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- To: (Recipient list suppressed)
- Subject: URGENT REQUEST FROM QUITO ECUADOR!
- From: "Lucy Braham" <lucyb@xxxxxxxxxx> (by way of Tom Condit <tomcondit@xxxxxxx>)
- Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 09:07:53 -0700
URGENT REQUEST FROM QUITO ECUADOR!
For the next month Ecuador's strongest Campesino organization, the
CONFEUNASSC- CNC will be launching a campaign of teachins which will reach
campesino communities through out Ecuador in final preparation for the
mobilization against the FTAA on October 31st. Their mobilization strategy
is to conduct teachins about the effects of the FTAA on campesino
communities in even the most remote regions of Ecuador in order to bring
thousands of farmers to Quito to SHUT DOWN the minesterial
meetings. Unlike most NGO`s who are planning an alternative forum for the
day of the event and other organizations who have planned a half day
march, the CONFEUNASSC will prepare and eduacate before hand in order to
not only show up at the capital, but to show up and remain in the streets
with conviction until the economic representatives are forced to return home.
The CONFEUNASSC believes that the mobilization has indeed already begun
through the teachins that are now happening around the country. In the
past weekend, successful teachins were held in the towns of Cayambe, Napo
and the region of Cotopaxi. Next weekend, 300 indigenous youth from the
Amazon and the Sierra regions will gather to discuss the FTAA and make
plans for the mobilization. Furthermore, as part of the strategy of popular
eduation about the FTAA the many candidates for parliment from the
CONFEUNASC have decided that they will focus their campaigns and public
speeches on the effects of the FTAA on their indigenous and campesino
constinuants.
Though the plans for these teachins have been made, the strength and number
of both the teachins and the mobilization will depend heavily on the amount
of recourses that come in to the CONFEUNASSC from outside of Ecuador. The
oganization has speant virtually all its money on the teachins that have
happened and will happen in the next week so much so that this past weekend
their one phone line was cut off. They are now asking that all
organizations and individuals who would like to support the mobilization
send money this week or as soon as possible in order to allow the
educational work that must happen to continue and expand. Monetary support
from the North will greatly effect the ability of the campesinos of Ecuador
to succeed in stopping the summit and showing the world their strong
opposition to the FTAA.
In order to get money to the CONFEUASSC for the mobilization checks should
be made out to Public Citizen Foundation and sent to:
ATTN:
Timi Gerson
215 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
the memo line in checks should all say FTAA-Ecuador
Project
(For those participating in ALCA NUNCA, the money you raise will be viewed
as exactaly the same as all other money that comes into the office and will
be used both for the teachins and mobilization on a national level).
If you are able to send resources please email and let the CONFEUNASSC know
so that they can plan how many teachins they will be able to finance in the
upcoming month. In turn, we will be sure to keep you all updated about the
specific plans and actions that are being taken towards the mobilization on
the part of the CONFEUNASSC. In addition, by October 20 the CONFEUNASSC
will have ready an 8 page review with a focus on effects of neoliberal
politics in Latin American countries and resistance against it. Also there
will be information on how the movement in Ecuador has developed since the
period of land reform and the beginning of privitizations in the 80`s. They
hope this document will help raise awareness on an international level
about the devastating effects that the FTAA would have and on the strong
opposition throughout South America to corporate globalization.
PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD AND FIND THE RESOURES WE NEED TO SUCESSFULLY
STOP THE SUMMIT AND LET THE VOICES OF THE CAMPESINOS OF ECUADOR BE HEARD!
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