action:
reclaim globalisation
wto out of natural resources

info:
australia - us fta
world trade organisation
gats attack
women and globalisation
world bank and imf

network:
foe international trade environment and sustainability campaign

reclaim globalisation

Creating Community:

Discovering the local alternatives around us

Sunday November 19th, 11am-4pm
RMIT University
Casey Plaza (Bowen St off La Trobe St)
Melbourne CBD

Climate change, peak oil, environmental destruction, social injustice, corporate dominance ... there is much to feel fearful and despairing about. Against this backdrop is the crucial question - "What can I do?"

Another world is springing up in the cracks of the current system. In the spirit of relocalisation, people are building solidarity economies made up of local and diverse organic food co-operatives, community gardens, community-supported agriculture, LETS and local currencies, housing
cooperatives, grass-roots credit unions, DIY skillshare networks, self-help associations, alternative technology networks and so much more.

At this forum a wide range of community groups, cooperatives and networks will provide stalls, give short speeches between 1 – 2 pm and provide information about how you can nurture and participate in these alternatives. If you've ever wondered what you can do to grow alternatives to the corporate-led global economy, and to build community and enrich
your life in the process, this forum is for you.

You can also join in with the Melbourne Social Forum’s G20 Alternative event (which will occur in the same location at adjoining spaces) where there will be workshops and interactive dialogue sessions on addressing
debt, poverty and climate change.

--> Entry is free.
--> Creating Community stallholders will be active between 11 am – 4 pm
--> Yummy food will be available
--> Contact Martin on globalisation@foe.org.au or 0403 440 996 with any
questions about this event.
--> This event is brought to you by the Reclaim Globalisation collective
of Friends of the Earth, in conjunction with the Melbourne Social Forum’s
G20 Alternative forum.

www.melbourne.foe.org.au
www.melbournesocialforum.org
www.stopg20.org
www.makepovertyhistory.org.au

Many Worlds Against Empire: Friends of the Earth International and the 2005 World Social Forum

This year’s World Social Forum (WSF) was held in Porto Alegre, a city in Southern Brazil on the shores of Lagoa Dos Patos, a huge inland lake. As the location of the first three WSFs beginning in 2001, the Porto Alegre spirit was temporarily transferred to the Indian city of Mumbai in 2004 in an act of southern solidarity. In January 2005, the mega-convergence of movements and peoples returned with even greater momentum to South America. full story

Environmental laws lined up for removal by new trade talks

May 2005: Governments including Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United States [1] are planning to use new World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations to dismantle a wide range of national laws protecting the environment, social well-being and health, Friends of the Earth International revealed today.

A list compiled by the environmental group before trade negotiators meet in Geneva [2] shows that legislation covering food, fisheries, timber and petroleum production, energy efficiency, chemical testing, recycling and standards in the electronics and automobile industries have all been raised as potential “barriers to trade” in the past few months [3]. full story

Reclaim Globalisation Collective

Reclaim Globalisation campaigns to ensure that globalisation meets the needs of communities and the environment. Free trade, the world bank, and corporate crimes that harm communities and the environment all come into our sights.

FoE is not 'anti-globalisation'. We actively support a globalisation based on democratic and transparent decision-making, technology transfer and international development. We are opposed to corporate-defined globalisation, where the interests of multinational corporations are put before people, democratic practices and the environment.

In 2005 we will be working to challenge the push for free trade in the pacific. Secondly we will be challenging the harmful impacts of free trade on natural resources (like fish and forests) and the people who depend upon them.

We are a small campaign collective and we rely on the involvement of people like you to make a difference.

To get involved: email us or phone (03) 9419 8700