) Neoliberal Globalization: Cancun and Beyond.

Check out this in-depth report on the WTO, written by Aziz Choudry in July

of this year; it provides a critical analysis of the WTO and what's in store

in "Cancun and Beyond" as well as highlighting its relationships to

militarization, regional free trade agreements, megaprojects (such as PPP)

and more. From Action for Social and Ecological Justice at

http://www.asej.org/#greenpaper



2. International Solidarity Events, Worldwide Day of Action Against

Militarism and War, September 13th

In May, a call was put out to peoples of the world to organize solidarity

actions timed right before the last night of negotiations in Cancun. The

goal is to make the connections between militarism and corporate

globalization (ie War and the WTO); voice our opposition to the power

politics and corporatization of our communities, democracy, and environment

during the negotiations, and to give some backbone to the trade negotiators

who would like to represent their developing country citizens if they had

the power to stand up to last-minute arm-twisting and green room politics

from the rich countries. As a result there are now actions organized in:

Australia, Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan,

Korea, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Philippines, Spain, the U.S., and many more.

The A portion (about half) of the US actions can be seen at

http://www.unitedforpeace.org



3. News from Cancun

Things are really beginning to pick up here in Cancun, with more and more

people arriving daily to confront the WTO. Newspaper estimates, supported by

activist projections, have risen as to how many will descend upon Cancun in

September ...a fairly consistant figure thrown about is 20,000.

The main forum and camping spaces will not be availible until the 7th, so

the activity hub remains on Calle Margaritas and the Palapas Park. The Hotel

Zone and the area around the (WTO) Convention Center (known locally as the

“party zone” – we shall see!) is still open to all (August 30th), with

little restriction. Security is supposed to be stepped up dramatically from

September 1st, but it remains to be seen how draconian that will be.

On the organizing front, there is lots of work still yet to be done, and

everyone is encouraged to participate. If you think there would be nothing

to do if you came early, think again.... The Convergence and Media centers

are in full swing..



Cancun Calendar of Events – Here is a link to the latest (August 31)

calender from Cancun, which has the most current information available,

covering events from the 1st of September to the last day of the

mobilization. Compiled by OWINFS, it can be found here:

http://slash.autonomedia.org/print.pl?sid=03/09/01 /0721229


GETTING ORIENTED:

The Margaritas Strip. As if by fate, the main sites of alternative

activist interest – the Convention Center and the Indymedia Center – are all

located on one street, leading to the Palapas Park, which will host many

cultural resistance events of the alternative forums. Five minutes from the

central bus station is Calle Margaritas (turn south at the bookstore

Librería La Rana Sabia on Calle Uxmal; the Convergence Centre is the large

4-story building, about 25 metres down the street).



The Convergence Center is an autonomously organized gathering space and

information hub where people arriving in Cancun can get oriented, network

with others, plug into various working groups, make banners and puppets, get

trainings in first aid, legal rights, nonviolent direct action, and other

useful skills. Cultural events and spokescouncil meetings to plan the

actions will take place here nightly, and all are welcome to attend.



The Indymedia Center, next door to the Convergence Center, is preparing for

the Tidal Wave Alternative Media and Tech Convergence (September 1 – 7) and

afterwards will serve as the base of operations for dozens of independent

journalists. Independent media coverage of the mobilization is vital for the

spread of accurate information.


  If you would like to participate in and/or assist in organizing for the

Media Convergence and Cancun Indymedia please contact:

convergencia@mediosindependientes.org or cancun@mediosindependientes.org

Please fill out the registration form for the Tidal Wave Alternative Media

and Tech Convergence, which can be found on the front page of:

www.cancunindependientes.org



The Global Exchange Puente House, located further down the road, has been

the de-facto welcoming house for many national and international activists

arriving in Cancun, and continues as a logistical space until the eve of the

protests.

