Calling All Sisters in Struggle to Unite Against the Neoliberal Globalization and War! As women representing immigrant communities, family farmers, indigenous tribes, women of color, low-wage and migrant workers, environmental health, anti-militarism and peace, public service, education and all areas of social justice, we stand together to oppose the Korea-US FTA and neoliberal policies of the U.S. ?쏯eoliberalism??is the great force of oppression that undermines the lives of women, children and families around the world. As women, we express our grave concerns over the negative impact of the U.S.?셲 neoliberal polices on trade, environment, food, agriculture, families, gender, public services, education and quality of life. We call on all sisters around the world to mobilize our communities to stop the U.S. led neoliberal globalization that will bring poverty, war and destruction. Neoliberalism only benefits large corporations at the expense of workers, farmers, youth, and the environment, and exploits women in particular. The Korea-U.S. FTA is currently being negotiated under the false promise of economic and social development. But as we have already witnessed the disastrous outcomes of NAFTA on women, we predict the grim future impact of the Korea-U.S. FTA. Thus, we demand that the negotiations of the Korea-US FTA stop immediately! Twelve years of NAFTA did nothing but impoverish women in Mexico, U.S. and Canada. In Mexico, women in the maquiladoras have been forced to work under inhumane conditions for less than substandard wage. At the same time, discrimination and violence against women have substantially increased--we are continuing to witness unfair economic conditions for women as well as the rape and murder of thousands of women. Canada, a country that once boasted a strong social security system, no longer provides a social and economic safety net. Public education and public services have been privatized, thus forcing women to work longer hours to provide for their families. In the U.S., women migrants in search of work have been exploited in the garment, restaurant, and domestic industries. Immigration raids and deportations are used as weapons to control women ??over 600,000 immigrant women in the U.S. have orders of deportation. Similarly, the patriarchal society of Korea has more than 70% of women in the workforce who are irregular workers receiving only half of what men earn for the same work. In addition, women are often the first people to be laid off. In the farmland, due to years of import liberalization policy of the U.S. women farmers can no longer survive on incomes earned from the farm. Women farmers now must take two to three jobs to survive and rear their children. Korea-US FTA will further deteriorate conditions for all women. It is clear that women in Mexico, U.S., Canada and Korea have one thing in common under the neoliberal policies of the U.S. Women are chained to the cycle of poverty and are the biggest victims of Neoliberalism! Women?셲 struggle against ?쐄ree trade??is an all encompassing declaration to protect workers??rights, food sovereignty, cultural diversity, preservation of the environment and community, protection of public healthcare, and peace. Further, women stand in solidarity with the Korean sisters for their struggle towards economic, social and political justice, democracy based on gender equality and unification of the divided peninsula. As we condemn the acts of military aggression against mothers of people in Iraq and Lebanon, we also bring to attention of the larger U.S. military transformation taking place in the global community as part of the ?쐗ar on terrorism.??span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> It is a known fact that the U.S. is creating lethal combat forces and forwarding outposts all throughout the world. In Korea, the US military is negotiating the ?쐓trategic flexibility??of the USFK to contain and attack China as part of the military hegemony of the Northeast Asia. We call on all sisters to stand in solidarity to stop the war machine of the U.S. that is killing millions of our precious lives. Mothers should not have to shed tears holding onto dead bodies of their children! What is the real solution to creating an alternative model to neoliberal policies of the US and war? Our sisters in struggle have proven over the years that the only way to bring change in the workplace, at home, in our neighborhoods, is for us to build the people power. Thus, we urge all sisters and social justice organizations to join us in our fight against neoliberalism and war! September 7, 2006 Seattle, Washington Women?셲 Committee Against the Korea-US FTA, a subcommittee of the Korean Alliance Against the Korea-US FTA The following organizations have endorsed the struggle against the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement: Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coalition (ANSWER) Addicted to War All African Peoples Revolutionary Party-LA Chapter Audre Lorde Project Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle American Friends Service Committee, Oakland, CA Anakbayan LA Andolan Organizing South Asian Workers BAYAN USA LA BAYAN USA Boliverian Circle of L.A. Boston Korea Friendship Association CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities Center for Constitutional Rights Channing and Popai Liem Education Foundation Chinese Progressive Association, San Francisco CISPES-LA Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (Chirla) Coalition in Solidarity with Cuba/LA Colombia Action Network Community Organizing Collective (PA) Congress for Korean Reunification Corean Action Network for Unification Desis Rising Up and Moving Domestic Workers United (DMC) El Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California/ Institute of Popular Education of Southern CA (IDEPSCA) Enlace Environmental Health Coalition Fabulous Independent Education Radicals for Community Empowerment (FIERCE) Filipino Community Support (FOCUS), Santa Clara County, CA Filipinos for Affirmative Action Free Palestine Alliance FTA Action Task Force-LA Grassroots Global Justice Alliance Habiarts LA Bayan Han Pan Korean American Cultural Group (Maryland) Ignacio Martin-Baro Fund for Mental Health and Human Rights Immigrant Justice Solidarity Project International Action Center (IAC) Korean American Cultural Center, Virginia Korean American National Coordinating Council Korean Democratic Labor Party, US East Coast Branch Korea Truth Commission Labor Community Strategy Center Left Turn Magazine Malcolm X Grassroots Movement March 25 Coalition Miami Workers Center Mobilization for Global Justice Multiethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON) NAPAWF National Association of Korean Americans National Committee to Free the Cuban Five National Lawyers Guild National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) National Network of Indochina Activists Network in Solidarity with the People Of Philippines (NISPOP) Nodutdol for Korean Community Development Organization Us Partnership for Civil Justice Palestine Right to Return Coalition Palestinian American Women?셲 Association Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California (PWC) People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) Prison Moratorium Project (PMP) Project South Puerto Rican Alliance of L.A. South Asian Network Southeast Regional Economic Justice Network Southwest Workers Union Student/Farmworker Alliance Sweatshop Watch Tenants and Workers United Troops Out Now Coalition United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). United Electrical Workers (UE) Local 1421 VietUnity, Bay Area, California War Resisters League Women of Color Resources Center Workers World Party |
