PHM is honored to join the Washington Fair Trade Coalition and many more movements and organizations who advocate for trade justice in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the protests of the 1999 WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle.
We will gather for a day-long event of rally, teach-ins, and speeches to honor activists from the 1999 protests and to reignite the movement for 20 more years of organizing.
Join us!
RSVP
Event Schedule
10:00am – 12:00 pm
Rally at Occidental Park
With:
Lori Wallach, Global Trade Watch
Tefere Gebre, AFL-CIO
Robin Everett, Washington State Sierra Club
Manuel Perez-Rocha, Institute for Policy Studies
3:30pm – 6:00pm
Trade Justice Workshops at Town Hall Seattle
Workshop Session 1
4:00 – 4:50
Trade and Public Health
How do trade agreements affect the people’s health? And what can we do about it? We’ll look at how corporations use trade deals to maximize their own profit. And, together, we will create our own vision for healthy trade, in Washington State and beyond.
Trade and Labor
We will reflect on the profound impacts of globalization on workers both here and abroad. We’ll explore promising approaches to the personal, economic, political, and social challenges that have emerged.
Environmental Issues in Trade
In this break-out we will explore how the WTO and other trade agreements interfere with our ability to fight climate change and protect the environment.
Effects of NAFTA on Immigration
We will explore how NAFTA has increased migration and impacted the lives of people in Mexico, to the detriment of workers across North America while big corporations profit. This session will focus on documenting the impacts of NAFTA in Mexico.
Workshop Session 2
5:00 – 5:50
WTO Tech Expansion
Big Tech are busy trampling workers’ rights and using “trade agreements” to seek a new set of rights for their profit-making. Hear from one of the leaders of the movement against this push towards digital colonialism, and how we need to organize for data as a public good instead.
Indigenous Sovereignty and Extractive Industries
How do trade deals such as those instituted by the WTO affect indigenous rights and sovereignty? This session will explain how the Colville Tribes use the teachings of their ancestors and elders to manage natural resources on their historic land and how global trade affects their livelihood.
Free Trade vs. Food Sovereignty
We’ll discuss the food and farm system we want and how corporate-led free trade agreements create obstacles to it both in the U.S. and around the world. We’ll talk about what’s in the new NAFTA and other trade deals and ask if agriculture should be eliminated from trade deals altogether.
Labor Activism that Crosses the Border – Past and Future
We will explore models of labor-movements that transcend borders in recognition of workers’ shared fight around the world. Trade campaign organizers will lead discussion surrounding labor activism in the past as well as cutting-edge ideas within the labor movement today.
Trade and Militarism
How do wars of aggression back up neoliberal economic and trade policies for imperialist countries? How can we build the movement to resist US-led war? Join us to discuss the inextricably linked issues of trade and militarism!
7:30pm – Town Hall
Brief Action Orientation with Lori Wallach
Keynote with Joseph Stiglitz