Conact Puente a Cancun at noomc@buz.org



Comité de Bienvenida, the main Cancun-based organizing group, is helping

logistically in setting up the People´s Forum, organizing the march on the

11th, and briefing the local press. The Comité has done a huge amount of

work over the the last 6 months in very difficult circumstances, and have

now taken a more logistical support role, forming a working group featuring

Jaun Carlos Nunez – President, Arturo Mosso – Treasurer, Ivanova Pool –

Press Officer, Hector Rodriguez – Cultural Events. The phone number is

887.8167 and they are located at Coco 4 at the corner of Chiabal, but they

are not receiving unsolicited visits.



GET INVOLVED!



Alternative Cancun – Hook into the various working groups!

Different working groups have been formed around what are seen as key and

exciting issues to address, such as the alternative media convergence from

the 1-7th of September, food for the thousands of descending protestors,

tactical communication, and medical support. We invite you to participate in

this effort for a successful resistance to the WTO and all it represents in

the struggle against corporate domination. This is by no means a definitive

list. Please use the contacts below for the working groups you are

interested in helping out.



These projects are all organic creations, which will only improve with your

participation and initiative. We must respond to their determination for

control with our creative resistance. These are the seeds of dissent. Make

them grow!



Street Medics: Medical teams are being assembled to assist in the

mobilizations. If you are a doctor, paramedic, EMT, or would like to be

trained as a street medic, please contact: medic_cancun@yahoo.com



Creative tactics and Puppetistas: Many forms of creative resistance will be

taking place. Several projects are under way, from giant puppets of angry

Mayan gods to giant banners to amazing stencils. We invite you to write to

this list if you plan on bringing your own project or would like to

participate in any of the ones already in formation. All creative ideas are

welcome. Contact: puppetistas_cancun@yahoo.com



Direct Action: The working group focused on developing a plan for direct

action has been very productive, compiling information from various sources

and coming up with proposals to present to student groups in Mexico City who

will be arriving later in the week. Much progress has been made, and many

creative and effective strategies are coming together.



Film festival: A protest film festival will be taking place throughout the

week of the mobilization. We will show films about protest movements and

political struggles, particularly recent films on the anticapitalist

globalization movement. Many independent filmmakers will be will be bringing

their work in person. If you are a filmmaker, film collector, technician, or

would like to help organize, please contact: filmscancun@yahoo.com



Music: Concerts will be occurring during the week of mobilizations. If you

would like to participate as a performer, sound engineer, stagehand, or in

any other way, please contact: music_cancun@yahoo.com



Food: For the mobilization to succeed, thousands of people will need to be

fed daily. Food Not Bombs will be in Cancún to provide support. If you would

like to participate in this important aspect of nourishing the dissent,

please contact: foodcancun@yahoo.com



Tactical Communications: An independent communications infrastructure will

be set up to support the mobilization and critical actions. If you are

interested in participating please contact: tactics_cancun@yahoo.com



EVENTS in chronological order of first start date. (This list primarily

includes large multi-organization forums and is based on information

publicized to date. Individual events or workshops organized by specific

groups will also be plentiful. A full schedule will be available upon

arrival in Cancún.)



**Sept 10th, Massive Peasant and Farmers March, September 10th, time TBA



**Sept 13th, Massive march Against the WTO, part of the Worldwide Day of

Action Against Corporate Globalization and Militarism



World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers, Sept 5-9th

September 5 Opening of the WFF Coordination Committee meeting

September 6 WFF Coordination Committee meeting (continued)

September 7 International meeting of Fish Harvesters in Isla Mujeres.

September 8 - 9 Workshop with fish harvesters’ organizations from

different countries.

Closure of the WFF Coordination Committee meeting.

