TO the HSC Haiti  mission network

 

Friends,

I've just returned from Nicaragua and a meeting of the Reconciliation and Mission Program Commission, with representatives of partner churches and church organizations from Central America (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala) and Mexico. Churches and other agencies working with and on behalf of the poor of this hemisphere resoundingly oppose CAFTA  (Central America Free Trade Agreement) and the Free Trade of the Americas treaties as they are written.  The PCUSA 's 2003 General Assembly likewise opposed the treaties as they are written.

 

See the following websites for Educational/Action materials and worship materials:

www.e-alliance.ch/gwa_order.jsp  (ecumenical) and

www.pcusa.org/trade (PCUSA)

A national "call-in" day to Congressional letters was set for April 13, this Wednesday!

 

Rev. Luis Perez Alancoa, Pastor of the Indep. Presbyterian Church of Bolivia and President of the Bolivia Network for Joining Hands Against Hunger  had this to say:

 

"I had just awakened to all that is happening here in Bolivia: the debt, trade issues, indigenous rights. I felt like I had just opened my eyes in time to see a giant wave crashing down upon us. It was terrifying. And yet through this relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) I know we are not alone in trying to hold back the waters."

 

Friends, it's time to help hold back the waters!  "Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9.  I hope that you will respond to this call through educating yourselves and congregations about these issues and contacting your legislators.

 

In Christ,

Jo Ella

Rev. Jo Ella Holman

Ecumenical and Mission Partnerships

Worldwide Ministries Division, PC(USA)

>>> cgordon@... 4/8/2005 8:58:18 AM >>>
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Bush Administration Pushing for CAFTA Vote by May -
Congressional Hearings Scheduled for April 13th

(please see attached flier version or go to www.stopcafta.org for more
info)

*****************************************************

APRIL 13th IS CAFTA NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
Be part of the Global Week of Action on Trade and call your members
Congress to encourage them to vote against CAFTA

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)-which includes Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican
Republic-is the biggest free trade agreement Congress has considered in
more than 10 years. Unless we can turn this flawed approach to trade
around, agreements like CAFTA will put more workers out of a job,
jeopardize rural farmers, threaten the environment, reduce access to
life-saving medicines and stifle democracy.

The Bush Administration is sending a strong message that they are ready
to test whether they have enough votes in Congress to pass CAFTA. This
will be done through formal hearings in the House Ways and Means
Committee (April 21st) and the Senate Finance Committee (April 13th).
Because of "fast track", if either committee decides to send the trade
pact to the floor, then there will be a yes or no vote that must be done
within 15 days.

Take action to help stop CAFTA: call your Congress member in the House
of Representatives and Senate Finance Committee members.

- Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch
board at 1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)
- Need help figuring out who your House Representative is? Go to
www.house.gov and enter your zip code
- If you have a moment, please also call your Senator if he or she is on
the Senate Finance Committee see list below or at www.stopcafta.org
- Call-in script available below or at www.stopcafta.org
- For more Global Week of Action events visit www.april2005.org

A CROSS COALITION CALL
Visit our websites for more information on CAFTA

Alliance for Responsible Trade, Citizens Trade Campaign, Interfaith
Working Group on Trade and Investment, Jubilee USA Network, Mobilization
for Global Justice, Stop CAFTA Coalition, United Students for Fair
Trade, and
the US Gender and Trade Network

*******************************************************
PRESSURE THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON CAFTA!

Call toll-free number to the Capitol switch board
at 1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)

The Senate Finance Committee begins CAFTA hearings on April 13. Though
the campaign against CAFTA has thus far focused on the House of
Representatives, it is important to target Senators now as they begin
the process of presenting CAFTA legislation. If one of your Senators is
listed below, then call her or him and use the Call-in Day script to
demand a "No" vote on CAFTA. Let the committee know that we won't let
CAFTA go to the floor without a fight!

