Global Economic Justice 2008 Track Archive
Saturday, March 8th
10:45 - 12:15am: Track Time I
Plenary: Building a Just and Secure Global Economy
People of faith have been leading the way in the articulation of policies that foster trade justice instead of free trade and eliminate the onerous debts that oppress developing countries. Today, we are involved in critical struggles to realize trade justice, to defeat trade agreements that create conditions which only deepen poverty, and demand debt cancellation. Central to this struggle is the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will likely be voted on in Congress soon. This large-group plenary will give you an inside view of these struggles through personal testimony and analysis from our Colombian activist guest. This conversation will also be in the broader context of global systems that include debt and trade, and how they are used to maintain and deepen inequality. Learn why current models aren’t working, why they need to be stopped, and concrete alternatives. Most importantly learn what you can do in your communities to stop this model and advance a new vision. This workshop will include a briefing on how to ask Congress to vote NO on the upcoming FTA.
Speakers: Elizabeth Garcia Carrillo, member of the Confederation of Tayrona Peoples, Colombia, and the Lawyer for the Process for Black Communities;
John Cavanagh, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies and co-author of “Field Guide to the Global Economy”
Moderator: Jessica Walker Beaumont, American Friends Service Committee
Elizabeth Garcia Carrillo is a member of the Confederation of Tayrona Peoples and the Lawyer for the Process for Black Communities. She is here in the US to represent the Process for Black Communities in Colombia (Proceso de Comunidades Negras - PCN). PCN is an umbrella organization which brings together various organizations and individuals working for the recognition and implementation of the rights to territory, identity, participation and development of Afro-Colombians. In recent years, the PCN has tried to make visible the violations of human rights suffered by the communities and work towards stopping the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the US because of the severe effects it would have on its people.
John Cavanagh has worked with religious organizations for 25 years on just and sustainable development; Elizabeth Garcia Carrillo, member of the Confederation of Tayrona Peoples, Colombia, and the Lawyer for the Process for Black Communities.
Jessica Walker Beaumont has been the Trade and Debt Specialist for the American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) Peacebuilding Unit for over four years. Jessica is the national coordinator for AFSC’s Trade Matters program, working to ensure that trade systems are evaluated not simply on their contribution to economic growth, but also on their impact on the lives of people—especially the most vulnerable populations. Jessica also serves as a policy analyst for AFSC’s Life Over Debt campaign calling for 100% debt cancellation for African nations. As a Master’s in Public Administration graduate from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs program in 2002, Jessica created her own concentration in Trade and Globalization Policy studying with Nobelist Joseph Stiglitz and others. Jessica has worked on trade issues since 1993, beginning with research and activism around the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Prior to AFSC, she worked at MDRC, a domestic policy think tank while interning at the United Nations Development Programme with the Senior Advisor on Inclusive Globalization.
2:45 - 4:15pm: Track Time II
Globalization 101
This workshop will focus on basic concepts of globalization, define common terms, and give an overview of trade and debt in the global economy. We will explore the impact of globalization on developing countries in the global south.
Speaker: Jim Hug, Center of Concern; Francis Ngambi (Kenya)
James E. Hug, SJ, came to the Center from the Woodstock Theological Center in 1985 and became Director/President in 1989. He focuses on research and education on issues of faith and economic justice and has lectured and directed workshops throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. He has an M.A. in Philosophy from Springhill College, an M.A. in Christian Spirituality from St. Louis University and a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from the University of Chicago.
He is the editor of the Center’s best selling Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret, principal author of Social Revelation: Profound Challenge for Christian Spirituality, published by the Center of Concern, and the editor of Tracing the Spirit: Communities, Social Action, and Theological Reflection, published by Paulist Press. In addition, Jim has written three small books on economic justice: Scripture Sharing on the Bishop’s Economic Pastoral and Christian Faith and the U.S. Economy (both from Sheed and Ward), and For All the People (the official summary of the U.S. Bishops’ pastoral letter on the economy published by the United States Catholic Conference).
Francis Ng’ambi is Project Officer for Economic Dimensions (Budget, Debt & Trade), Economic Justice Network of the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa. He previously served as the Jubilee Debt Campaigns Coordinator for Jubilee 2000 in Malawi. He holds degrees in theology and economics.
Emerging Economic Issues in Iraq and Afghanistan
This workshop will focus primarily on the economic reality of Iraq and Afghanistan in the midst of conflict and offer a perspective on the US’s economic responsibility for ensuring the security of the people in these two nations. Discussion will center around Iraq’s odious debt, failing economy, and little-known free trade agreement as well as Afghanistan’s recent inclusion in the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative of the World Bank/IMF.
