Vancouver Hunger Strike Against the WTO Continues

by Lesley Washington 7:55pm Wed Dec 1 '99

The WTO Action Committee at the University of British Columbia has been on a hunger strike against the WTO since last Friday at noon. The hunger strikers are calling for a meeting with their International Trade Minister before the end of the Ministerial to discuss bringing Canada's participation in the WTO to referendum. Despite the phone calls, e-mails, faxes, and letters of the WTO Committee and letters of support sent to the Trade Minister calling for him to acknowledge them in some way, there has been no response.

The WTO Action Committee at the University of British Columbia has been on a hunger strike against the WTO since last Friday at noon. The hunger strikers are calling for a meeting with their International Trade Minister before the end of the Ministerial to discuss bringing Canada's participation in the WTO to referendum. Despite the phone calls, e-mails, faxes, and letters of the WTO Committee and many supporters from across Canada and the US,and despite the considerable attention that this strike has garnered from the mainstream and alternative medias both locally, nationally and internationally, there has been no response from Pettigrew.

The Committee believes that because the WTO impacts and threatens absolutely every facet of peoples' lives -- including the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breath, our labour and human rights, our environment, our health care system, education, and social services, the citizens of Canada should decide on whether we, as a nation, should participate in this organization. Further, it is believed that the very sovereignty of our nation is at risk due to the WTO. As such, the Committee is calling for a rigorous and extended educational campaign to be carried out by government in partnership with non-govermental organizations, including organized labour, to be followed by national referendum on Canada's participation.

The hunger strikers attended Tuesday's protest in Seattle with the hopes of meeting with Pettigrew sometime during their visit. The meeting never transpired; nonetheless, the hunger strikers enjoyed the day of solidarity and found themselves rejuvenated by the experience. Laura Gabriel, one of the hunger strikers, reported this: "It was so amazing to be around so many people from around the world, all standing in opposition to the WTO. I loved the diversity in the ways people brought their concerns to the public. It does outrage me though that despite the magnitude of the protest, those behind the closed doors of the WTO are still voicing their commitment to trade liberalization at any cost, under the guise of it being good for us all. We know that's crap."

Letters of support and solidarity can be sent to stop_wto@hotmail.com. The WTO Action Committee is also asking people to write Pierre Pettigrew to ask why he has not acknowledged the hunger strikers and their concerns. E-mails can be sent to PettiP@parl.gc.ca

From: Independent Media Center
http://www.indymedia.org