For more information

Pedro Avedaño, Presidente, Foro Mundial de Pescadores forum@ccpfh-ccpp.org



Social Movements´ Assembly, Sept 7th, 8th, & 11th

Update on World Social Forum, Mumbai, and Anti-war activists meeting

Location: SNTSS (Social Security Workers Union) or the Ex Palenque

Sept 7th: 4 pm - 8 pm. Update on the social movements from Porto Alegre to

Cancun. Update and discusstion on information from Via Campesina . Talks by

Walden Bello - Focus on the Global South, and Raffaela Bolini - ARCI .

Sept 8th: 10 am - 2 pm. Coordinating a common agenda from Cancun to Mumbai

From the information by the Network Contact Group. Update by members of the

WSF 2004 Indian Organizing Committee and by the WSF International

Secretariat

Sept 8th: 4 pm - 7 pm - Antiwar activists meeting: strategies and

organization. (includes the debate on the International People's Tribunal),

with discussion and updates from the Jakarta Peace Consensus network,

European antiwar social movements and the Continental Campaign Against

Militarization.

Sept 11th, 1-6 pm “Launch of the WSF 2004: From Cancún to India (Int’l

Council of the World Social Forum) Ex Palenque

Grupo de Contacto de la Red de los Movimientos Sociales.

Rua General Jardim, 660 7o andar. 01223-010 São Paulo-SP, Brasil. tel/fax:

(55 11) 3237 2122. http://www.movsoc.org



Forum of the International Parlamentary Network, Sept 8th

Hotel Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, Blvd Kukulkan Km 16.5

Hosted by the Mexican Senate, this meeting will provide an opportunity to

discuss the rules of international trade and realice new proposals to

achieve equitable and fair trade. The International Parlamentary Network

defends the role of parlamentarians in international trade negotiaoins and

has a platform of concrete proposals for the agenda of the WTO.



International Women and Trade Forum, Sept 8-9th

Hotel Best Western, Plaza Caribe Tulum & Uxmal Lote 19, Cancun

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

organizations' activities, 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.

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

For more information mujereshaciacancun@yahoo.com.mx or

mujerdialogo@prodigy.net.mx

Peninsular Women's Forum (Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco), by Ana

Laura, Puente a Cancun

In preparacion for the international meeting, local women organize towards

September....

The Forum was primarily focused on information, as most of the participants

where unfamiliar with Free Trade Agreements, the role of the World Trade

Organization and the local and global strategies resisting the WTO. Some of

the women participants had never heard of the WTO, while some of the event’s

organizers and panelists had received formal invitations to participate in

the official WTO events.

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/feature/dis play/53/index.php



INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS AND FARMERS FORUM, Sept 8-11th

“Foodsovereignty and free trade”

For this Forum we invite invite other movements and befriended NGO’s to

participate and co-organise some parts of this Forum together with us. We

expect about 2500 participants and we will work in Spanish, English and

Maya. Location: Gimnasio Cuxil Baxaal

The Forum has 4 parts:

1) 8th of September will be organsied by peasant organisations and they will

set the agenda and the debates. Other movements and NGO’s are invited to

participate however it will be above all a space exchange between peasant

organisations. After the inauguration and the initial plenary there will be

10 parallel workshops. Plenary meeting of farmer organizations and their

friends regarding the agricultural agreement of the WTO, followed by

parallel working groups on agricultural topics.

2) 9th of September will be a day of workshops. Gimnasio Cuxil Baxaal, Casa

de La Cultura

10 parallel workshops from 9-noon and another 10 workshops from 12-3. Also

there will an indigenous round table 9-15h00. Working groups on trangenics,

subsidies, Farm Bill, NAFTA, FTAA, PPP, and the impact of new technologies

on small agriculture. At the end of the day there will be a final plenary to

share the work done in the different workshops.

Including, for example:

9am-12pm “Agriculture, Trade and New Technologies” (Public Citizen, ETC

Group, Food First, NFFC)

12-3pm Biopiracy and Patents Panel and Workshp (ETC Group)

3) The 10th of September there will be a big panel before we go to the

peasant march.