Speaker: Simone Campbell, NETWORK A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby since 2004, is a religious leader, attorney and poet with extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. In Washington, she lobbies on issues of peace building and economic justice. Around the country, she is a noted speaker and educator on these public policy issues.
Prior to coming to NETWORK, she served as the Executive Director of JERICHO, the California interfaith public policy organization that works like NETWORK to protect the interests of people who are poor. She also participated in a delegation of religious leaders to Iraq in December 2002, just prior to the war. Since returning, she has spoken and written extensively on her experience.
Before JERICHO, she served as the general director of her religious community, the Sisters of Social Service. She was the leader of her sisters in the United States, Mexico, Taiwan and the Philippines. In this capacity, she negotiated with government and religious leaders in each of these countries.
In 1978, she founded and served for 18 years as the lead attorney for the Community Law Center in Oakland, California. She served the family law and probate needs of the working poor of her county.
Film Screening: The Big Sellout
“When you drop bombs from 50,000 feet, you don’t see who they’re landing on, you don’t see the damage. It’s the same thing in economics when you talk about statistics and don’t think about the people that lie behind those statistics.” - Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize Winner, former Chief Economist at the World Bank in The Big Sellout
While international economic discourse is fixated on increasing efficiency and economic growth, The Big Sellout reminds us that there are faces behind the statistics using examples from: the public health budget in the Philippines which has undergone massive cuts since the 1980s, moving relentlessly towards a private health care system; Bolivian protests in 2000, following the sale of the public water company to a private corporation, which would have made water cost-prohibitive to much of the population; South Africa’s people who are unable to pay the rising prices resulting from the privatization of the formerly public owned electric company; and Great Britain’s national railway system, privatized by the Tories in the 1990s, which is reeling from service disruptions, 19th century accident rates and crippling morale among its labor force. Such evidence debunks the pervasive neo-liberal myth that private companies inevitably function more efficiently than public ones. This is an interactive “train the trainer” workshop that will focus on using film as a medium for advocacy. Participants will screen the documentary, receive training for hosting a film screening in their community and learn how to guide discussions that will turn into actions!
Moderator: Jessie Palatucci, United Church of Christ
Jessie Palatucci is a policy associate with the United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications and Philosophy from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT. Since beginning her work for the UCC Washington Office she has worked on issues of domestic and global poverty, election empowerment, and grassroots advocacy. She previously worked as an editor and writer for an online news magazine and recently worked to envision and create a documentary short on aggression in young girls.
Latin America Track: New Economic Approaches in South America
This interactive workshop will look at the positive changes in South American economic policy today. We will look at regional changes such as the Bank of the South, the diminished influence of the IMF, as well as country-specific examples like the growing solidarity economy in Brazil, how Argentina recovered from economic catastrophe and exciting people’s movements in Bolivia that have successfully taken on transnational corporations and point to a new form of international trade.
Speakers: Steve Judd, MM – Maryknoll priest; William LeoGrande, professor American University
Moderator: Marie Dennis, Maryknoll Global Concerns
Africa Track: Vulture Funds
4:30 - 6:00pm: Track Time III
Debt, Conflict and the Journey to Justice: The Cases of Liberia and the DRC
Countries in conflict or recently recovering from conflict face long journeys to justice and right relationship. Adding to the challenge is that the “resource curse” in which natural resources help to fuel conflict and injustice. Many countries in conflict or recovering from conflict often face massive economic challenges as well, such as large burdens of odious debt and massive unemployment. This workshop will consider the cases of Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, looking at the nexus between conflict, natural resources, and large and unjust debt burdens. Come learn about the challenges but also to hear stories of hope including ongoing campaigning to clear the debts of Liberia and the DRC to help these nations move forward on a path towards justice and reconciliation.
Speakers: Dr. Benjamin Lartey, General Secretary, Liberian Council of Churches;
Rees Warne, Catholic Relief Services; Neil Watkins, National Coordinator, Jubilee USA Network.
Moderator: Emira Woods, Co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies;
Dr. Benjamin Lartey is General Secretary of the Liberian Council of Churches, and lay leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Rees Warne is the Issues Advisor for Extractive Industries for Catholic Relief Services. Much of her work is dedicated to supporting CRS’ projects and partners in developing countries to address the negative impacts of extractive industries and to promote the use of revenues from the extraction of oil, gas and mineral wealth to reduce poverty. She also works on advocacy with international financial institutions and companies to encourage transparency and improved use of corporate social responsibility funds. Ms. Warne’s background is in conflict management and rural development. Starting with her service in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, she has spent 7 years living and working in developing countries. She was last in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in November, 2007.
