The fate of our sacred and essential soil and water is at great risk. Many parts of the 'Third World' have been forced to dismantle their public infrastructures in recent decades under International Monetary Fund - imposed structural adjustment programs. In order to be eligible for debt relief, for example, dozens of 'developing' countries have been forced to abandon public social programs over the last 20 years. Foreign corporations have come in and sold their health and education 'products' to wealthy elites 'consumers'. Latin American countries are currently experiencing an invasion of US healthcare corporations.
Asian countries allow branch plants of foreign-based university and health care chains.
Recently, the World Bank has been forcing the same countries to privatize their water services and are openly working with corporate water giants like Vivendi and Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, to establish their 'rights' to profiteer in the Third World. Bolivian people have been shot protesting water charges that cost a third of their wages. Water may be bought and internationally shipped according to WTO rules. Now, through the GATS negotiations, these corporations want binding and irreversible rules guaranteeing them access to government service contracts everywhere in the world. And they are succeeding.