[fse-esf] Events of the Seattle to Brussels Network at the 4th ESF

Tue May 2 22:02:18 CEST 2006

Dear fellow ESF'ers,

please find below the activities of the Seattle to Brussels network at the 
4th ESF. 

Hope to see you all in Athens!! 

On behalf of the Seattle to Brussels network,

-------

Charly Poppe

Junior Trade Campaigner
Friends of the Earth Europe
Rue Blanche, 15
B-1050 Brussels
Belgium
skype: charlypoppe
Number (Greece): +30 69 46 68 81 63
web: www.foeeurope.org - www.s2bnetwork.org

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The Seattle to Brussels Network 
at the 4th European Social Forum, 

Athens 4-6 May 2006

http://athens.fse-esf.org 

The Seattle to Brussels (S2B) Network is a pan-European network campaigning 
to promote a sustainable, socially and democratically accountable system of 
trade. Our network includes development, environment, human rights, women's 
and farmers organisations, trade unions, social movements as well as 
research institutes. The S2B network was formed in the aftermath of the 
WTO's 1999 Seattle Ministerial to challenge the corporate-driven agenda of 
the European Union and other European governments for continued global trade 
and investment liberalisation. It has also developed as a response to the 
increasing need for European coordination among NGOs and in solidarity with 
Southern civil society groups. 

Active groups in the Network are all supporters of the 'Our World Is Not For 
Sale: WTO Shrink or Sink' Statement ( http://www.ourworldisnotforsale.org ). 
In this statement groups demand to roll back the power and authority of the 
WTO and to develop a sustainable, socially and democratically accountable 
trade system. 

SEMINARS 

“Free Trade": A recipe for mass unemployment and the degradation of 
worker's rights 

Outline: 
When the world's trade ministers put their signatures to the founding 
document of the WTO in April 1994 in Marrakesh, their very first sentence 
establishing the WTO committed them to raising standards of living, ensuring 
full employment and a large and steadily growing volume of real income. 
Has the Marrakesh miracle materialized?  No.  After ten years under the WTO, 
unemployment has climbed around the world. The quality of existing 
employment has often fallen, with an increase in dirty, dangerous and 
degrading work. Much of that employment is precarious. In fact, many more 
people are being driven into the informal, unprotected and unregulated 
economy from both the formal economy and from the devastated livelihoods of 
peasant and family farming. In transnational corporations (TNCs) many 
employees increasingly find themselves in a casualised, precarious 
relationship with the companies they produce for but no longer work for, as 
many TNCs attempt to distance themselves from responsibility for labour 
relations based on direct employment by, for example, outsourcing. Many 
people around the world - workers, women, rural producers - and even entire 
countries have been forced to give up hope in employment as a means to 
development and empowerment. 

This seminar aims at discussing common strategies for civil society, migrant 
workers' organisations and trade unions to counter the degradation of work 
by free trade agreements. 

The panel will include speakers from migrant workers' organisations, social 
movements and trade unions. 

Thematic area: 
Economic policies in Europe 

Organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network, CGIL, Attac France, Espace Marx 

Speakers: 
Alessandro Pelizzari, Attac Switzerland (moderator) 
Alexandra Strickner, IATP (moderator) 
Andrea Baranes, Tradewatch Italy 
Rafael Alegria, Via Campesina Central America 
Raoul Marc Jennar, URFIG 
Antoine Math, IRES 
Iara Pietricovsky, REBRIP Brazil 

Time: 
Friday 5 th May, 18:00h-21:00h (slot 3) 

Room: 
E 105 (100-350 people) 

Languages: 
Greek, English, French, Spanish, Italian 

--------- 

The EU's aggressive liberalisation agenda: Bolkestein, GATS and the 
privatisation of public services 

Outline: 
The aim of this seminar is to give an update on the state of play of the WTO 
GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) negotiations, to shortly 
illustrate the implication of this ultraliberal project on peoples’ 
livelihoods (particularly on women), employment, quality of jobs and on the 
environment. We also want to examine who are the real actors behind the 
negotiations and who is actually gaining from such an agreement. However, 
the most important part of the seminar will be to highlight the diverse and 
manifold resistance against GATS and to mobilise the audience to get 
engaged. 

