From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: In GATT They Trust (IV)
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 05:11:05 GMT

In GATT They Trust (IV)


The following article was taken from the _Covert Action_ Spring 1992
[special issue dedicated to  Native people's rights/struggles]
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Terry Allen is co-editor of CAIB [CovertAction Information Bulletin] 
and a journalist who has worked in the U.S. and abroad. 
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For more information about CovertAction Information Bulletin and
subscription information, please see bottom or email Rich Winkel at
rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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========================= 
Impact On The Third World 
========================= 

Although there has been a great deal of analysis of the potential 
negative impact of the Dunkel draft in the U.S., a serious examination 
of likely repercussions on the poor communities in the Third World has 
only begun. 

They fear the draft would mean a surrender of national sovereignty and 
complete domination of sensitive sectors of their national economy by 
foreign transnationals[see article for citation].  In India, for 
example, political parties in the ruling coalition have threatened to 
bring down the government if it agrees to sections of the Dunkel draft 
relating to services and so-called intellectual property, including 
items such as copyrights and patents. 

A wide range of grassroots social movements is also mobilizing 
opposition to GATT, and recently held a meeting in Sewgram, Wardha 
(central India) where Mahatma Gandhi launched his 1942 movement 
against British colonial rule.  Calling themselves the "Azadi Bachao 
Andolan" movement, they brought together all of the major groups 
working to stop GATT in order to "protect India's freedom and fight 
against recolonization." GATT, they charge, "will cripple and 
annihilate the poor and vulnerable of the Third World," while 
protecting the transnational corporations from being held accountable 
(see article for citation). 

Another important area of Third World concern is agriculture. 
Provisions in the Dunkel draft would further encourage teh already 
dammaging expansion of cash crop agriculture in the Third World for 
export to the U.S., Europe, and Japan.  This shift would take land, 
water, and scarce inputs away from local farmers who are producing 
food for their families and communities.  And by dumping large 
quantities of imports produced at near slave wages onto the U.S. 
markets, the policy could ruin the domestic market for many U.S. 
family farmers. 

Perhaps the biggest concern of the Third World is that the new GATT 
structure could lead to cross retaliation, wherby their exports of raw 
materials to the countries of the North could be blocked if they did 
not open their banks, insurance or telecommunications sectors to 
outside investors.  These giants from the North would soon be in a 
postition to dominate local sectors and dictate policies which favored 
their transnational interests. 

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