A letter from ....AFTINET

Get involved in AFTINET - The Fair Trade campaign needs your help

By David Carey

Become a supporter of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET). Great amounts of great work are being done by a dedicated band of experienced campaigners, and community members with a passion for Fair Trade. They cannot do it all by themselves.
Why not give them a hand?

AFTINET is national network of over 90 organisations and many more individuals supporting the fair and democratic regulation of trade consistent with human rights and environmental sustainability. AFTINET conducts research, lobbying and community education on issues of trade justice.

The network enjoys broad community support and members of our network include unions, community groups and environment groups. Please find information on AFTINET's history, recent achievements and future plans enclosed. I also refer you to the website www.aftinet.org.au for further information and copies of our parliamentary submissions.

AFTINET is a not for profit organisation. Our funding comes from our community supporters. We do not accept government or corporate funding and this gives us the freedom to continue to criticise or to congratulate with objectivity. Much of our funding to date has been sourced from supportive unions and other community groups.

As you would understand, these groups are becoming less able to provide funding in the current political climate and so we are seeking alternative sources of funding.

Please consider becoming a member of AFTINET and giving a donation to support our work. A membership and donation form is enclosed. We will keep you informed and involved in our campaigns through regular updates and publications, coordinated lobbying of politicians and community education events in your area.

Every donation is important to us and sincerely appreciated. We expect 2005 / 2006 to be a busy and important year for trade justice campaigning. Your contribution will help to maintain AFTINET as a viable network and will help to raise the level of public debate about the impact of trade agreements on human rights and democracy.

If you would like to discuss the work of AFTINET further or to get more involved, please contact Dr Patricia Ranald, Convenor of AFTINET, on 02 8898 6500 or by email at pranald@piac.asn.au.

Yours sincerely

Dr Patricia Ranald
Convenor, Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network

WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED RECENTLY?

1) Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (US FTA) campaign achievements
· Distributed over 40 000 hard copies of Ten Devils in the Detail, a publication analysing the USFTA, and distributed many more copies through our website. This publication is enclosed.
· Widespread media publicity for views critical of the US FTA in local, state and national media.
· Wrote submissions and gave detailed evidence to two parliamentary inquiries, outlining threats to access to medicines, Australian media content, regulation of investment and services, quarantine and other issues.
· Organised public rallies in Sydney and Canberra and held public meetings in most capital cities and a number of regional areas, such as Dubbo, Newcastle and Katoomba.
· Presented a critical statement on the US FTA signed by 65 organisations and over 2000 individuals to the Trade Minister and delivered 1700 postcards to the leader of the Opposition.
· Lobbied local MPs through letters, postcards, personal meetings and coordinated visits by AFTINET members to their local politicians.
· Adoption by all opposition parties of critical policies on the USFTA, however opponents in the ALP were defeated in the ALP caucus.
· Influenced public opinion - support for the US FTA steadily declined from 65% when negotiations started to 35% in February 2004 when the deal was concluded. A survey by the Lowy Institute in February 2005 showed that support for the US FTA remains at only 35%.

2) Australia-China Free Trade Agreement campaign achievements
· Researched, wrote and distributed three publications on the proposed China FTA, highlighting concerns about workers' rights in both countries and the need for full public and parliamentary debate. The latest publication is enclosed.
· Held a public seminar in Sydney, Trading Away Human Rights, and received media publicity including SBS TV news, the Australian Financial Review and community radio.
· Regular media publicity about the impact of the China FTA on workers rights in China and Australia.
· Lobbied Federal MPs through letters, coordinated email campaigns and personal meetings.
· Wrote submissions and had consultations with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
· Wrote a submission to the Senate Inquiry on Australia's relations with China and presented evidence at public hearings. This Inquiry will report in September.
· Developed contacts with organisations and activists working in labour rights and environmental issues in China and Hong Kong.

3) World Trade Organisation (WTO) and general achievements by AFTINET
· Produced a new publication on the WTO trade in services negotiations (GATS) and WTO July Framework Agreement, noting the victory for community campaigns to exclude the 'new issues' of Investment, Competition Policy and Government Procurement
· Our postcard campaign and a rally at Sydney Water led to a campaign victory in May 2005 when the Government announced that "water for human use" would not be included in the WTO's trade in services agreement (GATS). See enclosed postcard and leaflet.
· Held a public meeting and drafted a submission on the Thai-Australia FTA.
· Expanded AFTINET membership to 90 organisations, and many more individuals.
· Organised regular meetings between Government trade representatives and AFTINET members.
· Provided speakers at public events, seminars and education sessions.
· Distributed regular bulletins and alerts about the WTO trade in services agreement, bilateral trade agreements and other trade justice issues.
· Liaised with similar groups in other countries.
· Updated our website (www.aftinet.org.au), which now receives over 60 000 hits per month.
WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO IN 2005 / 2006 WITH YOUR HELP?

We expect 2005 to be a busy and important year for trade justice campaigning. The next World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial will be held in Hong Kong in December and there are concerns that the Government will increase Australia's commitments on essential services in the WTO trade in services agreement (GATS) at this Ministerial. In addition, negotiations will proceed more rapidly on the China FTA and the impacts of the US FTA will begin to be felt.

· Campaign and lobby the Government on the GATS - 2005 is an important year as the Government is set to increase our GATS service commitments in the lead-up to the next WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong in December 2004. We will campaign to keep essential services, such as water, health, education, postal, telecommunications, audio-visual and public transport OUT of the GATS.

· Produce and distribute a publication on WTO Ministerial to be held in Hong Kong in December, including an analysis of the GATS negotiations, as well as an analysis of the WTO negotiations to decrease trade barriers in agriculture and goods and their impact on communities in Australia and in developing countries. Hold community education seminars on these issues.

· Conduct community education and lobbying as negotiations proceed on the China FTA through public meetings, media publicity and submissions to the Government, including campaigning for community and parliamentary debate on the China FTA.

· Organise a speaking tour of labour rights and environmental activists from China to Australia to raise community concerns about the China FTA.

· Track the impact of the USFTA, including any increases in medicine prices, and campaign on any attempt by the US to challenge Australian laws before a USFTA trade tribunal. Feed this information through to our members and to the community through public meetings and publications.

· Monitor other proposed trade agreements, including agreements with Malaysia and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

· Continue to research and campaign on the changes needed to make the trade and investment system more democratic, accountable and consistent with human rights.

· Keep you in touch and involved with regular bulletins, publications, events, coordinated lobbying and planning meetings.

August 2005 contents