Re: AUT: Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI)

[swelch@xxxxxxx]

I hope when I send a reply this is clear to whom I am responding. I'm not
up on this list serve thing yet.

To: Stefan Wray, and others interested. Thanks for your message. There
aren't any people based in New York who are associated with the IFG,
really. David Korten was one, from the People Centered Deveopment Forum. He
wrote 'When Corporations Rule the World" which, he once remarked, should
have been titled "When Financial Markets Rule the World" after his new
understanding of the unstable speculative financial system. But he's moved
to the west coast now.

There aren't too many other groups like ours that I know of. I work with
the secretariat here in San Francisco, but we are associated with others
around the world who have been working on fighting NAFTA and the other
trade agreements. We have people in DC, and north to Canada--I can narrow
it down, depending on what you're interested in.

The MAI information we have is in a packet form, unfortunately it is $10
(incl. shipping and handling). It would be useful for your students if you
are focusing on the agreement at all. You can also find the actual text of
the agreement on the web at Public Citizen's website, I believe, which is
linked to ours (www.ifg.org).  A lot of jargon, of course, but worth it if
you want to see the corporate strategy in its construction.

To me, the most chilling part of the agreement is the provision that would
put pressure on member countries to reimburse foreign corporations for any
damages incurred through strikes, riots, nationalization, etc.--quite an
incentive for member governments to step up repression on anyone taking
part in these activities. And since taxpayers would foot the bill, the
public would be told to turn against strikers and protesters, making them
an enemy of the people. The draft I read hadn't REQUIRED the reimbursement,
but if a country were to do so, it would be achieve most favored nation
status, etc.

Just a note about what you can find in this agreement. It's very scary. As
the ad said, it's somewhat like NAFTA on steroids.

stephanie



Hi.
>
>Is there anyone in New York associated with the International Forum on
>Globalization? What about similar groups?
>
>Yes I did see the full page ad. And quite frankly I was surprised that it
>was there. I used it in a class I'm teaching on Global Communications.
>
>Any and all information about this campaign would be useful for me.
>
>- Stefan
>
>At 03:00 PM 2/24/98 -0800, you wrote:
>>The International Forum on Globalization is campaigning around the MAI. We
>>just took out a full-page ad on it in various editions of the New York
>>Times on February 12 and 13, and then on Feb. 17 in the International
>>Herald Tribune. We provide packets of materials on the subject for $10 a
>>pop, but if you go to our website (www.ifg.org) you can link up to a number
>>of groups doing campaigns on it. (we're at 1-415-771-3394 or fax
>>1-800-771-1121)
>>
>>Also, two of our associates in Canada--Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke--have
>>written an excellent book on the MAI titled "The MAI and the Threat to
>>American Freedom."  It is available through Stoddart Publishers in Canada
>>(1-800-805-1083).
>>
>>We just heard that a hearing on the MAI that was to be held on the 25th has
>>been cancelled at the request of the U.S. State Dept. Our associate Lori
>>Wallach from Public Citizen in DC was to testify against it. She warns
>>people not to believe that just because they are postponing things that it
>>means they are going to give up on it!
>>
>>stephanie
>>
>>
>>
>>>Has anyone seen any useful pieces on the Multilateral Agreement on
>>>Investment (MAI) and the campaigns against it?
>>>
>>>To date in Melbourne the opposition to the MAI has been led by local unions
>>>and other economic nationalists (e.g. the maoists), although some comrades
>>>are trying to develop an alternative approach . . .
>>>
>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
>>
>>Please note new contact information below:
>>
>>International Forum on Globalization
>>1555 Pacific Avenue
>>San Francisco, CA 94109
>>tel 415-771-3394
>>fax 415-771-1121
>>ifg@xxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
>>
>>
>
>
>
>     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---

Please note new contact information below:

International Forum on Globalization
1555 Pacific Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94109
tel 415-771-3394
fax 415-771-1121
ifg@xxxxxxx




     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---