Karen Hansen Kuhn, international coordinator with the Alliance for Responsible Trade, examines the FTAA, and why so many groups across the western hemisphere are organizing to oppose it. Listen to RealAudio version on Between The Lines website for week ending 3/2/01. To subscribe to Between The Lines Q&A and/or Weekly Summary, email btlq...@topica.com and/or btls...@topica.com

Labor, Environmental and Human Rights Groups Organizing to Oppose April Americas Free Trade Treaty Summit in Quebec City

In April heads of state from nations throughout the Americas will gather in Quebec City, Canada for negotiations on the Free Trade Area of the Americas treaty. Once ratified, the FTAA will put in place a western hemisphere-wide trade agreement based on the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement under the framework of the World Trade Organization. Although much of the negotiations have been held in secret, the agreement is widely expected to give unprecedented new rights to multinational corporations, with little or no provisions protecting labor rights and the environment.

Many unions, human rights and environmental groups oppose adoption of the FTAA, seeing it as another component in corporate-led economic globalization that pits worker against worker and nation against nation in a race to the bottom. Thousands of activists will be converging in Quebec in April to attend an alternative "People's Summit" and to hold protest demonstrations.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Karen Hansen Kuhn, international coordinator with the Alliance for Responsible Trade, who examines the FTAA, and why so many groups across the western hemisphere are organizing to oppose it. Listen to RealAudio version on Between The Lines website for week ending 3/2/01. To subscribe to Between The Lines Q&A and/or Weekly Summary, email btlq...@topica.com and/or btls...@topica.com