The following call for a global strike against corporate tyranny has been issued by the Democratic Socialist Party. To endorse the call, and for more information, contact the DSP at (02) 9690 1230 or <dsp@dsp.org.au>.
The Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance call on the escalating movement against the corporate globalisation — the global people's movement that showed its mighty strength at Seattle, Washington, Melbourne and Prague — to support the proposal for a Global Strike Against Corporate Tyranny on May 1, 2001.
Neo-liberal capitalist globalisation is bringing unprecedented misery to 80% of the world's population just to enrich a tiny minority who are already obscenely wealthy. It is also worsening an already catastrophic global environment crisis.
But now global corporate greed is being challenged by a movement of global solidarity.
The global corporate rulers are already frightened and arguing among themselves about how to combat our growing people's movement. Some think that changing the name of those instruments of death and misery for millions, the International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programs, to "poverty reduction strategies" is going to fool us into leaving the streets. Others are trying to convince us that making the corporate barons even richer will mean that some gains will trickle down to the poorest. But we will not be put off.
Sentiment is growing around the world, after the series of mobilisations against the oppressive international financial institutions — from Seattle to Washington to Melbourne to Prague — for continuing coordinated global action. More and more people are seeing what the sources of the problems of the majority of the world's people are, and are willing to do something about it.
The downtrodden of the Third World have known the cause of their oppression for decades, as was recently demonstrated in Indonesia, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia. Today, more and more people in the First World, especially the youth, are expressing their solidarity with the majority of the world's oppressed.
We would like to see this international solidarity expressed not just in a series of actions as the World Bank, IMF, World Trade Organisation or World Economic Forum meet, but in cities around the world in a simultaneous demonstration of opposition to exploitation and injustice.
Let's go on the offensive on May 1, 2001, with a truly global action against global corporate tyranny. Let's walk out of our workplaces, campuses and schools, and converge on those temples of corporate greed, the stock exchanges. Let M1 unite the massive power of the victims of corporate tyranny in the First World and the Third World!
Abolish the IMF, World Bank and the WTO!
Cancel the Third World debt!
Globalise resistance!
Expropriate the corporate robbers!