BY CHRIS CHAPLIN
At its inaugural meeting on June 4, the O3 To CHOGM Alliance agreed to the following call to action, for distribution through all progressive, activist and community networks. The alliance meets weekly on Monday nights at 6.30pm in the Lesley Clucas Lounge at RMIT.
The O3 To CHOGM Alliance extends an open invitation to all interested organisations, unions, groups and individuals to attend the next meeting, on June 18, to have input into the alliance's planned actions.
Please discuss this call to action within your workplace, organisation or group and send your endorsement to <chrisjen@techinfo.com.au> or <sarahpeart@yahoo.com>.
Globalise solidarity! People before profit! Shutdown the CBF! Call to action issued by the O3 To CHOGM Alliance
We encourage any anti-corporate activists, trade unions, environment groups, campaign coalitions, political parties, community groups, student unions and all progressive organizations or individuals to endorse this call by adding their name.
1. The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) is a $2000-a-head gathering of the richest businesses in the Commonwealth and, like the World Economic Forum, is committed to promoting capitalist globalisation. It "works with the World Trade Organisation towards the removal of barriers to trade and fair access to markets and investments". The CBF is an arm of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is meeting in Brisbane on October 6.
2. The stated objective of this year's CBF is to relaunch a new round of trade negotiations at the Qatar summit of the World Trade Organisation in November. A new WTO round would be disastrous for workers, the poor and the environment everywhere, in particular in the Third World. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) will be a key part of any new trade agreement. GATS is about opening the "service sector" — including health, education and the environment — to deregulation and privatisation.
3. The failure of the US and others to launch a new round of trade negotiations at Seattle is the most significant concrete victory for the movement against capitalist globalisation. That is why we are calling for activists, unionists, students and environmentalists to unite to defend this victory by taking action against the CBF in Melbourne and at CHOGM in Brisbane.
4. We support the call from Jubilee 2000 for the unconditional cancellation of all Third World debt. CHOGM and the CBF are dominated by rich Western countries like Australia, Britain, Canada, all of which force poorer member states to meet millions of dollars in repayments every year.
5. We support the call of the prominent anti-capitalist campaigner, Walden Bello, to boycott the Qatar meeting of the WTO.
6. Privatisation, cuts to spending on health and education, union-bashing, deregulation, shifting the tax burden to the poor, is a key part of the Howard agenda in Australia. Beazley Labor also embraces the corporate agenda. Stopping the CBF is crucial to building opposition to capitalist policies in Australia as well as around the world.
7. We support the call by the O3 To CHOGM Alliance for a mass, non-violent blockade of the CBF with the aim of preventing the forum from going ahead. Blockading the forum will, like the successful disruption of the WEF at Crown Casino, send the clearest possible message that we do not accept the legitimacy of the corporate elite's agenda of globalising poverty and exploitation at the expense of the majority. We intend that this action of mass civil disobedience will strengthen the will, courage and determination of all those around the world who are struggling for global justice. The whole world will be watching.
8. This union/community group/organisation agrees with the above call to action and resolves to support the mass non-violent blockade and protest action at the CBF beginning on October 3 at the Hilton on the Park.
9. We demand: (1) Boycott the new WTO trade round; (2) Cancel Third World debt; (3) Stop GATS; (4) Stop the CBF!