Thematic area: 
Social rights / public services pool 

Conveners: 
Seattle to Brussels Network 
Belgian Social Forum 

Organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network, Belgian Social Forum, 11.11.11, Women In 
Development Europe, World Development Movement, Comitato Stop Bolkestein - 
Italy, INESC Brazil, FSU, ADEDY-Supreme administration of Greek civil 
servants trade union, European public services confederation, European Attac 
network (Attac France, Attac Italy, Attac Germany, Attac 
Wallonie-Bruxelles…), Confederation of Trade Unions of public sector 
workers in Turkey, Confédération des syndicats chrétiens (Belgium), Union 
Nationale des Mutualités Socialistes (Belgium), Mouvement Ouvrier Chrétien 
(Belgium), FGTB-ABVV (Belgium), Protect the future/Vedegylet (Hungary), 
Verdi (Germany), Union Syndicale Solidaires (France), Fédération des 
collectifs pour la défense et la promotion des services publics ( France), 
Leicester social forum, IPAM-AITEC, Rosa Luxembourg Foundation, CGT 
(France), Convention européenne des autorités locales pour la promotion 
des services publics (Liège 2005-Genève 2006) 

Speakers: 
Tamsyn East, World Development Movement (moderator)
Marc Maes, 11.11.11
Barbara Specht, WIDE 
Alexandra Strickner, IATP
Frédéric Viale, Attac France
Jean François Ramquet, FGTB-ABVV 
Annick De Ruyver, ACV-CSC 
Marco Bersani, Comitato ‘StopBolkestein’- Attac Italy 
Iara Pietricovsky, INESC Brazil 
Daniel Rallet, FSU 

Time: 
Thursday 4th May, 18:00h-21:00h (slot 3) 

Room: 
E 203 (100-350 people) 

Languages: 
Greek, Hungarian, English, Spanish, French 

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WTO against food sovereignty: alternatives in Western/Eastern Europe and in 
the Mediterranean 

Outline: 
This seminar will look at the incapacity of the current EU agriculture and 
trade policy and the WTO to address food sovereignty and sustainable rural 
development in Europe and in developing countries. Participants will then 
discuss alternative policies in the field of trade & agriculture which are 
in the interest of people and not the agri-business, with a view on how to 
get there. It will also tackle the question of how, in this context, 
solidarity between farmers/social movements from Western/Eastern Europe and 
from Northern/Southern Mediterranean can be developed. Concrete campaigning 
activities at the European and national levels will be highlighted at the 
end of the seminar. 

Thematic area: 
Agriculture 

Organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network, Initiatives pour un Autre Monde, Centro de 
Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura International 

Speakers: 
Gérard Choplin, CPE (moderator) 
Alexandra Strickner, IATP 
René Louail, CPE 
Avram Fitiu, IPAM 
Vicent Garces, CERAI 

Time: 
Friday 5th May, 10:00h-13:00h (slot 1) 

Room: 
E 205 (100-350 people) 

Languages: 
Greek, English, French, Spanish, Italian 

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WTO Through the Backdoor. Why are the EU’s Regional Trade Agreements a 
Growing Threat? 

Outline: 
This seminar will look at how the EU is pushing its corporate trade agenda 
through regional and bilateral trade negotiations that it is conducting 
outside the World Trade Organisation with Mediterranean, Central American, 
Andean, Caribbean, African and Pacific countries. It will focus on market 
liberalisation for goods and services; investment and competition, and 
intellectual property rights; and try to foster common analysis and 
strategies. 

