|
Report # 1
from Cancun
Brother David Andrews, CSC
Hello from
Cancun, NCRLC arrived today without any flight delays or
problems from the USA. We secured our visa from the Mexican
consulate in Omaha in a very unusual way, but got it at the last
minute with bated breath and some anxiety. Safe and sound and
legal, we are here ready to begin our WTO sojourn. I was
fortunate on Sunday to have been in DC at the Basilica of the
Immaculate Conception where NCRLC was given the George Higgins
Labor Award...wonderful motivation from coming to Mexico to work
for justice and fairness, especially for farmers and
agricultural workers. We, Bob Gronski and I (Brother Dave)
checked into our city hotel, outside the zone of the WTO, amidst
the ordinary people of Cancun...ready to get our documentation
tomorrow and to begin networking....a factor which has already
begun with our visiting John Dittrich of the American Corn
Growers, whom we agreed to assist in distributing a new study on
grain, from the University of Tennessee (Darryl Ray) and also
met four of the five delegates from the National Farmers
Union...from Colorado, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Looking
forward tomorrow to linking up with faith based collaborators, a
briefing with the WTO, and a briefing for NGOs. It is hot,
humid...but good for making things MOVE. Peace, love, talk
to you later.
Brother
Dave (with Bob not too far away)
Report
#2 from the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun
Brother David Andrews, CSC
There
was a perfect moon over the bay here in Cancun last night after
a busy day of meetings, finding our way, catching up with
friends from the various food, farm, faith networks. Bob Gronski
and I (Brother Dave) managed to catch up with Father Randy (Redemptorist
from Maine) and Quenton (excuse my lack of last names) an
African American farmer from Macon, Georgia. Both are here with
the Rural Coalition/Coalition Rural...an organization
that works for justice, especially
well represents minority farmers in the US and Mexico...Also we
had dinner with
Andrew Bartlett of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Rural
Coalition, the Presbyterian
Hunger Program, and NCRLC are all members of Agricultural
Missions...which is an ecumenical organization that provides
grants to small farmers around the world in community
development programs, they also arrange tours of third world
farmers in the developed world. We at NCRLC have assisted on
several occasions. Our conversation was an opportunity
to find out where "ad hoc" meetings are taking
place on food sovereignty, environmental issues, and the like
are taking place in Cancun. The Institute for Agriculture and
Trade Policy is having a fair trade fair here in Cancun and we
agreed to meet each other there for a reception this evening
(Wednesday, 10th) We also shared the numbers of the hotels where
we knew other activists were staying...so that we can all
connect regularly. The evening ended for us around 9 pm, when
Bob and I returned to our hotel in town. The day started with
our registration at the official NGO hotel to get our
credentials as accredited
by the WTO. That turned out to be a very smooth process with a
rather short line, much shorter than I expected. Unlike in
Seattle, we only received one entry card for the official
meetings, in Seattle we got one for each member of the
delegation.(Two then, two now). So, Bob and I will have to
decide who will go to what official meeting, we don't plan to
attend the ceremonial parts.
We both can get into the US briefings and the WTO
briefings. We did attend the briefing by the US government
representatives yesterday afternoon (Tuesday)...we were told
that trade cures poverty and environmental degradation.
That is an article of "faith" of the US
government...it also is one of the wonderful blessings of
liberty. These are not exact quotes, but pretty close. During
the day after meeting Father Jim Hug, SJ from the Center of
Concern, Kathleen McNeeley from the Maryknoll DC office, we
agreed to ask questions during this session with the US
government. Jim Hug got off three good questions, unfortunately,
it was late in the day and the presentation from the US
representative was not so compelling that with all the heat, I
fell asleep, Jim reached over and grasped my hand, awaking me,
asking, how can you
ask questions while sleeping ...reminded me of Jesus in the
Garden with his disciples. I think I'll have another chance.
But, given the attitude of the US, I was sorry to have missed
this opportunity. It is hot here in Cancun, so walking the
streets from hotel to hotel for various meetings is enervating.
But, the seriousness of these days is well appreciated.
So, Tuesday was a day of getting acclimated, finding our way
around, going to a few meetings, catching up with friends and
colleagues. Today, Wednesday, the level of security is much
higher...police, troops, security check points all along the
way. We had no trouble getting through though...and plan to
attend a full day of presentations from the NGO community on
food sovereignty, food security, agricultural trade. Hope to
catch up today with some friends from Maryknoll in Mexico, from
the National Family Farm Coalition, and from other farm
organizations. Will keep you posted. Don't forget to say a
prayer for fair and just trade.
