[Livingwage] Fwd: FTAA in Miami: A Virtual Demonstration

Wed Nov 19 15:40:05 CST 2003

>Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 16:06:34 -0500
>Subject: FTAA in Miami: A Virtual Demonstration
>From: Robert McChesney <rmcchesney at mediareform.net>
>To: info at mediareform.net
>Reply-To: rmcchesney at mediareform.net
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>This week in Miami, negotiations will take place that will have a dramatic 
>effect on your life for years to come. At issue is the Free Trade Area of 
>the Americas (FTAA) agreement, described as "NAFTA on steroids."
>
>The FTAA will eliminate U.S. jobs and foster worker exploitation in 
>developing countries. It could override our country's environmental 
>protections and media ownership limits as "trade violations." It could 
>enable U.S. media corporations to eclipse local cultures across the 
>hemisphere and threaten public broadcasting. These are just a few of the 
>implications.
>
>Tens of thousands will protest in Miami this Thursday and Friday. Add your 
>voice, and let's make it millions. Please join our 'virtual demonstration' .
>
>SIGN the Free Press petition to stop the FTAA. Go to 
>http://www.mediareform.net/ftaa/petition . The petition will be delivered 
>to Congress and the U.S. Trade Representative during the FTAA meeting.
>
>FORWARD this email to everyone you know who cares about media democracy 
>and global justice. This email contains detailed background information. 
>We can only reach critical mass if you spread the word.
>
>Mainstream media is not informing America of the realities of these trade 
>deals: America's main media sources themselves stand much to gain from 
>them. It's up to us to educate each other. If you can't be in Miami to say 
>NO to the FTAA, please do the next best thing and join the virtual 
>demonstration.
>
>Onward,
>Robert McChesney
>Free Press
>
>P.S. Interested in media reform? Become a Free Press E-Activist. You'll 
>receive occasional (not frequent) updates and alerts. Go to 
>http://www.mediareform.net/mailinglist.php .
>
>P.P.S. Stay up to date with our free daily headlines service covering a 
>wide range of media issues. Go to 
>http://www.mediareform.net/news/deliveries.php .
>
>------
>
>What's the FTAA?
>
>On Wednesday, trade ministers from 34 countries will begin three days of 
>closed-door sessions to advance negotiations on the proposed Free Trade 
>Area of the Americas (FTAA). Under this agreement, US regulations that 
>protect media diversity, localism and the public interest could be 
>attacked as 'barriers to trade.' Media ownership limits could be 
>considered outright 'trade violations.' Most absurdly, multinational 
>corporations could seek cash 'compensation' -- paid for by taxpayer 
>dollars -- if secret tribunals of trade lawyers found our government's 
>public interest media policies to be 'unduly burdensome' to competition.
>
>The FTAA is a sweeping agreement that would extend the failed NAFTA model 
>of corporate-driven globalization to the entire Western Hemisphere, minus 
>Cuba. Tens of thousands of protesters will greet these trade ministers 
>with a powerful display of opposition to the FTAA and with concrete 
>proposals for alternatives, in what is shaping up to be the most important 
>showdown over corporate globalization since Seattle.
>
>What would the FTAA mean for media, culture, and communications? Put 
>simply, the agreement threatens to undermine media democracy, privatize 
>public services, and expand corporate power in every sector. Under the 
>FTAA, laws that limit media ownership could be considered 'trade 
>violations,' and public funding for nonprofit media could be attacked. 
>Media corporations would be allowed to sue governments for maintaining 
>democratically created, public interest media and cultural policies. The 
>recent battle against FCC deregulation could be rendered moot.
>
>However, there is reason for hope: the FTAA summit comes on the heels of 
>the collapse of World Trade Organization negotiations in Cancun, Mexico. 
>In Cancun, a newly formed coalition of countries from the Global South, 
>emboldened by protests in the streets of Cancun and around the world, 
>walked out of the WTO in rejection of the strong-arm tactics of wealthy 
>countries. Free Press was there, organizing the Cancun Forum on 
>Communication Rights vs. 'Free Trade' and supporting the Independent Media 
>Center Cancun (cancun.mediosindependientes.org).
>
>The failure of the WTO meetings makes regional trade agreements like the 
>FTAA the leading edge of the multinational corporate drive to override 
>democracy. For all those who support democracy, environmental 
>sustainability, media diversity and human rights, the Miami mobilization 
>this week is a crucial opportunity to carry forward the momentum of Cancun 
>and derail this disastrous agreement.
>
>The trade ministers will be greeted in Miami by hundreds of thousands of 
>protesters from across the globe. Media activists from across the country 
>and around the world will be marching together with thousands from labor, 
>the environmental movement, academia, indigenous populations, small 
>farmers, and many others. Join us in saying, "Our Media Are Not for Sale!" 
>It's the next chapter of the historic struggle that will determine whether 
>or not we trade away our environment, our public services, our culture and 
>our media.
>
>
>WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO
>
>* VOTE Against the FTAA: A broad hemispheric coalition is conducting a 
>truly massive popular referendum on this disastrous agreement, gathering 
>ballots and petitions that will be delivered to the trade ministers in 
>Miami. Cast your vote online today at www.citizenstrade.org/ftaa_ballot.php
>
>* EDUCATE Yourself and Others About the Issues: An extensive list of 
>excellent online resources about the FTAA is appended at the end of this 
>email. Free Press has also developed a pamphlet about the links between 
>corporate globalization and media democracy:
>http://www.mediareform.net/ftaa
>
>* ORGANIZE Affinity Groups to participate in creative nonviolent direct 
>action. We urge everyone who is considering participating in nonviolent 
>direct action to organize trainings in your community before you come. 
>More information and training materials will be available soon. Some 
>resources are available now at www.stopFTAA.org
>
>* SPREAD the Word: Please forward this email to your personal network and 
>to appropriate listservs.
>
>* GO TO FREE PRESS - more on how the FTAA would affect our media system 
>and links to other resources: http://www.mediareform.net/ftaa
>
>* FTAA INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER - breaking news from the streets of Miami:
>http://ftaaimc.org
>
>
>