Our World is NOT for Sale!

Major organizing efforts for Global/Local Days of Action!

> Seattle, WA:  THE PEOPLE'S SUMMIT Nov 27-29 WTO+10: Global Justice Forward!  On Nov 30th the World Trade Organization (WTO) will host a "restart" meeting in Geneva – 10 years to the day from when we shut down the WTO!  On Dec 7th, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change opens in Copenhagen.  These are uncertain times and much is at stake: Join us to reclaim and amplify our voices with the vision we have for a healthy planet and people.  Let's harness the spirit of the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle with a renewed commitment to move global justice forward!  Friday Nov 27 through Sunday Nov 29: three days of plenaries, workshops and a cross-sector strategy session, held at Seattle University, New Hope Baptist Church & Town Hall. 

All events FREE or by donation; no registration required. Volunteers needed! Learn More... www.seattleplus10.org  Or call 206.405.4600

>In Portland, OR:D5 Mobilization Against the 2009 WTO Ministerial - March, Indoor Rally and Concert

It is time to reclaim the “Spirit of Seattle,” come together as affected communities and take control over the policy decisions that affect our economic and ecological well-being.  As part of this resistance, a broad coalition of labor, environmental, faith, human rights and community activists are organizing a large-scale march and rally in Portland for Saturday, December 5, 2009.  To date, 64 organizations have formally endorsed the December 5th march and rally against the World Trade Organization in Portland.  

Downtown Portland
Saturday, December 5, 2009 

Check out www.december5.org!

On D5, people will come together to demand:

• An end to the undemocratic, “free trade” model. We’ll let elected officials know we’ve had enough of trade agreements that lead to a collective race to the bottom for workers in the United States and across the world; that worsen global poverty; push small farmers off their land; force migration; increase carbon emissions; destroy the environment; deregulate banks; weaken consumer safety; and disappear the middle class.

• The prioritization of human needs over corporate greed. From global trade to global warming, financial services to health care, “free market” corporate rule has been a disaster for most of the world’s people.  Rich corporations have had their say.  We’ll work together to take control of the decisions that affect our lives and the planet.

> MOBILIZATION FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE:  This is a North America-based network of organizations and activists who have joined together to build a North American climate justice movement that emphasizes non-violent direct action and public education to mobilize for effective and just solutions to the climate crisis.

Mobilization for Climate Justice and BeyondTalk.net are beginning to firm up a series of regional actions on Nov 30 for Climate Justice on the week before Copenhagen climate talks and to confront the WTO and the economic system behind both the economic and climate crisis. We hope folks will support and participate in in this day of action and push link climate justice and economic justice movements and actions.

ACTION: A Global Day of Action for Climate Justice on the ten year anniversary of Seattle WTO shutdown, Nov 30, 2009. Yesterday African delegates walked out  of pre-Copenhagen trade talks demanding the US and rich countries commit themselves to deeper and faster greenhouse gas emission cuts and European activists blockaded the talks. The key fight over the future of the planet is taking place right now around climate; corporate market solutions are the new WTO and the US and the rich countries are undermining any efforts at climate solutions to avert even more catastrophic impacts. What could shift things right now is people in the US (doing what we did ten years ago) showing mass resistance to the US government and corporate capitalism's obstruction and false solutions. Please join one of the regional actions being planned in SF and around the US (details here soon) and sign up to take or support direct action and get your folks together now!

BOOK: "The Battle of the Story of the Battle of Seattle" - AK Press asked me [David Solnit] to make a book reflecting on the Seattle WTO shutdown from an organizers view. With my sister Rebecca Solnit, Kate and the AK Press collective workers, designer Jason Justice and contributions from fellow organizers we did it just in time for the ten year anniversary.

Also, read "Climate Disobedience:  Is a New "Seattle" in the Making," by Mark Engler.

> OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE: The “Our World is not for Sale” (OWINFS) network is a loose grouping of organizations, activists and social movements worldwide (in 70 countries) fighting the current model of corporate globalization embodied in global trading system. OWINFS is committed to a sustainable, socially just, democratic and accountable multilateral trading system , and continues their ongoing inside strategy to derail Doha from moving forward at the Geneva meeting.  They are also planning an outside mobilization in Geneva, focused on countries in Europe near Switzerland, which includes working to mobilize people who plan to be in Copenhagen to come to Geneva early (and vice versa).  They are also working towards an international day of action (or days of action) with demonstrations in 30 – 50 capital cities leading up to November 30^th, sending trade negotiators to Geneva with the message that people back home oppose it.  Some countries will also do actions throughout the ministerial. 

> GLOBAL JUSTICE FOR ANIMALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT is discussing a national day of action on or near November 30^th to draw attention to the Canadian government’s threat to issue a WTO challenge against seal fur bans.  They are discussing targeting Canadian consulates in the U.S. with actions referencing the Vancouver Olympics.

"Our World is NOT for Sale!"  This is the international “sign-on” to the Statement of Political Unity, which was prepared after the 1999 Seattle protests, laying out transformational demands aimed at the WTO.  It seems particularly appropriate, this year, as a rallying cry for solidarity as major world-wide efforts and local grassroots demonstrations are organized to mark the tenth anniversary of the historic Battle in Seattle, draw attention to the seventh session of the WTO Ministerial in Geneva, and focus on the national/global economic crisis by promoting a People's healthy Planet agenda for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

This site is intended as a place to reflect the broad scope of actions proclaiming that our world, our environment, our communities, our health and well-being, and our children's future are NOT for sale to the power of money!

Seattle '99 brought tens of thousands of people to the streets to challenge the legitimacy of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the use by global corporations of multilateral trade agreements to change the rules of global trade and investment to support consolidation of their power beyond the reach of public accountability. 

Organizers envision Nov 27 - Dec 5 as a week of peaceful street demonstrations, teach-ins, and seminars as the culmination of popular educational efforts during the buildup to enhance public understanding of the need and potential for effective action on a host of current critical social and environmental issues. The focus of Seattle '99 was on wresting control of the rule-making agenda from the WTO. In 2009, there is a parallel imperative to wrest control of the rule-making agenda from Wall Street financiers and their global counterparts and advance political action on a broad range of issues.

WiserEarth provides a natural hub to link dozens - or hundreds! - of events and create a sense of national/global solidarity. Use it as a tool to self-organize and to share ideas for framing common themes and slogans for the Days of Action (independence from Wall Street, economic and environmental justice, fair trade, climate change, renewable energy, health care, social security, etc.).