-----Original Message----- From: Starhawk [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 06 March 2001 00:29 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Women's Call to Action HERE YOU WILL FIND AN INVITATION TO A NON-VIOLENT WOMEN'S ACTION AGAINST GLOBALISATION AND THE FTAA TO BE HELD DURING THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS IN QUIBEC CITY IN APRIL 2001. French version below. Invitations in Spanish and Portuguese available soon. The formatted version of the invitation will be sent out in PDF format as soon as it is ready (one week or so). Please send me any translations into other languages. Also below is something I wrote on why we're opposing the FTAA. Thanks, Starhawk www.starhawk.org Please circulate widely. ****** Weaving a Web of Solidarity A feminist action against globalisation Summit of the Americas on the FTAA Quebec City, April 2001 On the weekend of April 20-22, leaders of thirty four countries will come to Quebec to tie a new strand in the web of corporate globalisation: the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), the regional accord that will expand NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) throughout the hemisphere. In response, thousands of us will come to Quebec City to resist them. From Canada to Argentina, women and men will take action to express our opposition to the extension of the corporate web. Women bear the brunt of the violence of globalisation, yet despite all the oppression, repression and exploitation, women continue to rise up. This is a call to rise up as we join together in a Womens Action, to take place alongside the many actions and events of the weekend. We are taking action because we will no longer tolerate the web of corporate control that binds us down and constricts our lives. We will not allow this system to continue. We have taken its measure: its time is done. Instead, we will become spiders, spinning a new web of connection, of solidarity out of our rage, out of our love. We will, as women, weave together our hopes and dreams, our aspirations, our indictments, our testimony, our witnessing, our demands, our visions. We will write on ribbons, on strips of cloth, on rags. We will draw, paint, knot cords, braid yarn, whisper into pieces of string. And from these materials we will weave our web. If they ignore our voices and continue their deliberations, the cries of women will haunt them and undo all their plans. Though they erect a fence to stop us, we will twine our web through its mesh to be the visible symbol of the power of women, of the revolution we weave. When they try to wall us out of their meetings, they will only wall themselves in. We claim all of the world beyond their wall. We ask our brothers to support us, to honor our womens space so that we who have so often been invisible can stand forth and be seen. We ask you to support us by looking honestly at the ways that, even within our own movements, women are ignored, suppressed, or discounted. And when you support us in this action, where we stand together as women, it will spark actions where we fight side by side. For we know that you too, are weavers of this web. We ask the ancestors to stand with us. For the web of life links the living and the dead. We ask the generations of the future to stand with us, for we fight for the world you will inherit. We ask the spirits of the earth to support us and be our ground, for we fight for the continuance of life. We are invincible, for life itself weaves with us. AN INVITATION TO THE WOMEN OF THE WORLD TO Form an affinity group An affinity group is a group of 10-20 people with whom you have affinity; that is, a common bond (family, friends, common issue, work colleagues, etc.), that meets regularly to discuss common issues and to act. Choose one or two members to represent your group at the Council of representatives. The Council of representatives will meet in virtual space until the week before the Summit of the Americas, at which point meetings will take place in Quebec. The Council of representatives meetings will be the forum to decide on strategy for the action. Keep your eye on the CMAQ (Quebec Centre for Independent Media) website (www.cmaq.net) for a Womens web of solidarity action link. Initiate (or continue), in your affinity group, a dialogue on the impacts of globalisation on women in your home area Women around the world bear the brunt of globalisation our voices together will allow us to add to the feminist analysis of globalisation, and to strengthen our cause. Weave your part of the web of solidarity Take what comes out of your dialogue on women and globalisation, and, as a group, weave a section of the web of solidarity to represent your consensus. Use your imagination use yarn, materials, photos, newspaper clippings. The sky is the limit. Add your section of the web to the web of solidarity in Quebec City in April 2001 Here are some suggestions on the many ways to join your section of the web to the larger web of solidarity: *Come as an affinity group to Quebec City in April 2001, to participate in the collective weaving of the web of solidarity A fence is being erected around the buildings where the Summit is being held in order to keep protesters out residents inside the perimeter are required to have identity cards in order to gain access to their own homes during the Summit. This fence symbolises, for us, the anti-democratic