Neil Watkins is the National Coordinator of Jubilee USA Network. Founded in 1997, Jubilee USA is the US arm of the global campaign for impoverished country debt cancellation. Prior to joining Jubilee’s staff in 2003, he coordinated campaigns for debt cancellation and World Bank reform at the Center for Economic Justice. From 1998-2000, Neil was a research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the Preamble Center in Washington, where he authored several papers on the impact of IMF and trade policies on Africa and Latin America. He has a degree in International Affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with a minor in African Studies. He spent a year in Dakar, Senegal studying and working on issues of debt and development in 1996-97. In 2007, he testified on issues relating to international debt on behalf of Jubilee USA Network before the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.
Emira Woods is the Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) is a think tank for research, analysis, and action that brings together 600 scholars, advocates, and activists who strive to make the United States a more responsible global partner. The Institute for Policy Studies is a multi-issue research center that has transformed ideas into action for peace, justice, and the environment for over four decades. Ms. Woods is an expert on U.S. foreign policy with a special emphasis on Africa and the developing world. She has written on a range of issues from debt, trade and development to US military policy. Ms. Woods completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University and her graduate studies at Harvard. Prior to joining IPS, Ms. Woods was Program Manager for the Committee on Development Policy and Practice at InterAction, serving as a principal staff contact for advocacy at the UN, the international financial institutions, USAID and Treasury. Previous to that, she served as Program Officer of Oxfam America's Africa program.
In 2007, Ms. Woods testified before Congress on international debt at hearings of the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.
Ms. Woods is a regular commentator on NPR’s News and Notes. She is a frequent guest on broadcast media including BBC, CNN, VOA, CBC, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, the Diane Rehm Show, the Kojo Nmandi Show and Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria on issues related to US Foreign Policy. She has hosted a WashingtonPost.com online chat and has published pieces in the NAACP’s Crisis magazine as well as the Miami Herald, the Christian Science Monitor, New York Newsday, the Nation, the Baltimore Sun, and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, among many others.
She serves on the Board of Directors of Africa Action, Just Associates, Global Justice and the Financial Policy Forum. She is also on the Network Council of Jubilee USA.
Water for All
This workshop will explore the issues of commodification and privatization of water in the context of Africa and Latin America, with discussion on how to best ensure safe, accessible, affordable, and sustainable water and sanitation services in poor communities.
Speakers: Deborah Katina(Kenya), coordinator of Yang’
Elias Szczytnicki (Peru), Director of the Latin America/Caribbean chapter of Religions for Peace
Deborah Katina is coordinator of Yang’at (“to care”), working in Kenya’s arid northwest. Her organization empowers women by improving access to water.
Elias Szczytnicki is Regional Coordinator of the Latin America/Caribbean chapter of Religions for Peace. He is involved in a civil society initiative called “Mantaro Revive,” which seeks reclamation of the natural resource of the Mantaro River basin, damaged by intensive mining activities in central Peru.
*Interactive* Globalization Games
Do you find it difficult to explain the problems associated with globalization to groups you are involved in? Are you looking for dynamic ways to start up conversations about globalization and how to make it more humane and sustainable? Dynamic interactive games can help people understand how globalization and various aspects of the global economy work. This workshop will present a variety of games and tools that you can use to talk about globalization. Be prepared to play one of the games and discuss other materials that can be useful for groups you are involved in. This will be an interactive “train the trainer” workshop.
Presenters: Abiosseh Davis, Center of Concern; David Kane, Maryknoll Global Concerns
Abiosseh Davis, Project Associate, serves as Project Associate for the Global Women’s Project at the Center of Concern. She joined the Center in July of 2007 and will be conducting research on and advocating around issues of gender and international trade policy. Abiosseh recently received an M.A. in Gender and Development studies from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton, U.K. She holds a B.S. in International Studies from Georgetown University, where she focused on Trans-state Actors and African Studies. Prior to joining the Center of Concern, Abiosseh worked as an executive assistant to the Director of the Business Relations Group at the Department of Labor and as a Program Associate in the Africa/Western Hemisphere Unit at the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). As a native of The Gambia and having spent a year abroad studying in Dakar, Senegal, Abiosseh has a strong interest in the gendered impacts of trade liberalization and international trade policy on the African continent.
David Kane, associate for Latin America, served for nine and a half years as a Maryknoll lay missioner in Joao Pessoa, Brazil where he worked with recyclers in city dumps helping them to form workers’ associations and cooperatives. He also worked with the Jubilee Brazil campaign, a coalition of numerous social organizations that mobilizes Brazilian society around the issues of debt, free trade and militarization through popular education campaigns and citizens' referendums. In addition to Latin America, Dave’s work in the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns focuses on trade and economic issues. He and his wife Luciana are members of the Assisi Community in Washington, D.C.