Best
wishes, Brother Dave Andrews, CSC
WTO
NCRLC Update
September 10, 2003
8:10 a.m.
The first order of business on our first full day in Cancun was
to get WTO accreditation passes from the NGO hotel center. This
was surprisingly quick and simple, given that Br. Dave and I had
to scramble a few days before to meet the sudden visa
requirement for accredited NGOs. We accomplished that by the
skin of our teeth, thanks to Des Moines diocesan contacts with
the Mexican consulate in Omaha, Nebraska. But given the relative
ease of entering Mexico and passing through immigration, and now
the hassle free pickup of passes, we had to wonder if the $99
FM3 visa was really necessary. Was it bureaucracy or a way to
shake us up.
The next step was to walk to a nearby hotel that serves as the
official NGO communications center. Here NGO participants could
collect various materials, have a cup of coffee or cold water,
meet old and new friends, and of course get onto the world wide
web. Dozens of computer monitors were free for our use, so
perhaps the $99 visa was not so bad after all. The room was also
air conditioned, which refreshed us from the 90 degree, 90
percent humidity weather outside.
The NGO center also provided a number of rooms for sessions and
forums. Br. Dave and I attended one on biotechnology, moderated
by Vandana Shiva, with Andrew Kimbrell of the International
Center for Technology Assessment, Pat Mooney of the Canadian ETC
Group, and Caroline Lucas, a Green Member of the European
Parliament. They were calling for an international sign-on to an
amicus brief in response to the US administrationšs suit
against the European Union to lift its moratorium on genetically
modified food varieties. The suit was brought at the WTO level,
so it was only fitting that NGO groups organized at this Cancun
ministerial meeting to fight back. Their assessment and
conclusion are:
"Given the abundance of alternatives, the risks that GM
crops pose to the environment and human health, the existing
Biosafety Protocol, the scientific uncertainty, and the lack of
any socioeconomic advantages, we declare that this use of the
WTO dispute settlement system for imposing GM food on the world
is totally illegitimate. We also declare our support for the
right of all citizens to choose safe food, and the duty of
governments to protect the health of their people and their
environments by refusing GM food."
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference will sign onto this
amicus brief, and will post directions for others to sign on,
when we return to Des Moines next week.
The other highlight of this first day at the Cancun meetings,
Br. Dave and I attended the first briefing of the office of the
US Trade Representative (USTR). These are being set up for the
benefit of American NGOs, providing both highlights of Mr.
Zoellick,s meetings and announcements and allowing questions
from the audience. Mr. Zoellick apparently has been busy since
Sunday and meeting late into the evening with various country
representatives. It was also announced that President Bush has
been busy calling national leaders on the telephone,
particularly Brazil, India, Pakistan and South Africa. Some NGOs
believed this might have been an arm twisting tactic, but the
USTR spokesman said the President was simply staying engaged in
a process that had much to offer to the developing world. The
process, of course, was to create "a world that trades in
freedom."
Sitting next to Br. Dave was Fr. Jim Hug, SJ, of the Center of
Concern who challenged the spokesman with a question about
"social impact analysis". More open trade might raise
foreign earnings, but are we looking at social impacts as well
as economic ones. In other words, are the poor actually
benefiting from the great promises of lower trade barriers. The
USTR answer, as you might expect, was all assurances that indeed
the US is concerned about fair and equitable benefits. As to
whether or not social impact assessments are taking place, I
cannot say if that was answered or not.
The evening ended with a dinner with old and new friends. Br.
Dave and I caught up with Andrew Kang Bartlett of the
Presbyterian Hunger Program. He introduced us to two members of
the Rural Coalition, who told us they were trying to get tickets
to the opening WTO ceremonies on Wednesday morning. Only 200
tickets were available for accredited NGOs. Some NGOs wanted to
be there in order to hold a silent protest, which meant taping
their mouths shut and standing silently during the fine
government speeches. The word on the street, however, is that
security would be tight and such protests, even a simple one
like this, would be stopped one way or another.
But that would be tomorrow. For tonight, we sat in harmony
around our dinner table and shared a moment of relaxed
conviviality. Br. Dave offered a blessing on our meal, and asked
for guidance in staying focused over the next few days. We all
said amen to that, even as outside we knew that the tightening
security presence was growing as truck loads of military
personnel filled the streets along with the buses of delegates
and NGO participants. Metal fences and gates were being set up,
and check points would likely slow us down tomorrow. But the
full moon was rising over the Cancun lagoon, so we enjoyed this
pleasant moment and ended the day in peace.
Robert Gronski
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
|
