평화군축센터 미분류 2005-01-20   917

[WSF2005] Proposal for Asian Assembly against War

We Propose an “Asian Peoples’ and Social Movements Assembly against War and Neoliberal Globalization” to Take Place During World Social Forum 2005

We send our deepest condolences and solidarity to the people who have lost their family members in the catastrophic Tsunami, and to all those who are struggling to survive and overcome. The Tsunami may have essentially been a natural disaster, but at the same time was man-made in the sense that it manifests once again how inequality and poverty renders the people more vulnerable to this kind of disaster.

World capitalism, facing crisis of accumulation due to overproduction, has tried to overcome its crisis through neoliberal restructuring and financial globalization. Neoliberalism is enforcing not only liberalization of trade, but also institutionalization of speculative capital and extensive restructuring throughout the Third World. This is the essence of neoliberal attack upon the entire world by the IMF, World Bank and the WTO. Meanwhile, as we can see through US’s violent aggression on Faluza just after the re-election of Bush, imperialist attack will reinforce in order to subdue resistance of the Iraqi people. Furthermore, it is not too difficult to expect that the US will intensify its ‘anti-terror’ aggression on the ‘Axes of Evil’ such as Iran, Syria and North Korea, which it had been postponing?

This global state-of-affairs is being manifested directly in the Asian region. Recently, with the rise of China as a major economic and political player, competition between capital is becoming all the more intense, and maneuvers to integrate Asia through the ASEAN+3 FTA and the APEC and to endow unlimited freedom for capital are developing in full-scale. The intensification of competition between capital and the move towards forming an economic bloc are closely related to militarism that is sweeping the region. Conflict between India and Pakistan, revision of the Japanese Constitution, continuous ‘swiping out of guerilla forces’ in the Philippines, increasing threat to the Korean Peninsula, and the relocation of US troops in East Asia are all point towards escalation of militarism in the region.

The intensifying attack of ‘armed globalization’ results in sacrifice of workers, peasants, women, the poor ?of all peoples. Transnational capital and its partners, the international financial institutions, are depriving us of our rights to water, healthcare, education, land and food, and are pushing us into further poverty. However, the power of peoples’ struggles against transnational capital and imperialists is also elevating. South Korean workers’ struggle against irregular labour, the struggle of Thai workers against privatization, resistance of Indian people to protect water and life, the struggle of Dalits to uphold the most basic dignity as humans, peasants who fight to protect rice and land, and resistance of women against poverty and violence – are merely some examples of the struggles of the Asian people.

We, the Asian people, have fought long and hard against neoliberal globalization and war, against military threat, discrimination and oppression. However, we must now strive further ahead. With evidences of neoliberal economic integration and imperialist threat looming ahead of us, and also with the APEC Ministerial (Korea) and the WTO Ministerial (Hong Kong,Special Administrative Region of China) scheduled to be held in Asia, Asian movements must, more now than ever, strengthen our voice and stand in the forefront.

On the occasion of the Fifth World Social Forum, we propose an “Asian Peoples’ and Social Movements Assembly against War and Neoliberal Globalization” to held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Through this assembly, we propose that movements in Asia resolve on joint struggles, seek ways to strengthen solidarity in the region, and contribute to the global struggle against war and globalization. It can also be an opportunity through which we can share ideas and act in relation to the Tsunami.

Date, Time & Venue

28th January, 2005 / Porto Alegre, Brazil

08:30-11:30 Part 1 of 2 / Venue: G203

15:30-18:30 Part 2 of 2 / Venue: G204

Endorsed by:

(as of 18th January, 2005)

Altogether (Korea)

Asia Peace Alliance

ATTAC Japan

Campaign against Japan-Korea FTA (Japan)

Campaign for People뭩 War Crimes Tribunal on Bush, Blair & Roh Moo-Hyun (Korea)

Focus on the Global South

Freedom from Debt Coalition (Philippines)

Globalize from Below (Korea)

Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China)

Initiative for Joint Action against Globalization (Korea)

Institute for Popular Democracy (Philippines)

Japan-Korea Network (Japan)

Jubilee South/APMDD

Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

Korean Peasants League

Korean People뭩 Action against FTAs & WTO

Korean Women Peasants Association

National Trade Union Council Zenrokyo (Japan)

No to WTO Campaign (Japan)

People뭩 Solidarity for Social Progress (Korea)

US Peace Council

Observer: Democratic Labor Party (Korea)
 

PSPD

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