Latin America Track - Bolivia and Ecuador: Small Nations, Big Ideas
Sunday, March 11th
2:00 - 3:30pm: Track Time IV
Root Causes of (Im)Migration
This workshop will explore the effects of economic issues such as trade and debt on the migration of peoples. Those attending this workshop will gain an understanding of how the consequences of globalization often drive millions of people to seek a living in the United States and other rich countries. In addition, there will be examples of alternative economic strategies being pursued by local communities to protect their economies from the whims of globalization.
Speakers: West Cosgrove works with Project Puente in El Paso, Texas;
Marlye Gélin-Adams, Regional Advocacy Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, CARE USA;
Colin Rajah, Program Director for International Migrant Rights and Global Justice at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), a U.S. network of immigrant community organizations and advocates
Moderator: Susan Thompson, Medical Mission Sisters
West Cosgrove now works with Project Puente, a newly formed non-profit located in El Paso, Texas. He recently completed 22 years as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner. West and his family lived and worked in Venezuela from 1986-1993. A key part of West’s work since moving to the border region in 1993 has been to design and carry out week long immersion experiences for churches, universities and other groups.
Marlye Gélin-Adams, as the Regional Advocacy Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean for CARA USA, is responsible for developing and implementing CARE’s advocacy strategy vis-à-vis Haiti as well as supporting other advocacy initiatives in the region. She comes to CARE with extensive advocacy experience. Prior to joining CARE, she was the Assistant Director of the Duke University Center for International Studies where she worked on issues of democratic governance, public health, and equity. Prior to that, she managed a policy advocacy initiative on Haiti as well as the outreach program for the International Peace Academy (IPA). In that position, she analyzed Haiti’s challenges in a book chapter in State Failure and State Weakness in a Time of Terror (The Institution Press, January 2003). In an article titled “Haiti: Holding Up Democracy,” (The World Today), May 2000) and several policy reports. Ms. Gélin-Adams holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish, French, and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas At Austin. A native of Haiti, she is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, Spanish, and has a working-knowledge of Portuguese.
Colin Rajah is Program Director for International Migrant Rights and Global Justice at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), a U.S. network of immigrant community organizations and advocates.
A political refugee from Malaysia, and previously the Executive Director of JustAct: Youth Action for Global Justice, Colin has been an activist-organizer for 25 years in Asia and the U.S. He has authored dozens of articles and publications on migrant rights, international trade and globalization, international advocacy and grassroots solidarity, and on how trade and globalization is interlinked with migration.
Colin serves as a Steering Committee member for Migrant Rights International (MRI), an international network of migrant rights organizations. He co-chaired the international planning committee for the Global Community Forum on Migration, Development and Human Rights, a parallel civil society event to the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Brussels, Belgium and co-chaired a similar process for the 2006 United Nations High Level Dialogue (UNHLD) on Migration and Development in New York City. Colin also served as a National Planning Committee member of the 2007 U.S. Social Forum (USSF), and is an Executive Committee member of the Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ) Alliance. He currently provides consultation to the Malaysian Migration Working Group (MWG).
In addition to being a Fellow at the Oakland Institute, Colin has served as a consultant to the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP), Asia-Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Urban Habitat.
Susan Thompson works for the Medical Mission Sisters, Alliance for Justice. She focuses on global economic justice issues, including debt, trade and migration. She has worked on global economic issues for more than 22 years.
Film Screening: The Big Sellout
“When you drop bombs from 50,000 feet, you don’t see who they’re landing on, you don’t see the damage. It’s the same thing in economics when you talk about statistics and don’t think about the people that lie behind those statistics.” - Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize Winner, former Chief Economist at the World Bank in The Big Sellout
While international economic discourse is fixated on increasing efficiency and economic growth, The Big Sellout reminds us that there are faces behind the statistics using examples from: the public health budget in the Philippines which has undergone massive cuts since the 1980s, moving relentlessly towards a private health care system; Bolivian protests in 2000, following the sale of the public water company to a private corporation, which would have made water cost-prohibitive to much of the population; South Africa’s people who are unable to pay the rising prices resulting from the privatization of the formerly public owned electric company; and Great Britain’s national railway system, privatized by the Tories in the 1990s, which is reeling from service disruptions, 19th century accident rates and crippling morale among its labor force. Such evidence debunks the pervasive neo-liberal myth that private companies inevitably function more efficiently than public ones. This is an interactive “train the trainer” workshop that will focus on using film as a medium for advocacy. Participants will screen the documentary, receive training for hosting a film screening in their community and learn how to guide discussions that will turn into actions!
