[CTC] Trade justice events during Seattle's APEC counter-summit & mobilization

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Hi everyone,

Our friends at the Washington Fair Trade Coalition have an excellent line-up of educational events and actions during the APEC meetings coming to Seattle later this month.  If you have members, colleagues or friends in the Pacific Northwest, please forward them this email and encourage them to turn out!

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826



Dear friends,

Officials from D.C. and multiple countries throughout the Asia Pacific region will be in Seattle later this month for closed-door, invite-only talks on trade and the global economy.  We are inviting your organization and its members to please join us in demanding transparency, labor rights, environmental protection, and consumer privacy in ongoing trade negotiations.  

Events co-hosted by the Washington Fair Trade Coalition include:

Saturday, July 29: Trade Justice Workshop at the PNW People Over Profit APEC Counter-Summit. <https://tradejusticeedfund.org/events/trade-workshop-at-the-pnw-people-over-profit-apec-counter-summit/> (1:00pm; UW, Architecture Hall, Rm 147; 3943 Stevens Way, Seattle.) Hear from labor, environmental, digital rights and other organizers on the status of Indo-Pacific trade negotiations; the struggle between corporate-driven trade rules and people’s interests; and what you can do to make a difference. Part of a larger People’s Summit  <https://www.pnw-pop.com/peoples-summit>with additional workshops on the rights of workers, women, migrants and the planet. RSVP Here. <https://actionnetwork.org/events/trade-workshop-at-the-pnw-people-over-profit-apec-counter-summit/>

Sunday, July 30: Trade Justice Contingent at the APEC Counter-Mobilization March & Rally. <https://tradejusticeedfund.org/events/trade-justice-contingent-at-the-apec-counter-mobilization-march-rally/>  (11:00am; Cal Anderson Park; 1635 11th Ave, Seattle.) Join us in demanding "People Over Profits" in Indo-Pacific trade during a short rally in the park, and then join the march bringing our demands to the APEC meetings at the Seattle Convention Center.  Look for the Washington Fair Trade Coalition banner and other trade-oriented signs — we’ll have plenty for you to march with! RSVP Here. <https://actionnetwork.org/events/trade-justice-contingent-at-the-apec-counter-mobilization-march-rally/>

Date TBA: Town Hall on “Digital Trade.” <https://actionnetwork.org/events/town-hall-on-digital-trade>  We’re also working with civil rights, consumer and labor rights leaders on a town hall spotlighting Big Tech’s attempts to rig trade deals to undermine consumer privacy, data security, AI accountability and anti-monopoly laws and regulations at home and around the world.  This is the newest front in trade policymaking, and decisions made this year could impact people for decades to come.  The time and location of this town hall are still being finalized.  Sign up here for updates <https://actionnetwork.org/events/town-hall-on-digital-trade>.

How You Can Help: In addition to RSVPing for the events above, please (1) forward this invitation to members, supporters, friends and anyone else you think might be interested; (2) promote the upcoming events via social media using this toolkit <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TPSPQKtYjG1fMYLn8mmu9dSSr3lu1GeGHqztCDSLgsc/edit?usp=sharing>; and (3) share this flyer <https://tradejusticeedfund.org/wp-content/uploads/WAFTC_TradeJusticeEventsDuringAPEC_Flyer.pdf> at any upcoming meetings.  

For More Information: contact Julie Bouanna of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition at Julie Bouanna <julie at washingtonfairtrade.org <mailto:julie at washingtonfairtrade.org>>.

Background: Many of the countries involved in the Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) meetings in Seattle this summer are also part of the ongoing Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) trade negotiations.  IPEF already includes fourteen countries, and between them, would set rules governing approximately 40% of the world's economy. More countries are expected to join IPEF, too, and it is likely become the template for additional U.S. trade deals across the Americas, Africa and beyond.  

If big corporations get their way, IPEF will set rules that facilitate more offshoring of good-paying jobs, exploitation of workers abroad, rip-and-ship resource extraction that accelerates global warming and deregulation for Big Tech in areas like consumer privacy, AI accountability and anti-monopoly.  

We’re asking you to join us in demanding that trade rules instead prioritize workers, consumers and the planet while officials from each of the IPEF countries are in town!

Together, we can stop greedy corporations from rigging IPEF and other trade deals in their interests! 

In solidarity, 

Julie Bouanna (she/her) | State Director
206-227-3079 | julie at washingtonfairtrade.org <mailto:julie at washingtonfairtrade.org>
Washington Fair Trade Coalition | www.washingtonfairtrade.org <http://www.washingtonfairtrade.org/>

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