[asia-apec 753] 4th Intl. Migrant Workers Forum on APEC

[Migrant Forum in Asia]

Annoucement and Invitation

4th International Migrant Workers Forum on APEC
Asia-Pacific People's Assembly on APEC 1998
November 11-12, 1998
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

>>>Migrants' groups, advocates, support organisations, and other concerned 
groups are invited to the 4th International Migrant Workers Forum on 
APEC.<<<


THEME

"Neoliberal Globalisation: Internationalisation of Labour, Impacts on 
Migrants, and the Role of Migrants in Deconstructing It"


ORGANIZERS FOR THE FORUM

€	Tenaganita <tnita at hotmail.com>

€	Asian Migrant Centre (AMC)
	4 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
	Tel: (852) 2312-0031    Fax: (852) 2992-0111
	Email: amc at hk.super.net
	Attention: Rex Varona (Executive Director)

€	Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
	c/o AMC
	Email: mrhr at hk.super.net
	Attention: Henry Lee (Interim Staff for the MFA Secretariat)


OBJECTIVES FOR THE FORUM

€ Identify key issues: impacts and trends of globalisation, Asian crisis 
and labour migration;
€ Deepen analysis on neoliberalism and migration: e.g. 
internationalization of labor, how international labour migration is 
exploited in the modern global economy, and analysis with perspective for 
action/struggle;
€ Develop migrants' responses: agenda for action; how do we empower 
migrant workers and advocates?; organizing and mobilizing migrant workers 
in response to globalisation and Asian crisis; evolving necessary, 
including new, strategies; how are rights protected in the era of 
globalisation and regional/global crisis?;
€ Consolidate, focus, synchronise our joint regional campaigns/efforts: 
build up from previous discussions on migration and globalisation


WORKSHOPS:

Workshop 1:	Neoliberal Globalisation: Impacts on Migration and the Role 
of Migrants in Deconstructing It

Topics:
€ Trends and analysis: unemployment crisis, worsening of poverty, 
regional/global economic crisis, intensification of labour migration and 
trafficking, double push of migration, internationalization/globalization 
of labor, other strategic impacts of neoliberalism and economic crisis;
€ How neoliberal globalisation exploits migrant labour;
€ The role of migrants in deconstructing neoliberal globalisation: how do 
we challenge globalisation, how do we empower migrants/advocates to fight 
globalisation?


Workshop 2:	The Crisis of Rights: Promoting Migrants' Empowerment & 
Participation

Topics:
€ Globalization and economic crisis result in greater erosion of migrant, 
labour and trade union rights;
€ Globalization and economic crisis have undermined and reversed labour 
protection laws, social benefits and wages;
€ Cost-efficiency in business vis-a-vis human rights: For example, 
cost-cutting measures vs. right to jobs; increased marginalisation and 
use of subcontracted and undocumented migrant labour;
€ Disempowerment strategies employed by the state, companies and 
capitalists against migrant workers: the control and absence of 
democratic participation of migrants in decision making, and in the right 
to form associations or join unions, especially in receiving countries 
that are now becoming more repressive;
€ Weakening of organising and unionizing of workers and migrants;
€ Heightened tensions and divisions between migrant and local labour;
€ How can rights be protected and advanced in the age of globalisation? 
How do we organise and empower migrants and advocates in the era of 
globalisation?;
€ The role of international human rights instruments and migrant 
protection mechanisms;
€ Migrants' initiatives in promoting participation in decision and policy 
making, and in social movements;
€ Migrants' initiatives in challenging neoliberalism and in creating 
alternatives to neoliberal globalisation;


Workshop 3:	Globalisation and the Quality of Life of Migrants and Families

Topics:
€ Globalization and the economic crisis erode the quality of life: e.g. 
privatization of health services for the migrant workers; problems with 
housing, education and other social services; decline of the quality of 
life of migrants and their families;
€ Discrimination and use migrants as scapegoats: e.g. perceptions that 
they steal jobs, bring diseases, increase criminal actvity, etc.
€ Social costs of migration: the breakdown of families, introduction of 
values such as consumerism, materialism and individualism.