4) The 11th of September there will be an exchange between the peasant and

the trade union movement. For more information regarding subscription and

logistics:

forocampesino@laneta.apc.org



The International Forum on Globalization Teach-In, Sept 9th:

The IFG is holding a teach-in on alternatives to economic globalization and

the WTO. Tuesday, 9 September, 10:30 AM - 8:00 PM

Teatro de Cancun Blvd. Kukulcan KM 4; Zona Hotelera.

Speakers (partial list - subject to change): Martin Khor - Third World

Network, Malaysia; Vandana Shiva-Research Foundation for Science, Technology

& Ecology, India; Tony Clarke - Polaris Institute, Canada; Victoria

Tauli-Corpuz - Indigenous Peoples´ International Centre for Policy Research

& Education, The Philippines; John Cavanagh - Institute for Policy Studies,

US; Sara Larrain - Chile Sustentable, Chile; Jerry Mander - International

Forum on Globalization, US; Walden Bello - Focus on the Global South,

Thailand; Alberto Gomez - UNORCA, Mexico Maude Barlow - Council of

Canadians, Canada; Lori Wallach - Public Citizen - Global Trade Watch, US;

Agnes Bertrand - ECOROPA, France; and others.

More information available at www.ifg.org ifg@ifg.org



“Imagine That!” Corporate Awards Event, Sept 9th

Teatro de Cancun Blvd. Kukulcan KM 4; Zona Hotelera

immediately following IFG Teach-In

Event to highlight the corporations behind the scenes who have most

egregiously lobbied governments to write the rules of the global economy for

corporate profit at the expense of communities and the environment.

Sponsored By the Polaris Institute, Canada, as well as Friend of the Earth

International, Food First, Public Citizen, Global Exchange, Council of

Canandians, and CorpWatch.



Global Union Conference, Sept 9th:

Conference on “Making Globalization Work for People: Respect for

Development, Workers' Rights and Sustainability at the 5th WTO Conference”

Cancún, Mexico, Tuesday 9 September

For details read here -

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



People's Forum for an Alternative Against the WTO, Sept 9-14, Ex Palenque

(mostly)

Organized by the Mexican Organizing Space, Bienvenidos a Cancun, Continental

Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, and Our World Is Not For Sale

network.

9 Sept 7-12pm “Opening of the People’s Forum & Farmer’s Forum”

Welcoming Political and Cultural Event, Plaza de la Reforma

11 Sept, 10am-1pm: “Militarism and Globalization” AND Report on the WTO

Negotiations, Ex Palenque

(Walden Bello (Focus on the Global South) Medea Benjamin (Global Exchange),

Steven Staples and Tony Clarke, Polaris Institute (Canada), Tony Tujan, IBON

Foundation (Philippines), and others from the Mexican Organizing Space,

Continental Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, Bienvenidos a Cancun)

12 Sept,10am-1pm: “Privatization of Services” AND Report on the WTO

Negotiations, Ex Palenque Featuring internationally acclaimed speakers from

around the world.

13 Sept: Big Anti-WTO March: to coincide with Worldwide Day of Action

Against Corporate Globalization and War. Marches all over the world. See

http://www.unitedforpeace.org for listing of events in the US.

14 Sept,10am-1pm: “Environment and Natural Resources” AND Report on the WTO

Negotiations, Ex Palenque

All events organized by the Mexican Organizing Space, OWINFS, Continental

Coordinating Committee Against the FTAA, Bienvenidos a Cancún.

14 Sept, 5-11 pm: Closing Event of the Peoples Forum and Declaration of our

Victory! Over the WTO. Ex Palenque



Third World Network events, Sept 9-14th

All events in the Hotel Sierra (official NGO center in Hotel Zone, Km 10 Ave

Kukulcan)

Sept 9th 8-9:45 am, “Key Issues and Challenges for the Cancun Ministerial”

Sept 11th 5:15-6:45 “The Singapore Issues: What’s At Stake? What Will

Happen?”

