----- Original Message ----- From: "Soren" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2000 2:22 PM Subject: (50 Years) delegation to cochabamba, bolivia - site of WB/privatization battle > From: Neil Tangri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Invitation to Join An International Delegation to Cochabamba, Bolivia > > The Coordinadora de Defensa de Agua y de la Vida (Coalition for the Defense > of Water and Life), the Federación de Trabajadores Fabriles de Cochabamba > (the Cochabamba Federation of Factory Workers, the Federación Departamental > Cochabambino de Regantes (Federation of Traditional Water District > Committees) and 1world communication invite you to join the people of > Cochabamba in solidarity on September 26, the day the World Bank and the > IMF will hold their semi-annual joint meeting in Prague, the Czech Republic. > > "This Water is Ours, Damn it!" was the battle cry for the "water wars" an > uprising last April in Cochabamba to force the reversal of the > privatization of the city's water system and the imposition of draconian > legislation that would have expropriated traditional rural communities of > their customary water usage. The 1999 privatization concession to a Bechtel > Corporation of California affiliate, and regulatory reform was done under > pressure from the World Bank. > > > > A coalition of labor, human rights, and community activists under the > leadership of "La Coordinadora'' initiated protests that brought the city > to a halt in January, February and April. They refused to back down despite > the government's declaration of a "state of siege" and the sending in of > troops. After months of protests resulting in the total shut down of the > city, and days of street battles with federal troops, in mid-April the > Bolivian government officials were forced to nullifying the contract they > signed with the Bechtel Corporation's affiliate, and make immediate reforms > to water legislation. > > By their heroic actions the people of Cochabamba have become what > governments, institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, and > multinational corporations fear the most: a clear indication that local > communities can fight back against neo-liberalism. Cochabamba today is the > "threat of a good example", and a source of pride and inspiration for > activists all over the world fighting against the privatization of some of > the most basic necessities of life. > > > > The residents of Cochabamba believe that the fight is not over. Already > there are reports of back door negotiations occurring to revive the > contract by orchestrating a "gentler" takeover, while the government > backslides on commitments made to those wounded in the "water war". The > people of Cochabamba, however, are determined to not let that happen. > > While activists from all over the world will be in Prague protesting as > the World Bank and the IMF will hold their semi-annual joint meetings, we > will be learning of one extraordinary example of successful struggle > against the neo-liberal agenda imposed by the World Bank and the IMF. > > The World Bank and the IMF, two of the cornerstones of the international > financial system, claim to be working to eliminate poverty, but their real > purpose is to force developing nations to embrace corporate globalization. > The result is rampant abuse of workers' rights and the environment and the > further impoverishment of the very people the World Bank and IMF are > supposedly there to help. > > Our hosts and guides in Cochabamba will be movement leaders Oscar Olivera, > Omar Fernandez and Carmen Peredo. Oscar Olivera is a worker n the local > Bata shoe plant, Executive Secretary of the Cochabamba Federation of > Factory Workers, a central leader of "La Coordinadora'', and this year's > recipient of the Institute for Policy Studies' Letelier/Moffitt Human > Rights Award. Oscar awed audiences in Washington with his accounts of the > uprising in Bolivia during the April 16 mobilization against the IMF and > the World Bank. Omar Fernandez and Carmen Peredo are leaders of the > Federation of Traditional Water District Committees, and also central > leaders of "La Coordinadora'', and extraordinary rural organizers. > > > > The purpose of our delegation is two fold: > > to build international solidarity for their fight against the > privatization and the construction of local alternatives, and > to address the Bolivian Government's grievous inattention to the > helping > those wounded in the struggle > > The wounded must not be forgotten. By getting Bechtel out and forcing > legislative changes, their sacrifice and struggle opened up the possibility > for the people of Cochabamba to construct their own alternative to the > neo-liberal order, starting with the regulation and provision of that which > is central to life itself: water. > > We will meet with leaders from the different sectors of society that were > key to the victory, to learn of the struggles to outs Bechtel, and the > current work to build alternatives. We will meet with members of small > farmers' irrigation cooperatives and indigenous leaders who have developed > complex systems of sharing water under their "customs and traditions"; > young people who were the front-line "water warriors" in the street battles > against Bolivian troops; union leaders; those wounded in the battles; > neighborhood committees that were instrumental in organizing the resistance > and now are working to build their water systems; and local analysts who > are supporting the movement in reforming legislation and building real > local alternatives for the provision of water. > > > > We expect that you will come home inspired by what ordinary people in > Cochabamba were able to do, and stand by them in the next round of their > struggle to keep the water in the hands of the community, and heal their > wounded. > > During the uprising last April, the people felt isolated when very little > news about the "water war" reached the outside world. Our presence in > Cochabamba will help change that. It will let the people know that they > have allies around the world, and the authorities in Bolivia know that we > will be watching and will act in solidarity with the people. > > You can read some articles on the uprising on 1world's web site with is > located at http://www.1worldcommunication.org (follow the link to the > Bolivia page). > > > Details of the Trip: > > Date of Departure: September 25 > > We will be departing from Miami International Airport > > Return Date: September 30th > > The Cost of the Delegation: $1,600 > > This will cover your air fare from Miami, your food and lodging in > Cochabamba and local transportation, and the expenses of the organizations > organizing the delegation. > > For more information please call: Ravi Khanna, Director of 1world > communication at 413-323-7629 or send an e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =========================================================== > 50 Years Is Enough Network http://www.50years.org > To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > unsubscribe > in the body of the message. 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