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