Sept 12th 2-4pm: “Whatever Happened to the Development Agenda?”

Sept 14th 10:15am-1:15pm “The Cancun Outcome: Prospects and Problems”



Forest Forum On Globalization and the WTO, Sept 10th:

September 10: 9 :00 am to 7 :00 pm Hotel Calinda America Corner of Tulum and

Brisa St. Downtown Cancun, Mexico Come participate in the Forest Forum on

Globalization and the WTO, and hear about the key threats facing global

forests and biodiversity due to the current agenda of the WTO. Topics

include in depth coverage on how WTO negotiations on investment, tariffs &

non-tariff barriers, labelling, and government procurement threaten to speed

deforestation. Learn from forest activists about promoting fair trade

through community-managed forests, sustainable certification processes, and

new trade policies. The full day of events includes 20 speakers, including

representatives from the Zona Maya Community Foresters & Wood Producers, and

forest activists from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, Japan, Indonesia,

Canada, and the US. Sponsored by Union Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales

Campesinas Autonomos, Organizacion de Ejidos Productores Forestales de la

Zona Maya, Pacific Environment, American Lands Alliance, Friends of the

Earth-Japan, International Forum on Globalization, Global Exchange, FERN,

and World Rainforest Movement. For further information please contact:

Cynthia Josayma, Pacific Environment, cjosayma@ pacificenvironment.org



Indigenous People´s Forum for an Alternative to the WTO, Sept 10th

Kuchil Baxal Gymnasium in Cancún, September 10 from 9 am to 9 pm

The Forum is aiming to provide a space, unattended by the world’s leaders,

where grassroots voices will be heard and listened to. Its aim is:

- to name and denounce the consequences indigenous people suffer from free

trade policies

- to expose their organization and resistance strategies as real

alternatives to neoliberal economic globalization.

Topical Sessions:

Free determination of indigenous people and the WTO policies


      - Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, Tebteeba International Center for Indigenous People

Raiders


  Militarization and natural resources in indigenous zones


      -Ana Esther Ceceña, Instituto de Investigación Económica

The impact of WTO agricultural agreements on indigenous territories


    - Carlos González, Congreso Nacional Indígena, Región Centro Pacífico

Biodiversity, bioprospection, and transgenics and indigenous people


    - María de Jesús Patricio, Congreso Nacional Indígena, Región Centro

Pacífico

Indigenous women facing the WTO


    - Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas

The Forum is being convened by: Foro Maya Peninsular-miembro del CNI,

Autoridades Tradicionales del Municipio de Suljaa’ (Nanmañi N’iaan Ndaatyuaa

Suljaa’), Tribu Mayo Sonora-CNI, Alianza de Pueblos Indígenas de la Sierra

Oriente del Estado de México, Comisariado de Bienes Comunales de San Pedro

Atlapulco- CNI, UNITONA – miembro del CNI, Asociación Jalisciense de Apoyo a

Grupos Indígenas (AJAGI), Pueblo Purépecha – CNI, Organización Indígena

Independiente Huacateca, Semilla Nueva Ixtepec–Puebla, Xanaytiyat,

Xanatlaxaja-- Organización Médicos Tradicionales Nahuas de Tuxpan Jalisco,

Comisión Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos (CIDHM)–miembro del

CNI, Comité Independiente de Derechos Humanos y Grupo de Mujeres



Various Forums organized by Our World Is Not for Sale members, Sept 10-14th

Hotel Margaritas, Ave Yaxchilan #41, M. 22 Sm 22, Cancun

Sept 10th, 9-11 am, “Debating Impacts of WTO Negotiations on Consumers”

(Consumers Intl)

Sept 10th,1-4:30pm, “Continental Campaign Against the FTAA” LOCATION: The

Megaprojects Tent (SM 21) or the Social Security Worker’s Center, SNTSS

(Hemispheric Social Alliance)

