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Green Party Press Conference at FTAA Summit, Nov 19. |
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Monday, November 17, 2003 Greens join protests against the FTAA summit, November 17-21 in Miami; Green Party organizers invite reporters to 'embed' themselves among protesters. PRESS CONFERENCE WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Leaders of the Green Party of the United States and other antiglobalization activists will hold a press conference during the meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) on Wednesday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. in the Market Room, at the Radisson Hotel Miami, 1601 Biscayne Boulevard. Greens from across the U.S. will gather in Miami for a week of protests against the FTAA summit, from Monday, November 17 through Friday, November 21. Green Party members are encouraging reporters to 'embed' themselves among protesters, noting that reporters were recently asked to embed themselves among Miami police officers facing the protesters. The press conference will feature Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange; Marta Benavides from El Salvador; Dan McCrea, Commisioner of South Miami; Green Party co-chair Ben Manski; Green International Committee co-chair Annie Goeke; other Florida and Miami-Dade, national, international Green leaders. At the press conference, Green leaders will announce an international Green Party campaign in the Americas to promote fair trade and to dismantle the corporate-sponsored "free trade" area. Global Greens will conduct a workshop on the Global Greens Charter and International Politics, which will also take place on November 19, at 3 pm in the Doubletree Key Biscayne Room (across the street from the Radisson). Greens have strongly criticized international trade authorities like the FTAA, accusing them of imposing policies that boost corporate profits and power while creating poverty, interfering with democratic sovereignty, and gutting environmental, labor, and human rights protections. The Green Party and Green candidates have made opposition to antidemocratic trade authorities a centerpiece of their national platform. Greens have challenged U.S. officials and trade ministers from around the Americas to adopt trade policies that reduce poverty, create living wage jobs, and secure workers' and family farmers's rights, food security, and environmental and public interest protections. The Green Party of the United States has signed on to the 'FTAA Call to Action' published by Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch and endorsed by dozens of organizations concerned about trade agreements. MORE INFORMATION search:
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