Subject: Information on conferences in Beirut (AFP)
Mon, 5 Nov 2001
Beirut transforms into anti-globalisation platform BEIRUT (AFP) - Barred for the most part from attending next week's WorldTrade Organisation (WTO) summit in the heavily-guarded Gulf state ofQatar, anti-globalisation activists have transformed Beirut into theirbase for firing salvos against the corporate world.A vast array of activists, labour organisers, anarchists, socialists andnon-governmental organisations have swooped down on Lebanon from Nov.3-8 to loudly air their rage against the WTO, which for them embodiesthe ugly face of global capitalism.
Ministers from the 142-member WTO are to meet in the Qatari capital DohaNov. 9-13 to debate an agenda for a new round of multilataral tradeliberalisation talks.The last such round was completed in 1994.The WTO chose the cloistered spot, partly out of a desire to avoid anugly repeat of the previous WTO ministerial conference in Seattle twoyears ago, when some 40,000 anti-globalisation demonstrators clogged thecity, sparking street clashes with the police.
In Beirut, some 500 activists attended the opening Saturday of a two-dayconference, organised by the Arab Association of Resistance toGlobalisation Policies.The gathering was to concentrate on "challenges to globalisation afterSeptember 11," when New York and Washington were hit by terroristattacks.Among those attending are Egyptian parliament member Hamdin Sabahi,radical French farmer Jose Bove and anti-globalisation activist Jean-Claude Amara.The session is set to finish Sunday with the publication of a "BeirutDeclaration."The groups here stand staunchly opposed to what they say is the WTO'sadvocacy of a free market economy, with little government regulation and a lack of protection for people and small businesses.
The Arab NGO Network for Development, will host a meeting of some 170 groups from 45 countries November 5-8 to discuss WTO programmes,organiser Ammar Abud told AFP.Among those attending will be environmental groups such as Greenpeace,Friends of the Earth and Public Citizen, the consumer group headed by USactivist and 2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who himself willnot be attending."This meeting must help in issuing a strategy to face the goals set byWestern Europe and the United States in Doha," Bove said.Bove accused Western governments and businesses of wanting "to widenliberalisation to areas" like farming and the service sector "withouttaking into account the serious toll" from previous WTO actions.Several hundred activists are scheduled to head to Doha to attend theWTO conference with observer status, Abud added.The anti-globalisation activists might find common cause with developingnations in Doha, which have accused the West of wishing to use the WTOsimply as a tool to gain access to their markets. On October 31, Nigeria warned that the WTO agenda for Doha wasaccommodating "in total" the interests of rich countries whiledisregarding concerns of developing and least developed countries