To oppose Free Trade Agreements: Making People Matter
04.09.2007 9:00 am
06.09.2007 5:00 pm
Etc/GMT+10
To Oppose Free Trade Agreements:
Making People Matter
A Conference organized by APRN and AID/WATCH on the eve of the Sydney APEC
September 4-6, 2007
Sydney Mechanics' Institute of Arts,
280 Pitt Street , Sydney
Over the past decade activists opposed to 'trade liberalisation' have tended to focus on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its implications for social justice, poverty, the environment and national sovereignty. The threat posed by the rapid growth of second and third generation bilateral and regional free trade and investment agreements is often less well understood. This strategy workshop aims to build a more sophisticated understanding of the forces that are continuing to drive 'trade liberalisation' and reflect on the diverse experiences of resistance within the region as the basis for developing more coherent and effective national, sub-regional, regional and sectoral strategies.
The workshop is organised by the Asia-Pacific Research Network, a group of fifty regional research organizations serving social movements, and AID/WATCH, a Sydney-based APRN member that monitors aid, trade and debt. A strategy paper for the workshop may be downloaded from the APRN website: http://www.aprnet.org
Registration
Places for workshop participants are limited. Please pre-register via email, sending your name, contact details, and which days you wish to attend, and how you want to pay the registration fee to: aprn at aidwatch dot org dot au Workshop fees include teas and coffee morning and afternoon, and lunch: Full: $75 for the three days, or $35 per day. Concession: $45 for three days or $20 per day. Pre-pay by cheque (payable to AIDWATCH), to AID/WATCH-APRN, 19 Eve St Erskineville NSW 2043, or via the AID/WATCH online donations form at: www.aidwatch.org.au
For further information contact: James Goodman, 95142714, james dot goodman at uts dot edu dot au
PROGRAM
TO OPPOSE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: MAKING PEOPLE MATTER
TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER
8.30–9.00 Registration
9.00–9.15 Indigenous welcome + Organisers' welcome
9:15–10:30 SESSION 1: WHAT LIES BEHIND THE APEC AGENDA
Regional FTAs: Bonnie Setiawan, Institute for Global Justice
Security: Antonio Tujan Jr., Asia Pacific Research Network
Climate change and energy: Geoff Evans, Minerals Policy Institute
10.30–11.00 Morning tea
11:00–12.30 SESSION 2: WHAT'S NEW ABOUT FTAs?
Investment and services: Jane Kelsey, Arena, NZ/A
Agriculture and food systems: Azra Talat Sayeed, Roots for Equity, Pakistan
IPRs and Industrials: Sanya Reid Smith, Third World Network, Malaysia
Security: Kinda Mohamadieh, Arab NGO Network for Development, Lebanon
12.30- 1.30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 SESSION 3: WORKSHOPS ON STRATEGIC ISSUES
Labour standards: Alister Kentish, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Women: Azra Talat Sayeed, Roots for Equity, Pakistan
Agri-industry: Jagjit Plahe, Global Trade Watch
Environment: Damien Sullivan, Friends of the Earth International
Services: Ted Murphy, National Tertiary Education Union
3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon Tea
3:30 – 4:30 SESSION 4: EXPOSING IMPERIAL AGENDAS
US Free Trade Agreements: Sonny Africa, IBON Foundation, Philippines
Australia/NZ in the Pacific: Nic Maclellan, Journalist and researcher on Pacific issues, Australia
4:30–5:30 SESSION 5: THE CORPORATE STRATEGIES
Reports from each country participant on corporate strategy and Free Trade Agreements
6:00 – 7:30 PUBLIC FORUM: AFTER BUSH
On this day President George Bush arrives in Sydney. Join us to chart the post-Bush world order.
Kerry Nettle, Greens Senator
James Arvanitakis, Asia-Pacific Research Network and AID/WATCH, Australia
Renee Vellve GRAIN, The Philippines
Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, Focus on the Global South, Thailand
Jane Kelsey, Asia-Pacific Research Network and ARENA, New Zealand / Aotearoa
WEDNESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER
9:00- 10:30 SESSION 6: UNDERSTANDING CHINA'S AGENDA
Mr. Hsin-hsing Chen on behalf of Prof. Pao-yu Ching
10.30-11.00 Morning Tea
11:00- 12:30 SESSION 7: REGIONAL COOPERATION AND HEGEMONS
Japan: Koshida Kiyozaku, Pacific Asia Resource Centre, Japan
India: Sandeep Pendse, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, India
ASEAN: Syamsul Hadi, Institute for Global Justice, Indonesia
APEC: James Goodman, AIDWATCH, Australia
12.30- 2:00 Lunch
2:00 – 3:30 SESSION 8: HANDLING HOT ISSUES WORKSHOPS
Food and GMOS: Louise Sales, Greenpeace
Energy resources and trade: Peter Jennings, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA
Trade and aid: Flint Duxfield, AIDWATCH
Climate change and social justice: Damien Lawson, Carbon Equity
Democracy and militarism: Jane Brock, International League of Peoples Struggles
3.30-4:00 Afternoon Tea
4:00 – 6:00 SESSION 9: LESSONS FROM FTA STRUGGLES
Australia: Patricia Ranald, Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network
Korea: Mikyung Ryu, Korean People's Action against FTAs & WTO
Malaysia: Sanya Reid Smith, Third World Network
Thailand: Witoon Lianchamroon, FTA Watch Thailand
Japan: Shoji Shirakawa, Farmers' Organizations Networking Conference
6.30-8.30 TRAJECTORIES OF DISSENT: EXHIBITION LAUNCH
Open sharing session on activism against Free Trade - campaign materials, and stories, with a launch of the Friends of the Earth exhibition on campaigning against the APEC. Mori Gallery, 168 Day Street, www.trajectoriesofdissent.wordpress.com
THURSDAY 6 SEPTEMBER
9:00 – 10:30 SESSION 10: PANEL ON STRATEGIC QUESTIONS AND
CHALLENGES
10.30-11 Morning Tea
11:00- 12:30 Continuation of Session 10
12.30-2:00 Lunch
2:00 – 3:00 SESSION 11: REPORTS BACK FROM WORKSHOPS
3.00- 3.30 Afternoon Tea
3:30 – 4:30 SESSION 12: WORKSHOPS: WHAT NEXT?
4:30 – 5:00 Closing
The workshop is supported by the Research Initiative on International Activism, UTS, www.international.activism.uts.edu.au and by the Sydney Mechanics' Institute of Arts: www.sydneymsa.com.au
