2016 Global Economic Justice Workshops

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is one of the most influential institutions in the world, but few Americans know what it does or how it works. Transparency at the IMF is critical. In some of the world’s poorest countries, not only does the public not know the details of loan contracts – that may contain harmful austerity measures – often even the country’s parliament doesn’t have the details. We can build transparency in the international financial system and the IMF can help lead the way. “Let There be Light.”

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Each year, the U.S. loses tens of billions of dollars to corporate tax avoidance, and the world’s poorest countries lose hundreds of billions more. This loss is a theft from the poorest and most vulnerable communities, paid for through decreased services and even increased taxes on the poor. Learn more about how we can stop offshore tax haven abuse, how religious communities in the Caribbean are preventing both corporate tax avoidance and austerity and how you can get involved.

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In November 2015, the Obama Administration reached an agreement on a new trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), involving twelve countries, representing about 40% of the world’s economy. The agreement, negotiated in secret, will be voted on by Congress later this year. While the Administration has touted it as the “most progressive” trade agreement in history, the text reflects a different, darker reality. The TPP agreement – like its predecessors the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) – reveals that the central interest promoted in the negotiations are those of large multinational corporations, not civil society.

Join us to hear first-hand testimony about how U.S. trade policy has impacted vulnerable communities in Peru, learn critical information about the agreement, and share ways the faith community can work with environmental, labor and other civil society leaders to stop Congress from passing the TPP.

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A movement is building in cities and towns in the U.S. and around the world to counter a growth-driven model of development that exploits people and God’s Earth for the profits of a few. This economy of inclusion is driven by workers, residents of marginalized communities, and people of faith seeking to apply their values to the marketplace. Hear about worker cooperatives, financial institutions serving low-income neighborhoods and locally-driven renewable energy projects, and leave with ideas about how you can get involved through policy or practice in your own community.

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