process of the FTAA we want to reclaim that fence, that space. Those wanting to weave (literally or symbolically and non-violently) their parts of the web into the fence are invited to do so on the 19th of April (the day preceding the opening of the meeting). Affinity groups not wanting to approach the fence are invited to plan other kinds of actions using the web parts (blocking an intersection to catch Summit negotiators in the web, or decorating a park with parts of the web, etc.). Creativity and imagination are key! The sky is the limit! *Send your section of the web to the address below and the women present in Quebec will ensure that your section is woven into the larger web. *Send a photograph of your section of the web to the address below, and the women present in Quebec will enlarge it and add it to the larger web. *Get together with other affinity groups in your area and weave your sections together closer to your home. Quibec contact information: E-mail address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mailing address: Toile femme Quibec 2001, C.P. 70021, Quibec, Quibec (Canada) G1R 6B1 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ICI VOUS TROUVEREZ UNE INVITATION @ UNE ACTION FEMMES NON-VIOLENTE CONTRE LA MONDIALISATION QUI AURA LIEU LORS DU SOMMET DES AMIRIQUES @ QUIBEC EN AVRIL 2001. Les versions espagnoles et portugaises ` suivre. La version "publiable" sera envoyi en formal PDF d'ici une semaine. SVP circuler le plus possible! ******** Tisser la toile de notre solidariti Action fiministe contre la mondialisation Sommet des Amiriques sur la ZLEA Quibec, avril 2001 Au cours de la fin de semaine du 20 au 22 avril, les dirigeants de trente-quatre pays se riuniront ` Quibec pour ajouter un autre fil ` la toile mondiale du commerce et renforcer encore davantage la mondialisation de l'iconomie : la Zone de libre ichange des Amiriques (ZLEA), l'accord rigional qui itend l'ALENA (Accord de libre-ichange nord-amiricain) aux deux himisphhres des Amiriques. Afin de riagir ` cela, des milliers de personnes convergeront vers Quibec pour manifester leur opposition. Du Canada jusqu'au Brisil, des femmes et des hommes poseront des gestes pour exprimer leur opposition ` l'ilargissement du riseau des grandes entreprises. Les femmes subissent de plein fouet les effets de la mondialisation, et malgri toute l'oppression, la ripression et l'exploitation, les femmes se soulhvent encore et toujours. Cette lettre est un appel : levez-vous et joignez-vous ` notre Action fiministe qui aura lieu parallhlement aux nombreuses actions et ivinements de la fin de semaine. Nous entreprenons des actions parce que nous ne pouvons tolirer plus longtemps le riseau de contrtle tissi par les grandes entreprises qui nous entrave et phse de tout son poids sur nos vies. Nous ne permettrons pas ` ce systhme de se perpituer. Nous en avons pris toute la mesure et c'est assez. Nous deviendrons des araignies. De notre rage, de notre amour, nous tirerons la matihre premihre pour tisser un riseau, une toile de solidariti. Nous, les femmes, tisserons une toile faite de nos espoirs, de nos rjves, de nos aspirations, de nos accusations, de nos timoignages, de nos exigences, de nos visions. Nous les icrirons sur des rubans, des bannihres, des chiffons. Nous allons peindre, dessiner, nouer des cordes, tresser des fils, insuffler nos paroles ` des ficelles. Et de ces matiriaux, nous tisserons notre toile. Alors mjme qu'ils font la sourde oreille et poursuivent leur discussions, nos cris se mettront ` les hanter et feront ichouer tous leurs projets. Qu'ils irigent des clttures pour nous arrjter et nous entrelacerons les fils de notre toile ` leurs mailles, symbole iclatant du pouvoir des femmes, de la rivolution qui se trame. Qu'ils essaient de nous exclure de leurs riunions et ils ne feront que s'enfermer eux-mjmes. Au-del` de leurs murs, le monde nous appartient. Nous demandons ` nos frhres de nous soutenir, de respecter notre espace de femmes, afin que nous puissions occuper l'avant de la schne et jtre vues, nous qui avons si longtemps iti invisibles. Nous vous demandons de nous soutenir en regardant honnjtement toutes les fagons dont les femmes sont ignories, icarties ou dicouragies, mjme au sein de nos propres mouvements. Et lorsque vous soutenez cette action qui nous rassemble entre femmes, vous ouvrez la voie ` des actions oy nous nous battrons ctte ` ctte. Nous savons que, vous aussi, vous tissez cette toile. Nous demandons aux ancjtres d'jtre ` nos cttis, car la grande toile de la vie unit les vivants et les morts. Nous demandons aux ginirations futures de se joindre ` nous, car nous nous battons pour le monde dont elles hiriterons. Nous demandons aux esprits de la terre de nous soutenir, car nous nous battons pour la perpituation de la vie. Nous sommes invincibles, car la vie elle-mjme prend racine en nous. INVITATION AUX FEMMES DU MONDE ENTIER ` former un groupe d'affinitis... Un groupe d'affinitis est groupe comptant de 10 ` 20 personnes avec lesquelles vous avez des + affinitis ;, c'est-`-dire quelque chose en commun (famille, amis, groupe d'intirjt, collhgues de travail, etc.) et qui se riunissent rigulihrement pour discuter de sujets qui les prioccupent et pour agir. Choisissez une ou deux membres de votre groupe qui vous reprisenteront au Conseil des reprisentantes. Ce conseil tiendra des rencontres virtuelles jusqu'` la semaine qui prichde le Sommet des Amiriques. @ ce moment-l`, les rencontres auront lieu ` Quibec. Les riunions du Conseil des reprisentantes seront le forum oy l'on dicidera de la stratigie pour passer ` l'action. Surveillez le site Web du CMAQ (Centre des midias alternatifs Quibec 2001) (www.cmaq.net) : vous y trouverez bienttt un lien vers un riseau des femmes pour des actions de solidariti. ` commencer (ou ` poursuivre) dans votre groupe d'affinitis une discussion sur les effets de la mondialisation sur les femmes de votre rigion... Dans le monde entier, ce sont les femmes qui subissent la plupart des consiquences de la mondialisation. En unissant nos voix, nous pourrons faire entendre l'analyse fiministe de la mondialisation et renforcer notre cause. Tissez votre partie de la toile de la solidariti... Prenez les risultats de votre discussion sur les femmes et la mondialisation et, en groupe, criez une partie de la toile de la solidariti qui illustre votre consensus. Servez-vous de votre imagination... utilisez du fil, diffirents matiriaux, des photos, des coupures de journaux. Ne vous limitez pas. Ajoutez votre section de toile ` la grande toile de la solidariti ` Quibec en avril 2001... Voici quelques suggestions pour faire parvenir votre partie de la toile ` Quibec et la joindre ` la grande toile de la solidariti : *venez ` Quibec avec votre groupe d'affinitis en avril 2001 pour prendre part ` la criation collective de la toile de la solidariti Les lieux du Sommet des Amiriques seront encerclis dun pirimhtre de + sicuriti ;, une cltture, bloquant lacchs aux manifestantEs. Ceux et celles qui risident au sein du pirimhtre devront se procurer une carte didentiti spiciale afin dy avoir acchs! Cette cltture reprisente pour nous le processus anti-dimocratique de la ZLIA nous allons nous riapproprier cette cltture, cet espace. Celles qui veulent entrelacer les fils de leur toile aux mailles de la cltture (litiralement ou symboliquement, et de fagon non-violente) sont invitis ` le faire le 19 avril (le jour qui prichde louverture du Sommet). Les groupes daffinitis ne voulant pas sapprochi du pirimhtre de sicuriti sont invitis ` organiser dautres actions et activitis avec leur toiles (ex. bloquer une intersection avec la toile pour y capturer les nigotiateurs, dicorer un parc avec les toiles). La criativiti et limagination sont ` lordre du jour! On se laisse aller! *envoyez votre partie de la toile ` l'adresse ci-dessous et les femmes prisentes ` Quibec s'assureront qu'elle sera jointe ` la grande toile; *envoyez une photo de votre partie de la toile ` l'adresse ci-dessous et les femmes prisentes ` Quibec l'agrandiront et la joindront ` la grande toile; *joignez-vous ` d'autres groupes d'affinitis de votre rigion et rassemblez vos sections pour former une toile prhs de chez vous. Pour tous renseignements : Courriel : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Adresse postale : Toile femme Quibec 2001, C.P. 70021, Quibec, Quibec (Canada), G1R 6B1. Five Reasons To Oppose the Free Trade Area of the Americas By Starhawk Earth: The FTAA would allow corporations to sue governments in corporate courts for loss of potential profits if governments attempt to ban genetically engineered crops, regulate unsafe foods, ban pesticides or chemicals, protect natural resources, regulate logging, or enforce safety standards. Small farmers and indigenous communities would be further undermined by the influx of cheap foods produced by agribusiness far away. Air: Corporations have already sued governments for banning unsafe additives from gasoline. As the hole in the ozone layer grows, governments would lose the ability to effectively regulate ozone destroying chemicals, or to prod corporations to adopt and produce the already-existing technologies that would replace gasoline with renewable, clean alternatives. Fire: The U.N. now estimates global warming is progressing much faster than anticipated, that the earth9s temperature may rise by ten degrees. The FTAA would undermine efforts to control greenhouse emissions or shift to alternative technologies. It would also open the door to privatization of utilities and energy production and distribution, taking control away from communities and government. Water: The FTAA would allow corporations to control the water resources and hydroelectric resources of the hemisphere. It would undercut attempts to protect water quality and fair water usage, and to preserve endangered species such as salmon. It would open the door to the privatization of water delivery services. Community: The FTAA would encourage privatization of schools, universities, medical care, hospitals, libraries, museums, prisons, transportation, broadcasting, and many other services previously provided or regulated by communities and governments. What to do: Write or call your Senators and congressional representatives. Tell them "No fast track for Bush!" Fast Track would give him expanded negotiating authority with minimal congressional input. Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) Major demonstrations are being organized in the U.S. and Canada to protest the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City April 20-22, when 34 heads of state will meet to affirm the FTAA process. Get involved! Check www.indymedia.org for news of events in your own and other areas. _______________________________________________ CrashList website: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base
