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----- Original Message -----
From: WW <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 7:47 AM
Subject: [WW] Teach-in to open anti-WEF protests

-------------------------
 Via Workers World News Service
 Reprinted from the Jan. 31, 2002
 issue of Workers World newspaper
 -------------------------
 
From theory to action 
TEACH-IN TO OPEN ANTI-WEF PROTESTS 
By Deirdre Griswold
New York
 
Theory without action will get you nowhere. Action without 
theory may get you to the wrong place.
 
On Feb. 1 and 2, opponents of the World Economic Forum
will  have a chance to test their theories and their ability to 
put them into action.
 
The billionaires of the WEF, who usually meet on a 
mountaintop in Davos, Switzerland, will be holding their 
annual bash in New York this year. They probably think
that  this metropolis, the financial capital of the world and
home  to nearly 8 million people, is so traumatized by Sept.
11  that good old-fashioned street demonstrations against
greedy  capitalists, like the ones that have been rousing the
world  since Seattle, will not be tolerated.
 
Surprise, surprise. Demonstrators are coming from
all over to creatively and forcefully make their demands
known  outside the old-money Waldorf-Astoria hotel,
where the WEF  is meeting. The main street actions
will be held on  Saturday, Feb. 2, beginning at 9 a.m.
and lasting all day.  Permits have been obtained for
these protests.
 
But the day before, the theories that lead to these actions 
will be presented, discussed, kicked around and generally
be  given a good workout at two different events: a teach-in 
during the day and a rally in the evening.
 
Here's a preview of what these events will look like.
 
The teach-in will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Community 
Church, 35th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. It 
will have opening and closing plenaries, book-ended around 
half a dozen workshops. Many different organizations are 
contributing to the list of speakers in both the plenaries 
and the workshops. The whole thing has been pulled together 
by the International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End 
Racism) coalition.
 
The first plenary--from 10:00 to 11:15--will focus on 
corporate capitalism and George Bush's war against working 
people at home and abroad. The closing plenary--from 3:00 to 
4:00--will look at how the war in Afghanistan fits into U.S. 
global strategy, oil and the military-industrial complex.
 
The workshop on "Racial and Political Profiling: What you 
need to know about John Ashcroft's new 'anti-terrorism 
laws'" will let legal experts explain this draconian new 
legislation, but everyone will have a chance to raise their 
concerns and strategies. The presiders will be Mara 
Verheyden-Hilliard and Carl Messenio of Partnership for 
Civil Justice and Riva Enteen of the San Francisco National 
Lawyers Guild. All three are also with the NLG Mass Legal 
Defense.
 
The National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty of 
Undocumented Workers will chair the workshop on "Invisible 
Workers Equal Superprofits: The role of immigrant labor."
 
"From Palestine to Iraq: Understanding U.S. strategy in the 
Middle East" is being organized by Students for 
International Peace & Justice, the International Action 
Center and the Committee in Support of the Iraqi People.
 
"Globalization Makes Us Sick: The state of healthcare around 
the world" will draw on the knowledge of medical workers and 
consumers from Doctors for Global Health, Doc Bloc, Health 
Gap Coalition and others.
 
The Center on Conscience and War will present a workshop on 
"Resisting Military Recruitment on College Campuses."
 
Nicaragua Network, Network in Solidarity with the People of 
Guatemala, CISPES, Colombia Action Network and the Stop the 
U.S. War in Colombia Committee of the IAC will elaborate on 
"U.S. Policy Towards Central America, Latin America and the 
Caribbean: Keeping colonies for the corporations."
 
Workshops will run from 11:30 to 1:00, and again from 1:15 
to 2:45.
 
EVENING RALLY AT FIT
 
People who've been attending the teach-in during the day 
will get a break until 7 that night, when they can join 
newcomers at a big rally at the FIT Auditorium on 27th St. 
between 7th and 8th Avenues.

The rally will be where all these separate issues are 
brought together: the struggles against war, racism and 
corporate globalization. A list of those speaking and 
sending messages reads like a Who's Who of strong voices of 
opposition:
 
* former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who is suing 
over the treatment of prisoners held by the U.S. in
 Guantanamo;
 
* Rep. Barbara Lee of California, the only member of 
Congress to oppose the resolution giving Bush the power to 
wage this dirty war;
 
* Mumia Abu-Jamal, famed death row prisoner;
 
* Larry Adams, President, Local 300, National Postal Mail 
Handlers Union;
 
* Nadia Ahmed, Students for International Peace & Justice;
 
* Asha Samad-Matias, Muslims Against Racism & War;
 
* Rev. Lucius Walker, IFCO/Pastors for Peace;
 
* Ron Daniels, Center for Constitutional Rights;
 
* Rev. Curtis Gatewood, President, Durham Chapter of NAACP;
 
* Brother Joel Magellan, Tepeyac Association;

* Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Partnership for Civil Justice;
 
* Peta Lindsay, School Without Walls High School;
 
* Larry Holmes, International Action Center;
 
* Pam Africa, International Concerned
 Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal;
 
* Macrina Cardenas, Mexico Solidarity Network,
 
and more.
 
Soon after the Sept. 11 attacks, thousands of people in New 
York and other cities who mourned the victims also came out 
with placards and buttons letting the world know they didn't 
want this great tragedy to become the excuse for war and 
racism. "War is not the answer" became the slogan of this 
spontaneous movement.
 
"So what is the answer?" was the response of many people. 
The teach-in and rally on Feb. 1 will be taking this 
question up in all its complexity. The war has now happened, 
and so have many racist attacks. Capitalist globalization 
continues to ravage the Third World, even as economic crisis 
comes home to millions of workers here.
 
More than ever, the movement that will go into action on 
Feb. 2 needs to refine its politics, and the teach-in and 
rally on Feb. 1 are expected to provide an exciting venue 
for education, discussion and the shaping of a people's 
agenda against the exploiters of the world.
 
- END -
 
(Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to 
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Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: 
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