Printer-friendly version
Group says “No to NAFTA on Steroids,” announces week of protest activities and international “people’s conference” this week in San Diego
“No to NAFTA on Steroids,” group says
July 1, 2012 (San Diego)--From June 30 to July 8, the secret, super-treaty negotiations known as the 13th Round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations are being held here in San Diego at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel. The Coalition to STOP TPP todayannounced a week of rallies, a march, protests, and a week-long international community-based “People’s Conference: A Better World Is Possible.”
The 11 nations involved in the talks are the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Canada. Japan has indicated a desire to join. The economic power of this group is more than 40% larger than the 27-nation European Union. The claimed purpose of TPP is to promote development and create jobs. But critics say the reality is different.
“Though the contents of these negotiations are secret, what is not a secret is that the impacts of the TPP on these Pacific Rim nations, on peasants, on farmers, on workers, on their natural resources, on the environment, will be devastating. Some people describe the TPP as `NAFTA on Steroids,’” a press release issued by Stop TPP states. The coalition, led by Occupy San Diego, contends that the TPP will:
• Offshore good-paying jobs to low-wage nations and undercut working conditions globally
• Create new tools for attacking environmental and consumer safety standards
• Expand the deregulation of banks, hedge funds and insurance companies
• Further concentrate control of global food supplies, displacing family farmers and peasants and subjecting consumers to wild price fluctuations and un-labeled genetically-modified food
• Undermine public health policies that reduce tobacco consumption and increase access to medicine
• Give multinational corporations and private investors the right to sue nations in private tribunals. These tribunals have the power to overturn environmental, labor, or any other laws that limit profit, and award the corporations taxpayer-funded damages.
• Encourage privatization of lands and natural resources in areas where indigenous people live
• Create new tools for attacking environmental and consumer safety standards
• Expand the deregulation of banks, hedge funds and insurance companies
• Further concentrate control of global food supplies, displacing family farmers and peasants and subjecting consumers to wild price fluctuations and un-labeled genetically-modified food
• Undermine public health policies that reduce tobacco consumption and increase access to medicine
• Give multinational corporations and private investors the right to sue nations in private tribunals. These tribunals have the power to overturn environmental, labor, or any other laws that limit profit, and award the corporations taxpayer-funded damages.
• Encourage privatization of lands and natural resources in areas where indigenous people live
During the week of July 2-7, the Coalition to STOP TPP will hold the following events:
• July 2, Monday, 12 pm – Support the Fair Trade Not Free Trade Rally sponsored by the San Diego and Imperial County Labor Council, in the park adjacent to the Hilton Bayfront Hotel
• July 7, Saturday, 11 am – March with Pots and Pans Against TPP! March leaves Civic Center at 11 am
• July 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 – Conduct a People’s Conference: A Better World Is Possible!
Schedule of Panels and Panelists: http://stoptpp.org/2012/06/29/
Sign a petition: http://stopptpp.files.
Recent comments