[PEN-L:3827] Alt. Trade Forum in Aotearoa (NZ), July

[gattwd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Gatt Watchdog)]

Programme and Registration Details for:


TRADING WITH OUR LIVES: THE HUMAN COST OF FREE TRADE
An Alternative Forum On Free Trade - 12th-14th July 1996,
Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Organised by GATT Watchdog

Trade and investment liberalisation is a major dynamic in the
Asia-Pacific affecting the lives of everyone in the region.
Many people's organisations, trade unions, and grassroots groups
working for social justice and democracy have mobilised as a
counterforce to the current wave of global economic deregulation.
As economies are forced to open their borders to foreign
investors and imports, indigenous communities, women, small
farmers, small businesses and the environment are being
devastated by transnational corporations seeking cheap labour,
land and resources.  500 of these corporations control over two-
thirds of world trade.

This July, the New Zealand Government hosts the APEC (Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation) Trade Ministers Meeting at
Christchurch Town Hall.  Since its birth in 1989, APEC has
increasingly become a vehicle to promote trade and investment
liberalisation and a means for transnational corporations to
infiltrate the region.  Highly secretive and accountable to no-
one, APEC aims to create open trade and investment among its 18
member countries by the year 2020.  In 1999, the New Zealand
government will host the APEC Leaders' Summit.

Successive New Zealand governments have committed themselves to
sweeping market reforms which have made the country one of the
most open economies in the world.

GATT Watchdog is organising an Alternative Forum on Free Trade
Trading With Our Lives: The Human Cost of Free Trade in
Christchurch from 12-14 July to bring together people that are
concerned about the unjust, anti-democratic and ecologically
unsustainable model of trade and development which APEC promotes,
to expose the connections that exist between the past decade of
domestic reforms and the international sphere, to explore
strategies to combat free trade, and discuss alternatives for the
future.


PROGRAMME

Friday 12 July

7.30pm
Public meeting and opening session of Alternative Forum

Venue: Knox Hall, corner of Bealey Ave and Victoria St.

"Trading With Our Lives: The Human Cost Of Free Trade" with
Annette Sykes (Ngati Pikiao), Ines Almeida (East Timor Relief
Association, Sydney), Dr Alejandro Villamar (Red Mexicana de
Accion frente al Libre Comercio/The Mexican Action Network on
Free Trade, Mexico City)

Saturday 13 July
Alternative Forum

Venue: Trade Union Centre, 199 Armagh St (Corner of Armagh and
Madras Streets)

9.00am
Welcome and Introductions

9.15
Free Trade and "the Big Picture" - APEC, GATT and NAFTA - an
overview

Dr Alejandro Villamar, and others

10.00 Questions

10.20
Free Trade and Colonisation - Moana Sinclair, Ngati Raukawa, Te
Kawau Maro

10.40 The New Zealand Experiment - Market Mayhem in Aotearoa/New
Zealand in a Global Context - Dr David Small, Corso

11.00 Questions

11.20 Morning Tea

11.40
Free trade, transnational corporations and the erosion of
economic sovereignty - Murray Horton, Campaign Against Foreign
Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA)

12.00
Transnational corporations, rangatiratanga and resistance - Mike
Smith, Ngapuhi, Te Kawariki

12.20pm Questions

12.40 Lunch

2.00 Workshops

3.30 Plenary Session.  Report back from workshops

4.00 Afternoon Tea

4.15
Women and Free Trade - Leigh Cookson, GATT Watchdog

4.35
Free Trade, biodiversity, and the environment - Cherryl Waerea-
i-te-rangi Smith, Ngati Porou, Ngati Apa, Te Kawau Maro

4.55 Questions

5.15 East Timor - Rights to Trade and Invest - Or The Right To
Self-determination?  - Ines Almeida

5.45 Questions

6.15 Dinner

Evening Activities to be arranged


Sunday 14 July

Venue: Trade Union Centre, 199 Armagh St (Corner of Armagh and
Madras Streets)

9.00am
Workers' Rights and Free Trade - Maxine Gay, General Secretary
of the New Zealand Trade Union Federation

9.20
Free Trade and Development - Radha D'Souza, Asia-Pacific Workers
Solidarity Links

9.40 Questions

10.10 Workshops

11.30 Morning Tea

11.45  Plenary Session.  Report back from Workshops

12.30 Lunch

2.00 Strategy Session - Planning For The Future

Evening protest action planned for the opening of the official
APEC Trade Ministers Meeting


REGISTRATION

Registration Details:

Name_________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Phone (Home)__________________Wk________________________

Email______________________________________________

Fees:
Waged                $50
Unwaged/low income   $25

Accomodation:

Please arrange billets for _______people
For Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights

Send this form with payment to:
GATT Watchdog
P O Box 1905
Christchurch
Aotearoa/New Zealand
Ph: 64 3 3662803 Fax: 64 3 3484763
Email: gattwd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For more details, contact Aziz Choudry (as above)