Tues, 11/27:

Last week, a US corporation revealed that it is suing Quebec in an international tribunal under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for banning fracking. You can read more about this here and here. As this disturbing precedent illustrates, if we succeed in banning fracking in New York state, foreign corporations invested in NY fracking will be able to sue our government for unlimited sums in an international tribunal outside the jurisdiction of the US court system, claiming that our ban violates their "investor rights." And Trans-Pacific Partnership, a plan to massively expand NAFTA, will grant these rights to corporations in many more countries!

CRITICAL BRIEFING AND PLANNING MEETING!

Please join us on Tuesday, November 27th for an informational event and organizing meeting to plan to demand that President Obama fix or abolish NAFTA - instead of expanding it via TPP!

PRESENTERS

Adam Weissman, Global Justice for Animals and the Environment

Ana Maria Quispe-Piscoya, nutritionist and anti-GMO activists

Amanda Lugg, Health Global Access Project

DATE: Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
TIME: 6:30PM - 9:30PM
LOCATION: Metropolitan Community Church of New York, 446 West 36th Street between 10th and Dyer Avenues, Manhattan, NYC

Suggested Donation: $5-15 (free if you can't afford to pay! No pressure!)

RSVP & Additional Info: http://tradejustice.net/tppforums

DIRECTIONS:

By Subway: A, C, or E to West 34th Street. Walk or take the M34 bus to Dyer Avenue.  Walk North to 36th Ave and west (in the direction of 10th Avenue.  Church is on the South Side of the Street.

By Bus: M34 to Dyer Ave.  Walk North to 36th Ave and west towards 10th Ave.  Church is on the South Side of the Street.

Organizations: To endorse this event, visit http://tradejustice.net/nov27endorse

Printable Flier: http://tradejustice.net/n27frq

(copy same original on both sides and cut into four quarter page sized fliers)

Additional Info: Phone: (718) 218-4523 Email: info@tradejustice.net Web: http://tradejustice.net

AGENDA

6:30-8PM: A panel of anti-TPP activists will discuss what this NAFTA suit means for the fight against fracking, why TPP is an even greater threat, and will also discuss how TPP will limit access to lifesaving generic medicines and force countries to drop their bans on genetically modified foods.

8-9:30 PM: A concrete planning about how we can get the word out about TPP to more people and demand that our elected officials take action to derail this terrible trade deal in the making.

ENDORSING ORGANIZATIONS

American Jobs Alliance; Brooklyn for Peace; Center for Health, Environment, and Justice; Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines; Global Justice for Animals and the Environment; Mingas Network; Occupy Wall Street Environmental Solidarity Working Group; Occupy Wall Street Trade Justice Working Group; Sane Energy Project; and TradeJustice New York Metro.

BACKGROUND

In 2008, Barack Obama said "I will make sure that we renegotiate [NAFTA], in the same way that Senator Clinton talked about. And I think actually Senator Clinton’s answer on this one is right. I think we should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage to ensure that we actually get labor and environmental standards that are enforced. And that is not what has been happening so far. "  But since being elected, he's completely reversed course.  Instead of working for a more environmentally responsible NAFTA or pulling out, President Obama is instead working to EXPAND NAFTA to many more countries via negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement (also known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership), which will give corporations in 11 countries the right to sue the United States in an international tribunal outside the jurisdiction of the US court system for unlimited sums if New York bans fracking.