LL:ART: Global Justice Coalition formed

[Communist Party of Australia]

The following articles were published in "The Guardian", newspaper
of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday,
FebruarÝ 14th, 2001. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills.
Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795.
CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au>
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Global Justice Coalition formed

The unity obtained around the S-11 demonstrations in
Melbourne last year opposing the World Economic Forum was a great
success. In Sydney the S-11 Coalition brought together a vast array
of trade unions, political parties including the CPA, community
organisations, peace and environmental groups and student groups.

These organisations represent the views and aspirations of the majority
of working people, and when united they present a powerful force in
the community for positive change.

In what must be considered an achievement of great importance that
the alliance of organisations that banded together to take on the
world's 1000 top corporate leaders has been able to maintain and extend
its organisation with the formulation and adoption of a statement
of unity.

The former S-11 Coalition has been transformed into the Global Justice
Coalition. Its statement provides an excellent basis for the future
work of the Coalition.

The statement deals with the principles and formation of the Global
Justice Coalition. It also deals briefly with globalisation and puts
forward campaign points that will form the basis of the Global Justice
Coalition's activities.

The statement dealing with formation says: "The formation
of the Global Justice Coalition was inspired by the growing
international movement against the exploitation (of both people and the
planet) inherent in corporate globalisation."

On the question of globalisation the statement has this to say:
"Together we recognise that the expansion of global `free trade'
only exacerbates the current social inequalities that exist within,
and between countries.

"Austerity programs and economic rationalism on a domestic level
hurt the poor, as areas traditionally seen to be the responsibility
of society as a whole (e.g. education, health, welfare, etc) are
outsourced, privatised or simply abandoned.

"On a global scale, the debt reduction schemes of the World Bank
and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are forcing poorer nations to
restructure their economies at the expense of people and their
environment."

Campaigning and activity will be a main emphasis of the Global Justice
Coalition and significant attention is paid in the statement to this.

The section of the statement under campaigning begins: "We act
as a network to build and support local industrial actions as well
as actions and protests aimed at corporate exploitation and the
international institutions of free-market capitalism.

"We also seek to provide educational material and the opportunity
to debate issues of economics and society with the goal of finding
an alternative to free-market economics."

Fourteen main campaigning points are raised in the statement. They
are:

1. corporate accountability and the elimination of exploitation;

2. the reversal of the growing gap between rich and poor;

3. the right to organise, collective bargaining and strike for
all workers;

4. the achievement of full employment and a shorter working
week;

6. the elimination of all forms of discrimination based
on, sexuality, sex, age, disability, race, or religion;

7. land rights and self-determination for indigenous peoples;

8. a fair and progressive taxation system;

9. free comprehensive public health, public education and
public housing and public transport systems;

10. cessation of the nuclear cycle, uranium mines, radioactive
waste dumps, nuclear reactors and weapons;

11. ecological sustainable development. Opposition to genetically
modified food and patenting of life forms;

12. cancellation of developing world debt;

13. democratic control of mass media.

14. recognition of the right to demonstrate, with no use of
military in civilian affairs.

The CPA sees the unity that has been achieved around these points
as an excellent example of the unity required in forming the basis
of a new type of government in Australia -- a Government of People's
Unity.

Many more steps need to be taken before such a government becomes
a reality. For the people to move forward and challenge the power
of the big corporations and capital in general, many more coalitions
and alliances of this type will be needed.

It is a positive step forward and the CPA congratulates the Global
Justice Coalition and its member organisations.
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