NEWS: 20/10/02

THE WTO IS COMING TO SYDNEY! GET READY! GET ORGANISED!

Progressive forces from around Australia are mobilising against the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s informal ministerial meeting to be held in Sydney, November 14-15.

Victory even before it started
Alternative-globalisation forces are celebrating its first victory as Federal Trade Minister Mark Vaile considers a change of venue.

The mere prospect of mass actions has persuaded the Federal Government to consider moving the venue from the five-star Sir Stamford Hotel in Double Bay in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, to another area in Sydney.

Local Chamber of Commerce President, Danny Doff summarises the fear: “I think it’s absolute madness that you hold an event like this in Double Bay. … I can’t see a better spot to provoke anti-global capitalism, anti-capitalism than in Double Bay with the rows of Armani and Gucci stores and Harry Who and you just have a look around. They’re all these boutique stores that just convey capitalism.” [!]

ACMICA to organise ecumenical affinity group
We will be among numerous people from various Christian lay movements participating in actions against the economic fundamentalist agenda of the WTO over the 2 -3 days in November. We want as many Christians and other interested people to join us and have organised a planning day in Newtown for October 26.

At the planning day we will:

• Analyse the ideology and agenda of the WTO
  
• Engage in bible reflection to ground our protest in the gospel
  
• Learn about non-violence, peaceful, creative protest
  
• Make banners, props etc. to carry our message and provide a unifying voice

You do not have to be a “hard-core” activist to get involved. We have no pre-defined action plan. We will be doing what people or different groups of people at the planning day feel they are able to do as a protest against the WTO. By meeting beforehand, we become a community of people acting together, rather than random participants.