Asia Pacific Cities Summit Promotes Privatization of Education and Public Services

GROUPS OPPOSED TO PRIVATIZATION
OF EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SERVICES
PLAN TO PROTEST APC SUMMIT
IN SEATTLE

Now that people around the world have voiced their opposition to the FTAA in Quebec, a new series of international conferences in May are sure to attract demonstrators from fair trade, labor and environmantal groups.The APEC-sponsored Asian Development Bank conference in Honolulu,and the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Seattle are sure to be the targets of protests.

The Asia Pacific Cities Summit 2001 in Seattle will include over 600 delegates from over 70 Pacific Rim nations. The APC Summit agenda concentrates on the formation of public/private partnerships between local governments and corporations. At issue are the privatization of education and public services, biotechnology, global warming, APEC and the World Bank.

The plenary session at 1 PM on Tuesday May 7th at the Seattle Westin Hotel will be on biotechnology and how cities can attract biotech industries to their communities. Since biotech companies produce genetically modified organisms, groups like the Organic Consumers Co-op, the Campaign to Lable Genetically Altered Food, and other groups opposed to GMO's - the so-called "Frankenfood" issue, are critical of any attempts to promote the industry at the Summit.

A convergence has been called for May 8th at 10 Am at the Westin Hotel to protest the session on "how municipalities can create partnerships with the World Bank".Labor unions, especially public sector workers, environmental groups, fair trade and community activist groups are being asked to send people to the barricades to demonstrate against privatization and these backroom deals bewtween local and regional governments and corporate interests.

An additional conference has been added to the APC Summit which will be coordinated with meetings being held in Vancouver and Portland to address pollution, global warming and sustainability. These sessions will be held on the last three days of the summit.

Meanwhile, beginning on May 9th, the Asian Development Bank conference in Honolulu will be sparking major protests in Hawaii. Activists in Seattle may want to demonstrate in solidarity with the ADB protesters at the APC Summit.

For more information on the APC 2001 Summit in Seattle,
May 6 - 12th contact:
Mark Taylor-Canfield
Committee For Government Accountability at
mtc2...@yahoo.com