ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE CBI AND NAFTA FOR AFRICA (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE CBI AND NAFTA FOR AFRICA

As many of you are aware, both the House and the Senate have passed 
versions of H.R. 434, the "African Growth and Opportunity Act," dubbed 
"NAFTA for Africa" by its critics. The Senate version has attached NAFTA 
expansion to Central America and the Caribbean, otherwise known as "CBI - 
NAFTA parity." The combined package is currently before a House-Senate 
conference.

Neither bill meets the demands of progressive critics of U.S. trade and 
investment policy, or the concerns of economic justice movements in the 
countries affected.  Three basic elements of sustainable economic 
development policy are missing from this corporate-led bill:

-Debt cancellation delinked from compliance with IMF-World Bank structural 
adjustment policies;
-Enforceable labor rights standards; and
-Real protection for the environment.

Nonetheless, there is a major effort underway to misinform Members of 
Congress that "NAFTA for Africa" and CBI expansion are supported by a broad 
array of liberal and progressive groups.  For example, a group called 
"Haiti Advocacy, Inc." placed an ad in the Capitol Hill publication "Roll 
Call," over the signature of many progressive groups and individuals, 
urging passage of the bill. Many of these groups and individuals had no 
idea that their name was going on such an ad, and strongly oppose the bill.

To find out if you or your group was listed in the Roll Call ad, contact 
Scott Nova at the Citizens Trade Campaign at 202-546-4611.

If you or your group was listed in the Roll Call ad, and you wish to make 
clear that you do not support the "NAFTA for Africa/CBI" package, we ask 
you to fax a letter *this week* to that effect to Representative Sherrod 
Brown's office at 202-225-2266 -- his office has agreed to collect these 
letters for further distribution. Please send your letter to the attention 
of Tom Moore, and fax a copy to Segundo Mercado-Llorenz at the Citizens 
Trade Campaign at 202-547-7392. Please emphasize that any new U.S. 
legislation concerning trade with Africa, Central America and the Caribbean 
should include debt cancellation delinked from compliance with IMF-World 
Bank structural adjustment policies and enforceable labor rights and 
environmental standards.

Even if you or your group was not listed in the Roll Call ad, we ask you 
write and call your Congressional representatives indicating that you 
oppose HR 434, or any new trade agreements with Africa, Central America or 
the Caribbean which does not include debt cancellation delinked from 
compliance IMF-World Bank structural adjustment policies and does not 
include enforceable labor rights and environmental standards. You can also 
send generic "Dear Senator" and "Dear Representative" letters to Scott 
Nova, Citizens Trade Campaign at 215 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, 
DC  20003 or 202-547-7392 by fax..

Thank you for your efforts to change the pro-corporate character of U.S. 
trade and investment policy.

-Robert Naiman, 50 Years is Enough Network