Thematic area: 
Europe in liberal globalisation 

Conveners/organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network, WIDE, Campagna Riforma della Banca Mondiale, 
Transnational Institute, 11.11.11, WEED

Speakers: 
Marc Maes, 11.11.11 (moderator) 
Peter Custers, XminY Solidariteitsfonds 
Klaus Schilder, WEED 
Barbara Specht, WIDE
Antonio Tricarico, CRBM 
Iara Pietricovsky, INESC Brazil 
Tetteh Hormeku, TWN Africa

Time: 
Thursday 4 th May, 18:00h-21:00h (slot 3) 

Room: 
E 102 (100-350 people) 

Languages: 
Greek, English, French, Spanish, Italian 

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WORKSHOPS 

EPAS: The WTO through the backdoor for Africa, the Caribbean and the 
Pacific. Why and how to stop these regional trade agreements between EU and 
ACP-countries? 

Outline: 
This workshop will look at the nature of the ‘Economic Partnership 
Agreements’ (EPAs) that are currently under negotiation between the 
European Union and the regions of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) 
Group of states. It will expose the threat these agreements could pose to 
democracy and development in developing countries. It will assess the state 
of the play of these negotiations and discuss how to strengthen campaigns to 
stop them from resulting in naked free trade agreements. 

Thematic area: 
Europe in liberal globalisation 

Conveners/organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B network), StopEPA campaign, WEED, 11.11.11, 
XminusY 

Speakers: 
Marc Maes, 11.11.11 (moderator) 
Peter Custers, XminY Solidariteitsfonds 
Klaus Schilder, World Economy, Ecology & Development (WEED) 
Tetteh Horrmeku, Third World Network Ghana (TWN) 

Time: 
Friday 5th May, 18:00h-21:00h (slot 3) 

Room: 
F 06 (up to 80 people) 

Language: 
English 

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Not in my NAMA! What is the EU’s Responsibility in the WTO 
Non-Agricultural Market Access Negotiations? 

Outline: 
This workshop will look at the ‘Non-Agricultural Market Access’ (NAMA) 
negotiations at the WTO and at the state of play after the Hong Kong 
Ministerial (December 2005) with a focus on the current position of the 
European Union in these negotiations. Participants will know more about the 
impact of the NAMA negotiations on livelihoods, jobs and the environment. 
The objective of the workshop will be to share experience, to advance 
alternative policy proposals and to engage the participants in campaigning 
and advocacy activities towards their government or European 
representatives. 

Thematic area: 
Europe in liberal globalisation 

Organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network 

Moderator: 
Charly Poppe, Friends of the Earth Europe 

Speakers: 
Charly Poppe/Ronnie Hall, Friends of the Earth International 
Andrea Baranes, Campagna Riforma della Banca Mondiale 
Mary Lou Malig, Focus on the Global South 
Iara Pietricovsky, REBRIP 

Time: 
Thursday 4 th May, 14:00h-17:00h (slot 2) 

Room: 
(up to 80 people) 

Language: 
English 

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CAMPAIGN ASSEMBLY 

After the Hong Kong Summit - Stop the EU’s Corporate Trade Agenda! 
Actions, strategies: A Campaign Assembly 

Outline: 
This campaign assembly will start by looking briefly at the outcome of the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Conference (WTO, Dec. 2005) and the current position 
of the European Union (EU). It will also look at the existing civil society 
campaigns aimed at challenging the EU’s corporate trade agenda, on the 
ways to strengthen these campaigns and on past, present and future 
strategies to achieve this goal. The overall objective of the campaign 
assembly is to share experience on these strategies, to strengthen the 
co-operation among active organisations, networks and movements working on 
trade and global justice, as well as to mobilise the participants in 
campaigning activities at European and national levels. 

Thematic area: 
Europe in liberal globalisation 

Conveners/organisers: 
Seattle to Brussels Network, Attac France 

Speakers: 
Charly Poppe, Friends of the Earth Europe (moderator) 
Susan George, Attac France 
Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South 
Barbara Specht, WIDE 
Marc Maes, 11.11.11 
Alexandra Strickner, IATP 
Gérard Choplin, CPE 
Tamsyn East, WDM 

Time: 
Saturday 6 th May, 10:00h-13:00h 

Room: 
E 205 (100-350 people) 

Languages: 
Greek, English, French, Spanish, Italian 

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Timetable of S2B activities 
at the 4th European Social Forum, Athens 

