Seminar on the Consequences of the FTAA for Brazil 1. The Signatories We, representatives of the Catholic Development Agencies based in Europe and members of the CIDSE network, together with representatives of Brazilian social organisations and other American and European NGOs, after meeting in Brussels on the 17th and 18th of June 2002 to reflect together on the consequences for Brazil of the establishment of the FTAA, wish to make the following statement to the general public, politicians and civil society of our countries and to the Brazilian people: 2. Introduction ? We recognise that globalisation can open the door to a better world, to the extent that it can contribute to the globalisation of solidarity between peoples, respect for social and human rights and the common endeavour to build a better world for all, without exclusions or exceptions. ? But we also wish to state our conviction that neither the current process of globalisation that we are experiencing, nor the current trade agreements in various regions, offer a guarantee of a world that is more just, fairer and stronger in solidarity. 3. Ambiguities of the FTAA ? We believe that the current process of negotiating the FTAA is particularly obscure, that behind the promises to create wealth and reduce poverty in all the participating countries, lies a system that is in fact totally unable to guarantee a decent life for all, while at the same time generates social and trade forces that exclude the most vulnerable and threatens the lives of the poorest. ? We also believe that behind this multilateral agreement involving 34 countries, supposedly on equal conditions, lies a clear desire for hegemony and domination on the part of the United States, whose political and economic power in the continent, and its trade strategy, promotes a model of asymmetrical relations that clearly disadvantage countries with less capacity to compete, additionally burdened as they are by the intolerable burden of external debt. ? We believe, and wish to express our fear, that this trade agreement, the tenor of which implies the privatisation of services hitherto considered to be basic social rights (food security, health, education, pensions), grants excessive power to transnational companies, to the detriment of small and medium sized domestic companies, and represents an irreversible loss of sovereignty by nation states to the companies protected by the FTAA, without regard for social, environmental, and gender considerations and the option of protecting national interests. 4. What we condemn It is for all these reasons that we come together in solidarity with the American and Brazilian organisations and social movements that are in opposition to the FTAA to denounce an Agreement that amongst other factors: ? Is being negotiated by governments behind the backs of their citizens, with an evident lack of democratic process, civil participation and transparency of information. ? Prioritises support for the powerful and their profits over the just distribution of wealth and the protection of those who are most needy, putting profit and the free market above the life and dignity of people. ? Promotes an unfair and divisive form of globalisation that globalises free access to markets but not the distribution of wealth; that eliminates trade barriers but impedes the free circulation of people; which defends the free market as a right, but hinders access to basic rights like food, education and health; by treating these as commodities, it makes them accessible only to the economically privileged. ? Ignores the environmental and social costs of an unrestricted free market, provoking irreparable damage, while seeking to appropriate and exploit the historical knowledge of the autochthonous peoples, stripping them of what is left of their cultural heritage, for the benefit of businesses and multinational companies. ? Unfairly benefits one sector of the population (male, white, middle aged, educated, owners of capital and property) while excluding the men and women who have always been excluded. ? Finally we denounce a trade agreement that would have a disastrous effect on the living conditions of the majority of the population of the American continent, which strengthens a hegemonic project that threatens everyone, including the most vulnerable sector of the United States population and which reinforces and perpetuates the dependency of Latin America. 5. Our commitments and our demands We would also like to declare our commitment to the people and the organisations that favour a globalisation based on justice and solidarity. We believe that it is possible to construct trade agreements between nations that promote economic growth, and at the same time preserve the dignity and the lives of the poorest, respect the environment, cultural diversity, and the autonomy of peoples. ? We would therefore like to declare our commitment to stand in solidarity with the peoples of America in their campaign on the FTAA, assisting them by all the means at our disposal, with national referenda, information campaigns and other civil society initiatives which contribute to a better understanding and a critical attitude to the FTAA. We also undertake to work to raise awareness within our own European societies about the FTAA and its social consequences for the American continent. In accordance with this pledge, we wish to address various authorities in the strongest possible terms, to express our views and in addition call for the action on the FTAA that we regard as urgent and necessary: To the governments of America: ? We ask you to renounce the FTAA, given that it is an inefficient strategy for promoting development; we invite those in authority to undertake a responsible search for sustainable alternatives, and as an integral part of this process, to include democratic practices that involve the active participation of civil society; we also call on you to defend national sovereignty, to protect small and medium businesses; to safeguard social rights, especially those of the poorest sectors of the population. To American civil society: ? We ask you to undertake a commitment to organise in each country and fight against the FTAA, to put pressure on your governments, to generate and promote a critical attitude on the part of as many people as possible, to create and propose alternatives, and to use the media and all the resources available to you to achieve this objective. To the European Governments: ? We ask you to make a moral commitment to understand the FTAA and its consequences for the societies of the American continent, and to abandon your apparently neutral and indifferent attitude to this process. ? We also ask that you make a genuine and permanent effort to develop alternative models for globalisation and for trade agreements, which neither repeat nor reinforce the exclusionary and unfair approach of the FTAA. ? Finally, we ask for the introduction of mechanisms to monitor and measure the social and environmental impact of the investments made by European businesses in the American continent. To European Societies: As in the case of our governments, we believe that the civil society of European countries cannot remain indifferent, and has a moral obligation to assume a more active and critical attitude to the FTAA process: ? We ask you to make sure that you understand the full implications of the FTAA for the American peoples. ? We ask you to create new models of “social observatory” and presence in events related to the FTAA and any other similar trade agreements. ? We ask you to campaign actively to ensure that the peoples of Latin America can enjoy the same basic human and social rights that we enjoy in our countries. To the Development Community: ? We ask you to assume a firm and critical attitude to the FTAA, and to give clear and resolute support for the civil society initiatives organised by the peoples of America in relation to the Agreement. ? We call on you to take on a mediating role to raise awareness in civil society and among politicians, through your own lobbying resources, the media, and any other means at your disposal. ? We ask you to show solidarity and to develop a vision of “development” that is firmly on the side of the most vulnerable sectors of the American peoples, that defends the dignity and right of peoples to decide their own future and that of their countries. 6. Conclusion: In conclusion, we adopt as our slogan the same one that has been has been used in the various campaigns in America: “YES TO LIFE, NO TO THE FTAA. A DIFFERENT AMERICA IS POSSIBLE”. We declare our certainty that through solidarity, everyday campaigning and uniting the efforts of the peoples of our continents… A DIFFERENT WORLD IS POSSIBLE. Brussels, June 18th 2002