				
INPUTS/KITS

€ Declarations, recommendations from previous migrant/labor forums:
- 1995 APEC forum (November, Kyoto);
- 1996 Labour and Migrant Forum on APEC (November, Manila);
- 1996 Migrant Workers Challenging Global Structures Conference 
(September, Seoul);
- 1997 People's Summit on APEC (November, Vancouver);
- 1998 Migrants Rights Are Human Rights Workshop (February, Hong Kong);
- 1998 People's Conference Challenging Globalisaiton (September, Seoul);
€ AMC Paper: "Pyramids and Slaves of the Global Free Market";
€ AMC Paper: "Surveying the Impacts of the Asian Crisis on Migrant 
Workers";
€ AMC Paper: "Neoliberal Globalisation: Its Impacts on Asian Migrant 
Workers and the Role of Migrants in Deconstructing It";
€ Country inputs/papers: updates and situationers;
€ Migrants' stories and inputs;
€ Photos, videos, etc.;
€ Other inputs and papers based on the 3 workshop topics;
€ Concrete recommendations, plans and proposals for joint implementation 
and action;


OUTPUTS AND EXPECTED RESULTS

It is no longer tenable to only have inputs. What is more important is 
that we work on outputs around which we can rally the most number of 
migrants and advocates. 


Possible outputs:

€ Kuala Lumpur declaration on migration that describes and explains the 
current crisis. This can be reaffirmation, build-up and refinement of 
previous declarations and recommendations. It should include claims of 
states/governments, APEC and TNCs that we denounce, reject and oppose as 
well as  positions, affirmations and proposals that we will jointly act 
on;

€ We need to articulate concrete contributions to the UN "celebration" or 
struggle for the continuing campaign for human rights which can be 
circulated and popularized for the December 10th events - Upholding 
Migrants Rights is Advancing the Universality of Human Rights in a 
Globalizing Economy and Global crisis;

€ Proposal for a joint regional migrant rights campaign launching on 
November 15th, culminating on December 10th (Human Rights Day) and 
climaxing on December 18th (International Solidarity Day for Migrants and 
Their Families);

€ Coordinate and build unifying framework for our national initiatives 
and regional/international joint actions. One suggestion is to create 
campaigns revolving around the theme of "Rights and Roots":
a) "Rights" campaign - migrants' human rights, ILO/UN instruments 
ratification, and implementation, monitoring of rights violations, gender 
aspects, violence against women, vulnerabilities of migrants;
b) "Roots" campaign - exposing root causes and creating alternatives to 
the root causes of labour migration: debt, IMF, WB, SAP, globalisation, 
and development and poverty issues; reintegration and migrants' 
alternatives.


REGISTRATION PROCESS AND DETAILS

Migrants' groups, advocates, support organisations, and other concerned 
groups are invited to the 4th International Migrant Workers Forum on 
APEC. 

1.	Please contact the APPA Secretariat for registration information and 
forms:
	APPA Secretariat
	57 Lorong Kurau, Lucky Gardens, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
	Tel: (603) 283-6245     Fax: (603) 283-3536
	Email: appasec at tm.net.my

2.	Please fill out the registration form and send back to APPA 
Secretariat. International delegates are requested to cc their 
registration information to AMC at <<amc at hk.super.net> or fax no. 	(852) 
2992-0111. Local (Malaysia) delegates should register directly with 
Tenaganita 	<tnita at hotmail.com>.

3.	Registration fee is US$50 for the whole APPA. Please pay to the APPA 
Secretariat.

4.	Owing to budget limitations, international delegates are encouraged to 
subsidise their own 	travel expenses. Please contact Tenaganita for 
further information.


SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITES (4th International Migrant Workers Forum):

€ November 10-15: photo exhibition; display and sale of posters, migrant 
publications/resource materials
€ November 11-12: Migrant Forum
€ November 15: migrants' assembly and activities:
- Launching of the "Asian Migrant Yearbook";
- Launching/kick-off of joint "Migrants Human Rights" campaign;
- Press conference and the release of Migrant Forum in Asia's campaign 
poster;
- Solidarity evening with migrant workers;


General Schedule (APPA 1998)

€ November 6-7: Indigenous People Forum
€ November 7-10: Student & Youth Forum
€ November 8-9: The 3rd Women's Conference Against APEC
€ November 10: Opening ceremonies
€ November 11: Consumers Forum
€ November 11 & 12: Issue & Sectoral Fora
1. Labour Forum
2. Human Rights, Democracy and Militarisation Forum
3. Privatisation and Financial Deregulation Forum
4. Urban Poor Forum
5. Globalisation and Children Fourm
6. Land, Food Security and Agriculture Forum
7. Community Livelihood Forum
8. Media Forum
9. Migrant Workers Forum
€ November 13-14: People's Assembly (Plenary)
€ November 15: Final Assembly & Closing Activities

[end]

Henry Jun Wah Lee
Migrant Forum in Asia Secretariat
c/o Asian Migrant Centre
4 Jordan Road
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2312-0031   Fax: (852) 2992-0111
E-mail: mrhr at hk.super.net