Willow's Pagan Place

Its been a month since our collective triumphant pole vaulting of IMF/
World Bank issues into the international arena. We are still awestruck
 and greatly inspired by the amazing energy, talents, commitment, 
and inspiration of activists involved in the Mobilization for Global Justice.

The organizing was characterized by a spirit and process of incredible 
solidarity in every aspect of the Mobilization which made the non-
hierarchical, consensus decision-making process possible and successful.

We are heartened by the commitment of the U.S. activist community
 to ensure an end to the harmful impacts of the IMF and World Bank
 worldwide, and opposition to their domination of the world economy.

The 50 Years Is Enough has been working to build a coalition of U.S.
 organizations opposing the IMF and World Bank since 1994. The events
 of the last few months are a guarantee that the work will continue with
 renewed vigor and confidence and global justice is within our grasp.
 Activists who have been working on these issues for even longer 
(e.g. Brent Blackwelder of Friends of the Earth - 18 years!) expressed
 similar sentiments and feelings of reassurance.

As many of you know, activities in solidarity with the Mobilization for 
Global Justice were also held in numerous countries, including 
Bulgaria, Haiti, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, Australia, U.K., 
Mauritius, France, the Philippines, India, Argentina, New Zealand,
 and in Kenya (Njoki's home country), where 62 activists were 
arrested upon marching to the World Bank office to demand
 immediate debt cancellation.

Colleagues and partners in Washington from the Global South were 
greatly heartened. We raised funds and were able to support the
 participation of colleagues from Zimbabwe, Thailand, South Africa,
 Cameroon, the Philippines, India, and Haiti, as well as provided 
support for several U.S. poor and working peoples' organization.

The activists from the Global South, to a person, spoke of the great
 encouragement they felt from seeing such solidarity from U.S. 
activists. They spoke of the Washington protests as a major turning
 point in the battle for economic justice worldwide, and look forward
 to continuing to work with us and the new contacts they made while here.

We have forever changed the political climate in the United States on
 IMF and World Bank issues, but we face big challenges ahead to keep
 pushing forward, and to keep the IMF and Bank retreating. Thousands
 of people came to Washington, D.C. to protest structural adjustment 
programs, international debt, corporate globalization, and to stand in 
solidarity with millions of people who live, and often die, under the policies
 and practices of the IMF and World Bank.

These are truly defining times in the collective struggles for social
 and economic justice. Thousands, perhaps millions, of people 
in the U.S. are being educated and have begun to be concerned
 about the policies of the IMF and World Bank. And in April, especially
 on the 16th and 17th, we demonstrated our concern in dramatic and
 public ways and hopefully many became lifelong activists on these issues.

Rather than even attempt to recount all that happened or analyze its meaning
, we have a few suggestions about how activists might capitalize
 (if you'll excuse the expression) on the momentum established in 
Washington.

There are a number of ways in which organizations and individuals can
 continue to be engaged in this particular focus on the World
 Bank and the IMF. Now that we have rested some (we hope),
 it is time for action, AGAIN:

(i) FOLLOW-UP with officials at the IMF & World Bank (each 
country has an executive director at each institution, find out
 who is "yours") and remind them why you came to Washington
 (or supported those who did)! The list of 50 Years Is Enough 
demands (on our website under "Update") which many of you
 signed on as supporters is a good start.

(ii) Another which we are partial to (for obvious reasons) is: Join
 the 50 Years Is Enough Network. If you were involved in the April
 Mobilization, in Washington or elsewhere, or your interest piqued
 by the events, become a part of the 50 Years Is Enough Network.
 Visit our website at www.50years.org, and join our listserv by 
sending an e-mail to <subscribe50years@yahoo.com> You will 
receive up to date information about the institutions, campaigns
, and related key issues on a regular basis.

(iii) Become part of the campaign to Bankrupt the World Bank!
 Launched on April 10, during the Mobilization (and attracting 
substantial press attention), this effort focuses on the fact that
 80% of the money the World Bank uses to make its loans actually
 comes from the sale of bonds to institutional investors (pension 
funds, universities, municipalities, etc.). The campaign, initiated 
by activists in Haiti and South Africa, demands that the Bank 
immediately cease its structural adjustment programs, including
 suspending existing SAPs. Until it does so, we will call on
 those who buy and sell those bonds to suspend their business 
with the World Bank. For more information, visit 
<www.worldbankboycott.org>
.
(iv). We expect to very soon have devised a legislative strategy
 with a real chance of beginning to erode the power of the IMF 
and World Bank to impose the conditions known as "structural
 adjustment." Our first step -- getting Congress to prohibit any 
use of its funds to impose "user fees" on health services and
 primary education -- may appear modest, but it could be a real
 life-saver. It is also meant to educate Congress about the 
criminal behavior of the institutions and lay the foundation for
 eliminating all oppressive conditionalities soon. Please check
 our website and listserv for alerts as the strategy is devised 
over the next few weeks.

(v) Get ready for Prague! The IMF/World Bank Annual General
 Meetings, held each autumn, will take place in Prague, Czech
 Republic from September 26-28. 50 Years sent a representative
 to a planning meeting in Prague last week to discuss how to 
build on the momentum of Washington and Seattle. The Czech 
organizers are planning parallel events - a "counter- summit," public
 forum and debate, and demonstrations - starting on September 20.
Here in the U.S. we anticipate that there will be parallel events in 
Washington to remind the staff left behind to keep the institutions
 running that we haven't forgotten about them and the impact of their
 work. Details on our website and listserv. (There is a listserv 
for more detailed planning as well -- subscribe by sending a 
blank message to <antiimf2000@egroups.com).

It always feels awkward to say "Thank You" to fellow activists for
 their commitment and work, but there are no other words to express
 the awe, admiration, and appreciation that we feel for fellow 
activists who hearten, challenge, and so inspire us in our work. So,
 THANK YOU! For making the Mobilization for Global Justice such
 a success and for the opportunity to work side by side with some 
of the most talented and committed people around. We promise 
to do our part in keeping activists informed and involved in the 
struggles to end the reign of tyranny of the IMF and World Bank,
 the WTO, and multinational corporations. Its been said before, 
"We are the ones who will change the world, the ruling classes tremble!"