Republicans
CHARLES GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
TRENT LOTT, MS
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
CRAIG THOMAS, WY
RICK SANTORUM, PA
BILL FRIST, TN
GORDON SMITH, OR
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID

Democrats
MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV
KENT CONRAD, ND
JAMES M. JEFFORDS, VT
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM
JOHN F. KERRY, MA
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY

***************************************************************
SCRIPT FOR CONGRESSIONAL CALL-IN DAY ON CAFTA

April 13th, 2005 - Go to www.stopcafta.org for a Spanish version of this
script

Call the AFL-CIO sponsored toll-free number to the Capitol switch board
at
1-888-355-3588 (just available on April 13th)

When you call:
- Ask to speak to the trade staffer, chief of staff or legislative
director
- Tell them you are a constituent and want to know your Rep's position
on CAFTA (unless you already know)
- If the Rep is opposed to the agreement and will vote against it, thank
him/her. Ask him/her to make that opposition public, and for a letter
stating his/her position.
- If the Rep is undecided, say that you oppose CAFTA based on the
talking points below (you can offer to email these talking points) and
urge them to vote no.
- If the Rep is for CAFTA, urge them to reconsider. Inform the office
that you intend to spread the word that the Rep is voting against the
public interest.

SCRIPT/TALKING POINTS

Hello, my name is _______ and I live in _______. I'm calling to ask
Representative _______ to vote against the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA); I am deeply concerned about CAFTA and believe that
the agreement will have terrible consequences for Central America, the
Dominican Republic and our own country.
- If passed CAFTA will threaten the livelihoods of millions of small
farmers in Central America and the DR, while increasing domination by
agricultural monopolies and hurting U.S. family farmers
- It threatens to prevent access to affordable life saving medicines in
a region where half the population live in poverty.
- It will prohibit governments in the region from ensuring that foreign
investment serves national development goals, and has a provision like
NAFTA?s Chapter 11 that would allow foreign corporations to sue
governments that pass strong labor, public health or environmental laws.

- It does NOT include adequate enforcement for violations of
internationally recognized labor and environmental standards.
- It includes rules that promote privatization and deregulation of
services including education, health care, postal service, construction,
transportation and water supply. Such policies have proved particularly
devastating for families living in poverty.
- CAFTA will pave the way for more trade agreements such as the Andean
Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Area of the Americas which would
extend this flawed model to the whole Western Hemisphere.

After 10 years of NAFTA, we know firsthand the devastating effects of
this economic model. Expanding it in CAFTA ultimately threatens workers,
farmers, women, the environment, and democratic institutions in the U.S.
and the region. I strongly urge Representative_________ to stand up for
trade justice by voting NO to CAFTA in Congress and sending the message
to the Administration that U.S. trade policies must promote fair trade
and sustainable development policies designed to reduce poverty in the
U.S. and the region.

FURTHER BACKGROUND INFO

Hundreds of civil society groups representing labor, environmental
organizations, family farmers, consumers, Latin American solidarity, and
immigrants? rights organizations have already expressed their opposition
to CAFTA, and many Congressional Reps have taken this to heart. Though
CAFTA has been ratified in 3 Central American countries-despite huge
protests and police violence-this strong cross-border opposition to the
agreement has prevented the Bush Administration from submitting it to
Congress up until now. However, the clock is ticking and with the
beginning of Senate and House hearings on April 13, it is clear that
CAFTA supporters are pushing for a vote by Memorial Day. The vote on
CAFTA is effectively a referendum on NAFTA; if it is defeated, it will
be mark a huge step towards stopping other such free trade agreements
and open the way for an alternative trade model that truly addresses
issues of poverty and inequality. A coalition of progressive
organizations in the US is celebrating an April Week of on Trade by
focusing on CAFTA. For more information, www.stopcafta.org or
www.april2005.org

For more information, contact:
Catherine Gordon,
Presbyterian Washington Office,
100 Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002.
202-543-1126, fax 202-543-7755.
Email cgordon@...
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