Sept 10th, 2-4 pm “Business Rules: Corporate Power, Agriculture and

Biodiversity” (Friends of the Earth International, Public Citizen)

Sept 11th 2-5pm “Militarization, Globalization, and Resistance” (Polaris

Institute, Focus on the Global South)

Sept 11th 4-6pm: “Impacts of Trade Liberalization on local communities

(Center for International Environmental Law)

Sept 11th 5-9 pm “WTO, TNC’s and Corruption” (IBON, Asia Pacific Research

Network)

Sept 11th 6-8pm: “Central American Free Trade Agreement” (Friends of the

Earth)

Sept 11th 8-10pm: “Views from Africa: Globalization and Recolonization”

(AIDC, Africa Trade Network)

Sept 12th 2-4: “GATS Information Exchange” (CIEL, World Development Movement

Sept 12th 4-6: “Business Rules? Corporate Power, Foreign Investment and

GATS” (Friends of the Earth Intl, Public Citizen (US), Polaris Institute,

Canada)

Sept 12th 6-9: “Views from Africa: Defending Our Services and Rights” (AIDC,

African Trade Network)

Sept 12th 2-5pm “Seminar on Bilateral Trade Agreements and Bilateral

Investment Agreements” (Our World Is Not for Sale Network)

Sept 12th 5-8 pm: “GATS Water Tribunal” (Polaris Institute)

Sept 12th 8-10 pm: “Venezuela and the Current Situation Regarding the WTO

and FTAA” (Global Exchange)

Sept 13th 2-4pm: “Bite Back Bush: Stop GMO Force Feeding by the WTO” (CIEL,

FOEI, Public Citizen)

Sept 13th 10-1: “GATS Speak-Out: Water Struggles and Victories” (Polaris

Institute)

Sept 13th 1-3pm: “Workshop on FTAA and Investment” (Friends of the Earth)

Sept 14th 2-5pm: “Trade and Debt” (Jubilee South, including AIDC and ATN)

Sept 14th 2-5pm: “Road from Cancún to Miami” (Our World Is Not for Sale)



Fair Trade Fair & Sustainable Trade Symposium, Sept 10-12th

During the WTO ministerial, civil society and producer organizations are

coming togehter to promote proven solutions to global poverty and

demonstrate how good international trade rules can benefit producers and

consumers. An International Fair Trade Fair; a Sustainable Trade Symposium;

and a Fair Trade in the Americas Strategy Forum.

Hotel Casa Maya, Boulevard Kukulcan Km 5.5, Hotel Zone, Cancun and other

locations. Hosted by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Comercio

Justo Mexico, Oxfam International, Equiterre Canada, and others. Please see

http://www.fairtradeexpo.org for a complete schedule or write kristi@igc.org

for more information.

Of particular note:

Inaugural reception for the Fair Trade Fair on Sept 10, 7-9 pm with renowned

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Fair Trade pioneer, Rigoberta Menchu and

other special guests. Feria Mexicana Hotel roof deck, Blvd Kukulcan 6.5

Playa Tortugas (between convention center and downtown)



Heinrich Boell Foundation Forum, Sept 10-14th (except the 13th)

Plaza Caribe Hotel

Sept 10th 10am-3pm “Trade in Services”


                                  4:30-8:30 “Trade in Environment: GATS and Gender”

Sept 11th 9:30am-3pm “Resisting the WTO Grab for Water”

Sept 12th 10:30-12:30pm: “Cultural Diversity”


                                  1-3pm: “TRIPS”


                                  4-8:30pm: “Agriculture and Food Sovereignty”

Sept 14th 11am-1:30pm “WTO Reform”



Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity Between North and South,

Sept 11th

Hotel Margaritas, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

SIGTUR (Southern Initiative on Globalisation and Trade Union Rights)

