[asia-apec 1146] Hong Kong: Workshop On Globalisation and Free Trade

[kevin.li at graduate.hku.hk]

A Workshop on Globalisation.  China's entry to World Trade Organization 
(WTO) becomes an international issue of concern.  Media and governments 
fully support such action, while there are no alternative voices in 
Hong Kong.  We believe this workshop can serve as a cooler for the 
widespread call for "(pseudo)-liberalisation".


Workshop On Globalisation and Free Trade

Organizer: Greenpeace China, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee
Venue: Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee, Room 704-5, 57 Peking 
Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.  (Opposite to HMV)
Date and Time: June 12 1999 (Sat), 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Target Group: Grassroot groups workers, students, academics, cultural 
workers, and social movment concerned groups
Contact: Lo Sze Ping (Phone: (852)2854-8399, E-mail: splo at ust.hk)

Following the end of Cold War, the ideology of Globalisation and Free 
Trade seems to prevail worldwide.  However, in European, American, 
South Asian, and Latin American regions, the civic and grassroots 
organizations including labour, women, peasants and indigenous groups 
voice out their opposition, since the globalisation of capitalism, for 
the sake of benefits of few people, exploit the earth resources without 
limit and overlook the livelihood and basic human rights of people.

Civic organisations of Hong Kong have very few discussions in this 
area.  However, the establishment of WTO and the China's entry to it 
make the problems so urgent and close to us.  And most issues of our 
concern are closely linked with each other, such as "Free" trade of 
toxic waste, exploitation of workers and environment by Transnational 
Corporations (TNC), alignment of opposite voices, impact on nature and 
peasants from Genetically-modified Food, Privatisation of Public 
sectors, corporate cut-down and etc.

What are the problems with Globalisation, Free Trade, TNC and WTO?  How 
do they operate?  What are the impacts on environment, workers and 
under-privileged?  What are the responses from civic groups?


Schedule:

Video Show	2:00-3:00 PM
Dolls and Dust: A Documentary on the Impact of Industrial Restructuring 
and Globalization on Women Workers in Sri Lanka, Thailand and South 
Korea
60 mins
Produced by Committee for Asian Women


Forum	3:15-6:00 PM

The challenge of Globalization and the responses from civic groups
Speaker: Apo Leung, Asian Monitor Resources Center

Disney: The new development of Globalisation
Speaker: Chan Ka Wai, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee

The WTO, the World Food System and the Politics of Harmonized 
Destruction
Speaker: Gerard Greenfield, International Union of Food ¡V Asia Pacific

>From Banana Trade War between Europe and USA to the impacts on Chinese 
peasants by WTO
Speaker: Luk Tak Chuen, Sociology Lecturer, Hong Kong Baptist University

Response
Chan Wai Fong, Department of Education and Promotion, Oxfam Hong Kong
Man Si Wai, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Chinese University of Hong 
Kong


This year, June 18 is an international action day of people against 
Globalisation.	At that day, The Seven Industrial Countries (G-7) will 
hold a summit in Koln, Germany, to promote the Economic Globalisation, 
Free Trade and TNC as the solutions for the Earth.  Meanwhile, the 
environmentalists, workers, the unemployed, peasants, indigenous 
people, women, student and peace activists will hold demonstrations, 
street parties, occupation, carnivals and various forms of action to 
protest Capitalist Globalisation in the financial centers in many 
cities.

For further enquiries, http://www.gn.apc.org/june18