MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DATE: November 13, 2002
CONTACT: Mr Minh Nguyen
0403 181 586
peace@acmica.org

CATHOLICS SAY "NO" TO THE WTO

The Australian Catholic Movement for Intellectual & Cultural Affairs (ACMICA), a convening group in the Stop the WTO! Christian Coalition, is again preparing to hit the streets to oppose the fundamentalist agenda of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and expose their undemocratic 'informal' ministerial meeting in Sydney this week.

"Possibly one of the most despised international organisations, the WTO pushes an economic fundamentalist agenda of rigid trade rules and principles aimed at reducing governments' right to regulate trade and investment in the public interest." ACMICA organiser Minh Nguyen said.

"The effect is to permanently disengage the economy from society to make it a thing in itself, to be worshipped and made sacrifices to.

"The WTO promotes the evangelisation of an irrational and de-legitimate economic system that privileges accumulation over human needs; and favours the strong over the weak.

"This week, Sydney will host an informal meeting of the WTO in which the Australian government has invited only 25 of the 144 WTO members.

"While the WTO claims to make decisions by consensus, it is in fact dominated by the more powerful trading economies and influenced by large corporations which have the resources to lobby governments.

"Despite its rhetoric, informal meetings such as these are really designed to pressure developing countries to support an agenda that includes the backdoor privatisation of basic services like health, education and water.

"But more than an economic irrationality, the WTO's agenda is a moral outrage. As Christians we cannot idly stand by while these structures of injustices exist. We refuse to submit to a false idol that desecrates human dignity.

"We will not be deterred by the NSW police's provocative ban on marches during this time, and the fascist police powers permitted at the meeting venue under the Sydney Olympic Park Regulation.

"Together with the thousands of expected protesters, we will bring our message to the streets!"

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