Syndicate: Play Fair Europe!

[Play Fair Europe! <playfair@asta.rwth-aachen.de> (by way of Andreas Broeckmann)]

Press Release

Declaration against the Globalisers of Misery
Worldwide opposition to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos=20

Throughout this week (29th January-3rd February) the World Economic Forum,
the club of the foremost 1000 Transnational Corporations, is holding its
Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. During this period, hundreds of
actions are taking place in many different parts of the world to denounce
this event (1).

This meeting is, in the World Economic Forum's own words, "the world's
global business summit" (2), where "each year, major initiatives are
launched...which go far beyond the pure business realm". At the Annual
Meeting, "1000 top business leaders , 250 political leaders, 250 foremost
academic experts in every domain, and some 250 media leaders come together
to shape the global agenda." As they boast, "the World Economic Forum has
played a leading role in the economic globalisation process... at the
beginning of the eighties it played a major role in launching the Uruguay
trade negotiations. The foundation has made a contribution to the process
and negotiation of financial services liberalisation."

We oppose the accelerating centralisation of political and economic power
caused by globalisation, and its gradual shift to unaccountable and
undemocratic institutions, such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO). We
denounce the role of "informal" business groups (such as the World Economic
Forum) in this process, which only benefits multinational business elites,
while increasing numbers of people are going hungry, unable to afford basic
health care and education, and forced to cope with environmental destruction.

This denunciation of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is the
first coordinated activity of the PEOPLES' GLOBAL ACTION AGAINST "FREE"
TRADE AND THE WTO. (3)

*****************************

(1) For information about the actions, please get in touch with Play Fair
Europe!,
e-mail playfair@asta.rwth-aachen.de; fax +34-8-524.11.21

(2) All direct quotations and factual information regarding the World
Economic Forum have been taken from the Forum's web page
http://www.weforum.org

(3) For more information about Peoples' Global Action Against "Free" Trade
and the World Trade Organisation (PGA) and its first worldwide conference
please contact:
Secretariat: kmp@info.com.ph;=20
web page: http://www.agp.org

--------------------------------------
Endorsement to the Declaration against the Globalisers of Misery
Please email to playfair(asta.rwth-aachen.de or fax to +34-8-524.11.21
Name of person or organisation:
Country:
Contact email or fax:
Field of action of the organisation / Profession:
For organisations: number of members:
Do you want more information about the World Economic Forum and
similar topics?
Are you going to organise an action? If yes, please describe it in a few
words:

************************************************************
Play Fair Europe! Oviedo Tel/fax +34-8-524.11.21
Pedro Masaveu 1 10
playfair@asta.rwth-aachen.de
33007 Oviedo, Spain check http://www.agp.org



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