Apologies for x-postings.
**Shut down CHOGM's Commonwealth Business Forum, Melbourne Hilton On The
Park, October 3-5!**
At its inaugural meeting on Monday night, the O3 To CHOGM Alliance agreed
to the following call to action, for distribution through all progressive,
activist and community networks. The Alliance meets weekly on Monday
nights at 6.30pm in the Lesley Clucas Lounge at RMIT, although there will
be no meeting next week due to the holiday for our Head of State.
The O3 To CHOGM Alliance extends an open invitation to all interested
organisations, unions, groups and individuals to attend the next meeting,
on June 18, to have input into the Alliance's planned actions.
Please discuss this Call To Action within your workplace, organisation or
group and send your endorsement to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Chris Chaplin
-------------------------
Globalise solidarity!
People before profit!
Shutdown the CBF!
Call to action issued by the O3 To CHOGM Alliance
We encourage any anti-corporate activists, trade unions, environment
groups, campaign coalitions, political parties, community groups, student
unions and all progressive organizations or individuals to endorse this
call by adding their name.
1. The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) is a $2000-a-head gathering of
the richest businesses in the Commonwealth and, like the World Economic
Forum, is committed to promoting capitalist globalisation. It "works with
the World Trade Organisation towards the removal of barriers to trade and
fair access to markets and investments." The CBF is an arm of the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is meeting in
Brisbane on October 6.
2. The stated objective of this years' CBF is to relaunch a new round of
trade negotiations at the Qatar summit of the World Trade Organisation in
November. A new WTO round would be disastrous for workers, the poor and
the environment everywhere, in particular in the Third World. The General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) will be a key part of any new trade
agreement. GATS is about opening the 'service sector' - including health,
education and the environment - to deregulation and privatisation.
3. The failure of the US and others to launch a new round of trade
negotiations at Seattle is the most significant concrete victory for the
movement against capitalist globalisation. That is why we are calling for
activists, unionists, students and environmentalists to unite to defend
this victory by taking action against the CBF in Melbourne and at CHOGM in
Brisbane.
4. We support the call from Jubilee 2000 for the unconditional
cancellation of all Third World debt. CHOGM and the CBF are dominated by
rich Western countries like Australia, Britain, Canada, all of which force
poorer member states to meet millions of dollars in repayments every year.
5. We support the call of the prominent anti-capitalist campaigner, Walden
Bello, to boycott the Qatar meeting of the WTO.
6. Privatisation, cuts to spending on health and education, union-bashing,
deregulation, shifting the tax burden to the poor, is a key part of the
Howard agenda in Australia. Beazley Labor also embraces the corporate
agenda. Stopping the CBF is crucial to building opposition to capitalist
policies in Australia as well as around the world.
7. We support the call by the O3 To CHOGM Alliance for a mass, non-violent
blockade of the CBF with the aim of preventing the forum from going
ahead. Blockading the forum will, like the successful disruption of the
WEF at Crown Casino, send the clearest possible message that we do not
accept the legitimacy of the corporate elite's agenda of globalising
poverty and exploitation at the expense of the majority. We intend that
this action of mass civil disobedience will strengthen the will, courage
and determination of all those around the world who are struggling for
global justice. The whole world will be watching.
8. This union/community group/organisation agrees with the above call to
action and resolves to support the mass non-violent blockade and protest
action at the CBF beginning on October 3 at the Hilton on the Park.
9. We demand:
- Boycott the new WTO trade round!
- Cancel Third World debt!
- Stop GATS!
- Stop the CBF!
--
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