Reply #2: AFSC is doing a campaign as well

[eridani]

NATIONWIDE ACTIONS TO STOP THE PERU FTA



TAKE ACTION the week of October 29th - November 3rd in solidarity with others across the country to say NO to the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA). AFSC is joining this national grassroots call for action – visit the Alliance for Responsible Trade website for more creative ideas action and to sign onto the national call to action (http://www.art-us.org/node/280)!



The Peru FTA is expected to come up for a vote either late this week or sometime next week. We need your help in sending a strong message that expanding NAFTA and CAFTA to Peru is a bad idea.



This weekend, Democratic leaderships’ strategy for a quiet passage of the Peru FTA hit a snag when Senator Edwards declared his opposition to all four of the pending FTAs with Peru , Panama , Colombia and South Korea . This will cause them to revisit their strategy. Let us take full advantage of this unexpected opening and send a clear message to our members of Congress.



Act quickly and be part of a nationwide effort to stop the Peru FTA from passing. Call the DC office of your Member of Congress today!



Call-In Instructions


Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at [phone]. Ask to be connected to your House or Senate member (give your state and zip code if you’re not sure)

When you are connected, ask to speak with the staffer working on trade issues. Tell him or her that you oppose expanding NAFTA and CAFTA to Peru .

Ask for your representative’s position on the US-Peru FTA in writing to be sent to you by email or regular mail.

Use a local or personal story of damage from bad trade deals to illustrate your case or use the call script provided below.


Stop the US - Peru FTA vote call script:


Hello, my name is _________, and I am a constituent. May I speak with the staffer that deals with trade issues?

I am calling to find out Representative/Senator ______________ position on the upcoming U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement. Can you tell me how he/she plans to vote?

It is very important that Representative/Senator _____________ come out publicly to oppose this FTA. Despite changes to the Peru FTA it will still (select one or two of the below talking points):

THREATEN SMALL FARMERS. The agreement will favor only a small sector of Peruvian farmers who export to the US . By lowering Peru ’s tariffs on agricultural products, the vast majority of farmers would be vulnerable to cheap subsidized imports from the U.S. This would wipe out local farmers—as happened to the 1.3 million who have been displaced in Mexico since NAFTA passed 12 years ago.

THREATEN ACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING MEDICINES. While the amended text of the Peru FTA removes the most egregious, CAFTA-based, provisions limiting the access to affordable medicines, it still includes NAFTA provisions that undermine the right to affordable medicines for poorer countries.
THREATEN WORKERS AND ENVIRONMENT. Changes to the labor and environment provisions are insufficient. The Peru FTA allows discretion for FTA dispute settlement panels to interpret and apply the terms of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work differently than the Declaration has been interpreted and applied by the ILO itself. Enforcement of the new changes will be dependent on Peruvian President Garcia who has a consistent record of undermining domestic labor and environmental law enforcement.

THREATEN WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND THE POOR. Provisions promoting the privatization and deregulation of essential services such as water, healthcare and education are written into this trade agreement. As these services become less accessible, women and the poor would have to make up for increases in prices of these services.

THREATEN U.S. AND PERUVIAN SOVEREIGNTY. The Peru FTA contains a NAFTA-style foreign investor chapter that allows corporations to bring actions against governments that pass environmental and public health laws that might reduce corporate profits.

THREATEN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES by opening the way for large pharmaceutical and agribusiness corporations to patent traditional knowledge, seeds, and life forms. This opens the door to bio-piracy of the Andean-Amazon region and threatens the ecological, medicinal and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples.


Would you be willing to send me an email with Representative ________________ position on the trade pact to ___________________ .


Please do e-mail us their response at trade {at} afsc.org

Jessica Walker Beaumont
Trade and Debt Specialist
American Friends Service Committee
NEW TEL: [phone]

Check out our new campaign www.tradeandwar.org www.trade-matters.org

www.afsc.org/lifeoverdebt