BOSTON

A whole day of teach-ins on the WTO at Boston College, with participants from all over the U.S. And us: Guido Espana and Joy Marcotte introduce the PGA-caravan to the 400 participants. In the afternoon session Bill Fletcher of the AFL-CIO union is introduced to the audience as a radical - makes what turns out to be a pretty reformist statement on the WTO, speaking of the need for "critical support" of the WTO. Immediately afterwards, Sanjay Mangala Gopal, explains the clear rejection of the WTO by Peoples' Global Action. When he ends, he gets standing ovation.

A few days later the PGA-caravan receives an update of the endorsement of the AFL-CIO by Robert G. Pedersen, coordinator of the Fair Trade Campaign in Indianapolis. The caravan was to be given financial support by the AFL-CIO in Indianapolis, but has been asked to return the support. "I am saddened to say that this event no longer has the endorsement of the Indiana State AFL-CIO, per recently received direction from the National AFL-CIO. I apologize for any misunderstanding generated by my perception and explication of a common purpose in mobilizing against corporate-directed trade agreements. Thank-you for your continued support and worthwhile efforts." Oh dear. Perhaps the AFL-CIO isn't really interested in challenging the World Trade Organization after all.

The Third World and You is the working group in which we participated in the morning, sharing our different experiences in a world simultaneously globalized and divided at the same time. In the late afternoon Ruth Kaplan of the National Alliance of Democracy joins us at a talk entitled The Road to Seattle to present all the actions that are going to happen between now and N30.

In the meanwhile our Panamanian delegates, Taira and Ibe, attend a protest against a possible US intervention in Columbia. They demand the withdrawal, when the military contract expires the end of this month, of US-American soldiers from Panama to public military and weapon bases in their region, and to recognize the treaty of Panamanian neutrality.

In the evening, a public meeting takes place at the Community Church of Boston, at Copley Square, where the Lucy-Parsons-Center is hosting us. Each of us explains the consequences of the WTO-policy in his or her country, and visitors join giving examples why US citizens should oppose it.

While the others debate, a spontaneously founded "bus-crew" has been sweating all day. In order to change a boring yellow school-bus into an exciting blue caravan-bus de luxe what you have to do is this: install two beds, surround two tables with seats, and paint the hell out of the outside - "Seattle or bust" says the back of our blue beauty. Even the web-site of Peoples' Global Action is emblazoned on the side: www.agp.org.

 

CONTACT:
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