Civil Society “Mic Check” outside Heads of Delegation Meeting at WTO 9th Ministerial in Bali

6 December, 2013

MEDIA RELEASE for:                                                       Contact: Deborah James +62 822 3660 5224,

December 6, 2013                                                                                                  djames(at)cepr(dot)net

 

Today, a group of civil society from the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network and allies, present in Bali for the 9th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), raised their voices using the human amplification tactic of “Mic Check!” Activists included representatives from the Right to Food movement (India), the Norwegian Trade Campaign, Solidarite (France), Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI, Uganda), AFRODAD (Zimbabwe), EquityBD (Bangladesh), IBON International (Philippines), Bharat Krishak Samaj (India), and LDC Watch (Nepal), among others.

 Civil society got their messages across to WTO delegates as they entered a meeting of the heads of delegation of all WTO members called by the Chair of the Ministerial Conference to determine whether a negotiation in Bali will be possible.

 Civil society representatives held hand-made signs that said “No Weak Peace Clause,” “Remove WTO Obstacles to Food Security,” Food Security NOW!”, “No Bad Deal on Trade Facilitation”; “LDC package now!”; “No Chair’s Text, No DG Text,” “No ITA,” “No TISA,” and “No Deal is Better than a Bad Deal.” Large banners proclaimed the vision of the Right to Food movement of India in favor of a strong G33 proposal and against a weak Peace Clause, and the Turnaround: Food, Jobs, and Development! Statement of Our World is Not for Sale network. A full list of the chants is included below.

Video can be found at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljkjwpaihjbl7l7/IMG_4887.MOV and here: http://youtu.be/VMWk9rKY9fE. And also here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuOsJMf7r6c&noredirect=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCC1mNMYjLM&noredirect=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8nNiCwMdBA&noredirect=1

Photos:

http://t.co/Rf2RcKvhl8

http://t.co/g9sfRYiz3y

http://t.co/ESR2fqhW4Q

http://t.co/lo7rc6HFeD

Over 80 civil society experts – trade unionists, farmers, development advocates, and consumer activists – from 31 countries have traveled to Bali for the 9th Ministerial meeting of the WTO, working through the global OWINFS network and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Civil society delegates are participating in OWINFS activities from: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Surinam, Switzerland, Tanzania, the United States, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.

Here is the full list of chants:

Mic Check Friday December 6, 2013

We are here

From global civil society

Our world is not for sale network

We are 80 different representatives

From 31 different countries

Development advocates

Farmers and workers

Public interest organizations

Economic justice organizations

United here in Bali

To oppose corporate globalization

We want trade for development

Food Jobs and Sustainable Development

No More WTO Expansion! 

 

First we acknowledge

The passing of a great leader

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Amandla

Awethu

Amandla

Awethu

Great fighter for justice

Great fighter for equality

Fighter for the poor

Fighter for the people

Your vision guides us

Vision for fairness

Vision for economic justice

Vision for inclusiveness

 

 

Issues of Economic Justice

Are at the forefront today

A Chair’s text

Is not inclusive

Is not justice

Is not fairness

No Chair’s text

No Chair’s text

No DG text

No DG text

 

The U.S. has blocked

Food Security

The U.S. has blocked

Food Security

WTO members:

Remove WTO obstacles

Food Security Now!

Permanent Solution!

Reza

We demand

Food Security Now! 

Food Security Now!

No "Weak" Peace Clause (emphasize Weak)

Food Security Now!

We must change the Rules! (emphasize "must") 

We must change the Rules! (emphasize "must") 

We support

G33 proposal! 

We demand

WTO members

Reduce WTO obstacles

To Food Security

Food Security Now! 

Food Security Now! 

No Weak Peace Clause! 

Food Security Now! 

No Weak Peace Clause! 

Remove Obstacles 

To Food Security!

Remove WTO Obstacles

To Food Security! 

No Weak Peace Clause! 

 

Prerna

We stand united

With the Least Developed Countries

And Demand an LDC package

But the rich countries

Held the LDC package hostage

To get more market access

On Trade Facilitation

From developing countries. 

We demand

An early harvest

Of a strong LDC Package

LDC package now! 

LDC Package now! 

LDC package now! 

 

Melinda

Future work program

Should be Food Security

No New Issues

No New Issues

No more liberalization

No ITA

No ITA
No TISA

No TISA

No more liberalization

No New Issues

No New Issues

No more liberalization

Instead

WTO Turnaround

Food Security

 

No Deal is Better than a Bad Deal!

No Deal is Better than a Bad Deal! 

LDC Package NOW!

No to Trade Facilitation! 

Peace Clause, Rest in Peace! 

No to a weak Peace Clause! 

Food Security Now! 

Food Security Now! 

LDC Package Now! 

Food Security Now! 

 

We are here

From global civil society

Our world is not for sale network

From 31 different countries

Development advocates

Farmers and workers

Public interest organizations

Economic justice groups

United here in Bali

To oppose corporate globalization

We want trade for development

Food and Jobs 

and Sustainable Development

No More WTO Expansion! 

LDC Package! 

Food Security Now! 

OWINFS is a global network of NGOs and social movements working for a sustainable, socially just, and democratic multilateral trading system. www.ourworldisnotforsale.net.

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