 Washington Fair Trade Coalition Working on behalf of people and the planet for a fair global trading system |
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News & Events >> Fair Trade News March 2008 | ||||
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Fair Trade News March 2008 Newsletter of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition In this issue:
Trade Becomes a Hot Topic in the Presidential Race If you have followed recent debates and discussions between the two main contenders in the Democratic presidential campaign you will have noticed a new hot topic - trade policy! In an interesting shift, the Senators Clinton and Obama have been fighting each other to have the best position on trade. This issue became prominent especially in the run up to the Ohio primary, a state that has high unemployment and lots of dissatisfaction about the current trade model. The candidates have been pointing fingers about NAFTA in particular. Clinton has been linked with NAFTA because her husband brought the agreement into force. Clinton insists that the decisions her husband made concerning NAFTA were independent from her own views - although quotes made at the time show otherwise. She and Obama both currently rest on a stance that favors renegotiating NAFTA, especially to include stronger labor and environmental provisions, or threaten to pull out altogether. However, these claims have led to drama as well, as one of Obama's staffers is said to have indicated to Canadian officials that those claims are just rhetoric (see links in Further Reading). The drama and finger-pointing notwithstanding, the very fact that these debates are occurring is an important step in bringing national attention to problems with the current NAFTA model in trade. In other recent presidential elections, trade wasn’t nearly as big of an issue as it is currently campaigns. Thanks to the pressure from fair trade organizations (such as the WFTC!) and others, fair trade initiatives are becoming an important priority for both Clinton and Obama. This enhanced importance will further the necessary awareness for the need for change in agreements like NAFTA, and continue to improve standards for trade. It is important that as the race for president continues we maintain pressure concerning the priorities of fair trade. Through these political discussions will be more public awareness, further widespread action, and maybe even a presidential candidate that will fulfill their promises regarding fair trade. To see statements that have been gathered detailing the candidates' positions on trade policy, see Further Reading, below.
Peruvian Farmers Protest FTA; Four People Killed Protests flared up and violence reigned in Peru in late February, as farmers and others protested the US-Peru free trade agreement that recently went into effect. Farmers who are concerned that subsidized US agriculture will hurt their industry, and who are thus demanding protections from the Peruvian government, initiated the protests, which occurred in various farming areas around the country. At least four people were killed in the skirmishes, one in a shootout with bus passengers on the north coast, and three others died while fighting with police in the south. The government declared a state of emergency for several days to try to get the country back in order. However, fair trade supporters around the world would presumably suggest to the Peruvian government that such tension is bound to occur as a result of the flawed FTA. The best way to keep order in Peru and elsewhere is to pay attention to concerns about such FTAs that will be harmful to many in Peru as well as the US, and to forgo support for the failed NAFTA model.
Save these Dates - upcoming local events A number of great trade policy-related events are coming up over the next month, and you'll want to mark your calendars! “Better Neighbors: A New Way Forward for North America” Thursday April 3, 6:30-9pm, Labor Temple Hall 6: Tri-national Speaking Tour Hosted by CAGJ Speakers from the US, Canada and Mexico will detail the indisputable yet seldom mentioned links between bad continental trade and economic policies and accelerated Mexican migration to the US, and take a critical look at the "NAFTA-plus" economic and security arrangements (aka the “Security and Prosperity Partnership”) being forged behind closed doors between the leading corporations and executive branches of Canada, the US, and Mexico without genuine consultation with the legislatures or public in any of the three countries.
"Free Trade, Debt, and Survival in Nicaragua" April 7th in Seattle, and April 10th, location and times to be announced. The second most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, Nicaragua has struggled for years under the burden of internal and external debt. Take a deeper look into the effects of free trade, debt and immigration on the Nicaraguan people. Come hear the story of Yamileth Perez, a Nicaraguan born and raised in Managua. Yamileth is a remarkable Nicaraguan woman who lives and works in a community near the Managua city dump. Yamileth will share the first-hand impact of free trade and debt and the resulting increase of migration and poverty on the people of Nicaragua. Professional interpretation (Spanish-English) provided.
For further reading Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Fair Trade Questionnaire Answers Barack Obama’s Fair Trade Questionnaire Answers "Canada says leak was "blatantly unfair" to Obama", Reuters |
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