Co-conveners : KCTU (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions), COSATU(Congress

of South African Trade Unions) and CUT(Central Unica dos

Trabalhadores-Brazil)

9am-11 am Challenging the WTO - Our Tactics/Strategies and toward real

solidarity between North and South

Simon Boshielo, COSATU, South Africa; Cho Heejoo, Korean Teachers' Union,

Korea; Jo Vaccari, CUT-Brazil; Sophie Zafari, FSU, France; Walden Bello,

Focus on the Global South, Philippines

11am-12:30pm Trade Unions: Challenges in face of Neo-liberal Globalisation

Rafael Freire, HAS, CUT-Brazil; Yoo Duksang, KCTU, Korea; Giacomo Barbieri,

CGIL, Italia; Ferdinand Gaite, COURAGE, Philippines

For more info contact Lee Changgeun, +52-998-849-4606// Fax :

+52-998-849-4600, changgeun_lee@hotmail.com



Forum on Zapatismo y Resistencia, Sept 11th

10am-6pm

Casa de la Cultura. Organized by Juventud en Resistencia



Forum: The Impacts of "New Technologies" on the Global Food System, Sept

11th:

Join this discussion on free trade, new technologies, and the future of

agriculture. New technologies, such as nanotechnology, food irradiation, and

genetically modified organisms are critical to create a corporate-controlled

global food system. Neoliberal policies have already hurt local and regional

economies, and that must stop.

Where: Casa de la Cultura, Cancun.

When: Thursday, September 11th, 2 pm.

Who: Wenonah Hauter, Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, Public

Citizen USA; Géza Varga, Hungarian Co-operative for Organic Farming; Liana

Stupples, Friends of the Earth International, England, Wales, Ireland;

Antonio Tujuan, IBON Foundation, The Philippines; Pat Mooney, Action Group

on Erosion, Technology and Concentration, Mexico; Nadège Adam, Council of

Canadians, Canada.



ON THE GROUND

Ecovillage

From September 5th to the 14th, ecological designers from the US and Mexico

will produce an ecovillage model of practical solutions to the corporate

takeover of food, water, energy, and land use.

http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/di splay/66/index.php



Global Youth/Juventud Global: Uniting local youth, students, counter-culture

and 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 a WTO video in Palapas Park.

They can be contacted at juventud_global@hotmail.com

Any interested youth are welcome to participate in their activities. Find

them at the Convergence Center, on calle Margaritas, or at their Tuesday

evening assembly at 8 pm in Palapas Park..



Art, Culture, Change, Puppetistas...

The artistic theme for the actions taking place against the WTO in September

is that the Mayan gods are angry! They are upset that the WTO, which is

playing a leading role in the exploitation and impoverishment of their

people, is coming to hold their secretive little meetings on sacred Mayan

land. Each god and goddess has a bone to pick with this conniving group of

rich men known as the WTO:



1. Chac, the god of rain, is very upset about the WTO´s plans to continue

the privatization of water.

2. Itzma, the god of maize, or corn, is infuriated that the WTO has allowed

the relentless flow of cheap, transgenic, and heavily subsidized US corn to

flood the Mexican market, putting his people out of business and displacing

them from their land.

3. Hurukan, the god of the Hurricanes, is ready to do some damage

4. Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, will make her presence known!

5. Kukulkan, the universal symbol for all of Mesoamerica, similar to the

Aztec god Queztalcoatl, will be with us all during the actions.

6. Hunahpu, the god of the sun, will be urging the WTO to consider the use

of solar energy.

Many more gods and goddesses will be marching with us, but they need your

help to be constructed, created, and given life!



Volunteers Available!

Rights Action, an organization that works to augment international support

of popular movements in Central America will be acting as 'volunteer

placement coordinators' for the WTO events. Any organizations in need of

volunteers, and any volunteers in need of work are encouraged to let us

know what they have going on:

jpupovac@rightsaction.org



[CONTINUED IN PART 2, below]