[asia-apec 559] THE RAG-- Issue No. 1, July 1998 (part 3 of 3)

[PAN Asia Pacific]

*************THE RAG************* 
(Resistance Against Globalisation)
The Monthly Newsletter of the Asia-Pacific Peoples' Assembly
Issue No.1, July 1998

In this issue:
-The APEC Roadshow hits Malaysia
-Mahathir: Globalisation only for the rich
-The Third Women's Conference Against APEC
-Monsanto and AHP merge in latest multi-billion dollar merger
-The MAI drowns in a flood of protest
-Report on APEC (Finance Ministers' Meeting and Trade Ministers'
Meeting) 
-Notes From the APPA Secretariat

What the heck is APEC?

The June Trade Ministerial in Kuching, Malaysia highlights one of
APEC's key functions: APEC is a springboard for WTO agreements (see
previous article).  Once again, the US is trying to use consensus on
voluntary liberalisation to push forward binding commitments at the
WTO.  But the relationship between APEC and the WTO functions in
other directions as well.  Most of APEC's activities are designed to
build the capacity within the region to implement WTO liberalisation
agreements.  Thus, APEC has workshops and roundtables on such issues
as infrastructure financing, government procurement, and human
resource development.  These meetings and workshops are part of
APEC's "economic and technical cooperation" (ecotech) programme.  It
builds capacity, but it also makes recommendations that rapidly
develop into government action plans and strongly influence
government policy. 

The areas of focus for APEC's ecotech activities are largely
determined by the recommendations of the APEC Business Advisory
Council, a grouping of regional corporate leaders that represents
the business community in an official capacity.  Corporate business
is well represented in ecotech activities while representatives of
other social sectors are excluded.  You will find plenty of
agribusiness representatives at the agricultural workshops but you
won't find farmers.  APEC's motto after all is "APEC Means
Business".  Upcoming issues of The Rag will look more closely at
some of APEC's ecotech programmes.

 Upcoming Official APEC events:  
 Intellectual Property Rights Meeting, Aug. 25-26, Singapore; 
 Senior Officials Meeting III, Sept. 11-13, Kuantan, Malaysia;
 Workshop for Sustainable Mining Development, Oct., Chile
 Workshop on Sustainable Agriculture, Oct. 28-30, Davao City,
 Philippines

CONFRONTING GLOBALISATION: REASSERTING PEOPLES' RIGHTS

This year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders'
Meeting will be held in November in Malaysia.  Since the first
Leaders' Meeting in 1993, representatives of non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), people's organisations, and social movements
have met in parallel gatherings to highlight concerns about the
"free trade, free market" model of trade and investment
liberalisation that APEC promotes.  Today, a strong global movement
continuously monitors, educates and mobilises people to fight the
neoliberal economic programmes causing untold hardship to workers,
women and peoples the world over.  More than 500 participants from
the Asia-Pacific region are expected to attend the Peoples' Assembly
in Kuala Lumpur.  This year's assembly is of utmost importance given
the current financial crisis in Asia, the 50th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and upcoming negotiations at
the WTO.

Issues and sector forums, some of which may take place outside of
Malaysia prior to the Peoples' Assembly, will feed into a two-day
plenary session on November 13-14 in Kuala Lumpur.  Each Forum will
be required to commit to at least two specific actions that it can
present at the plenary session.  The plenary will build a common
analysis and a plan of action with the overall objective to
strengthen the peoples' movement against globalisation.

NATIONAL FORUMS

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS AND GLOBALISATION: The APPA Secretariat will
organize a public seminar on the financial crisis and its
relationship to  globalisation.  The seminar will take place on
August 29 from 9:30-16:30 at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (1
Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur).  Admission is 10 RM and includes
lunch.  Invited speakers have yet to be confirmed.  Contact the APPA
Secretariat for more information (tel: 03-28336245  fax: 03-2833536
email: appasec at tm.net.my)

STUDENTS: A campus tour will take place across Malaysia from July
25-August 2, 1998.  The tour will address the issues of
globalisation and APEC through talks and speeches.  A second
national workshop on globalisation is scheduled for September during
the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. For further information,
call Christian Kumar at 016-2250194 or Nusrat Muhammad at
012-7385988.

URBAN POOR: The first of a series of workshops for urban poor
communities will be held on 22&23 August 1998 in Johor Baru.  It
will be followed by another workshop in Kuala Lumpur in September
and a final one in Ipoh in October.  The workshops will focus on
making communities aware of the impact of a globalising economy on
their lives and what can be done to confront it.  For further
information contact Abdul Rahim Ishak at 03-6262989 or
03-7744531.

NEXT ISSUE:

Reports from the Forum on Malaysian Food Security and Agriculture
held in Kuala Lumpur July 24-26 and the Conference on the Impacts of
Globalisation on  Sarawak  Indigenous Peoples held in Sibu July
9-11.


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The Rag is the monthly newsletter of the Asia Pacific Peoples'
Assembly ( APPA).  All organizations and individuals from within
and outside of Mala ysia that are concerned about globalisation are
encouraged to participate and join in hosting APPA.  If you or your
organisation are interested in participating in or hosting or
assisting with a Peoples' Assembly event, an issue or sector forum,
or a cultural activity, please contact the Secretariat for more
information.  The intention is to create a genuine space to contest
crucial ideas and issues in an open and participatory way.  Comments
about and contributions to the Rag should be addressed to the
Secretariat.

If you would like to receive the printed version of The Rag, please
send a request by email to the Secretariat with your complete
address.

The Secretariat

57 Lorong Kurau,
59100 Lucky Gardens, 
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Email: appasec at tm.net.my
Tel: 604-2836245
Fax: 604-2833536
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