Moderator: Jessie Palatucci, United Church of Christ
Domestic Track: Addressing Corporate Power
In whatever struggle for justice we are involved, from health to ecology, workers’ rights to stopping wars, we run up against the overwhelming power and influence of corporations. Yet, when the U.S. was founded, very strict restrictions were placed on corporations and they had no political influence. What has happened since then to create these seemingly all-powerful corporations of today? More importantly, what can be done, and is already being done, to rein in corporate power in the U.S.? How can you participate in this fundamental struggle in your community? This workshop aims to answer these questions and more in an interesting look at corporations and society.
Presenters: David Kane, Maryknoll Global Concerns; Greg Coleridge, American Friends Service Committee
Latin America Track - Bolivia and Ecuador: Small Nations, Big Ideas
Africa Track: Green Revolution
3:45 - 5:15pm: Track Time V
Debt, Conflict and the Journey to Justice: The Cases of Liberia and the DRC
Countries in conflict or recently recovering from conflict face long journeys to justice and right relationship. Adding to the challenge is that the “resource curse” in which natural resources help to fuel conflict and injustice. Many countries in conflict or recovering from conflict often face massive economic challenges as well, such as large burdens of odious debt and massive unemployment. This workshop will consider the cases of Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, looking at the nexus between conflict, natural resources, and large and unjust debt burdens. Come learn about the challenges but also to hear stories of hope including ongoing campaigning to clear the debts of Liberia and the DRC to help these nations move forward on a path towards justice and reconciliation.
Speakers: Dr. Benjamin Lartey, General Secretary, Liberian Council of Churches; Rees Warne, Catholic Relief Services; Neil Watkins, National Coordinator, Jubilee USA Network.
Moderator: Emira Woods, Co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies;
Bringing it Home – Organizing for justice in your congregation
Inspire others to join the movement for global economic justice! Join this workshop to share experiences and explore creative ideas and strategies to engage your congregation and help it to become a prophetic and powerful force for God’s justice in the world.
Speakers: Nathan Fishman, Grassroots Outreach, Jubilee USA;
Stan Duncan, Pastor, Abington United Church of Christ;
MidoriYoshizaki, Grassroots Team Member, Jubilee USA
Nathan Fishman is the outreach and congregations fellow at Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of 75 religious denominations and faith communities, human rights, environmental, labor, and community groups working for the definitive cancellation of crushing debts to fight poverty and injustice in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey. At Jubilee, he coordinates Jubilee’s co-sponsorship of peace events and conferences; builds relationships with grassroots supporters and members of the Jubilee Congregations program; and participates on event planning committees such as the Jubilee/Economic Justice Track for Ecumenical Advocacy Days.
Stan Duncan has advanced degrees in both theology and economics and has worked in both fields. He was a development economist in Central America for several years and now is a United Church of Christ pastor in Abington, Massachusetts. He is author of a number articles on political and social issues, three handbooks on third world economic development and, most recently, a book of devotional writings for activists. He was the head of the Economic Globalization Taskforce of the United Church of Christ and until recently a member of the Coordinating Committee of Jubilee USA.
Midori Yoshizaki is interning at Jubilee USA for this spring 2008 semester. She was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan and goes to school there. She has been in the U.S from last summer as an exchange student at American University majoring International Environment and Development. Before she comes back to Japan in this may, she is hoping to grasp her academic interests and the precious experience at Jubilee USA.
*Interactive* Globalization Games
Do you find it difficult to explain the problems associated with globalization to groups you are involved in? Are you looking for dynamic ways to start up conversations about globalization and how to make it more humane and sustainable? Dynamic interactive games can help people understand how globalization and various aspects of the global economy work. This workshop will present a variety of games and tools that you can use to talk about globalization. Be prepared to play one of the games and discuss other materials that can be useful for groups you are involved in. This will be an interactive “train the trainer” workshop.
Presenters: David Kane, Maryknoll Global Concerns; Abiosseh Davis, Center of Concern
Latin America Track: The Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Speakers: Jessica Walker-Beaumont, American Friends Service Committee
Speakers
Jessie Palatucci is a policy associate with the United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications and Philosophy from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT. Since beginning her work for the UCC Washington Office she has worked on issues of domestic and global poverty, election empowerment, and grassroots advocacy. She previously worked as an editor and writer for an online news magazine and recently worked to envision and create a documentary short on aggression in young girls.