4-6 May 2006 

Slot Room Activity Coordinator 
Thursday 4th 
10:00-13:00 / / / 
Thursday 4th 
14:00-17:00 S 106 Not in my NAMA! What is the EU’s Responsibility in the 
WTO Non-Agricultural Market Access Negotiations?Charly Poppe, FoEE 
charly.poppe at foeeurope.org 
Thursday 4th 
17:00-20:00 E 203 The EU's aggressive liberalisation agenda: Bolkestein, 
GATS and the
privatisation of public services Barbara Specht, WIDE 
barbara at wide-network.org 
E 102 WTO Through the Backdoor. Why are the EU’s Regional Trade Agreements 
a Growing Threat?Marc Maes, 11.11.11 
marc.maes at 11.be 
Friday 5 th 
10:00-13:00 E 205 WTO against food sovereignty: alternatives in 
Western/Eastern Europe and in the Mediterranean Gérard Choplin, CPE 
cpe at cpefarmers.org
Friday 5 th 
14:00-17:00 / / / 
Friday 5 th 
17:00-20:00 E 105 “Free Trade": A recipe for mass unemployment and the 
degradation of worker's rightsAlessandro Pelizzari, Attac Switzerland 
alessandro at attac.org 
F 06 EPAS: the WTO through the backdoor for Africa, the Caribbean and the 
Pacific. Why and how to stop these regional trade agreements between EU and 
ACP-countries?Marc Maes, 11.11.11 
marc.maes at 11.be 
Saturday 6 th 
10:00-13:00 E 205 After the Hong Kong Summit - Stop the EU’s Corporate 
Trade Agenda! Actions, strategies: A Campaign Assembly Charly Poppe, FoEE 
charly.poppe at foeeurope.org 

Internal meeting of S2B & OWINFS campaigners 

Thursday 4th May, 12:00h-13:30h 

RDV at the reception desk of the ESF 

S2B campaigners 
at the 4th European Social Forum, Athens 

Belgium 

Charly Poppe 
Friends of the Earth Europe 
Mobile (Greece): +30 69 46 68 81 63 
E-mail: charly.poppe at foeeurope.org 
Skype: charlypoppe 

Barbara Specht 
Women In Development Europe 
Mobile: +32.479 55 94 15 
E-mail: barbara at wide-network.org 

Marc Maes 
11.11.11 
Mobile: +32.497 600 442 
E-mail: marc.maes at 11.be 

Gérard Choplin 
Coordination Paysanne Européenne 
Mobile: +30.697 9089 979 
E-mail: cpe at cpefarmers.org 

Francisco Padilla 
CNCD-11.11.11 
Mobile: +32 .478 283317 
E-mail: francisco.padilla at perso.be 

Finland 

Thomas Wallgren 
Coalition for Comprehensive Democracy - Vasudhaiva kutumbakam 
E-mail: Thomas.Wallgren at helsinki.fi 

France 

Frédéric Viale 
Attac-France 
E-mail: frederic.viale at free.fr 

Germany 

Klaus Schilder 
WEED 
Mobile: +49.177 4341642 
E-mail: klaus.schilder at weed-online.org 

Italy 

Andrea Baranes 
Campagna Riforma Banca Mondiale 
Mobile: +39.3396312613 
E-mail: abaranes at crbm.org 

Netherlands 

Owen Espley 
Corporate Europe Observatory & ALTER-EU 
Mobile: +31.647576743 (sms only) 
E-mail: owen at corporateeurope.org   

Norway 

Asbjørn Wahl 
Campaign for the Welfare State - For velferdsstaten 
Mobile: +4791611312 
E-mail: asbjorn.wahl at velferdsstaten.no 

Switzerland 

Alessandro Pelizzari 
Attac Switzerland 
Mobile: +41.78 600 70 93 
E-mail: alessandro at attac.org 

Alexandra Strickner 
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy 
Mobile: +41.79 76 48568 
E-mail: astrickner at iatp.org 

UK 

Tamsyn East & Sharon Sukhram 
World Development Movement 
Mobile: +44.(0)7980746118 
E-mail: tamsyn at wdm.org.uk - sharon at wdm.org.uk 
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