Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Rather than experiencing real benefits from trade liberalization and the intense promotion of international trade, the most impoverished people and the environment are bearing the burden of the process. Trade agreements are being drafted by powerful nations, institutions, corporations and individuals to benefit a minority of the global population. Poor nations and organizations of impoverished people are regularly excluded from a meaningful role in trade negotiations.

In the process,whole sectors of the economy in which poor people were participating, such as subsistence farming and small, locally owned businesses have been destroyed. Millions of people have no job security, are not paid a living wage or work only in the informal sector.

At the same time, the right of the private sector to profit is taking precedence over the right of all people to access the basic necessities of life, including food, health care and essential medicine, shelter and basic education.

See also:

• Stop the Peru Free Trade Agreement: Take action the week of October 29

• Sign the petition to call for a moratorium on free trade agreements

• DR-CAFTA in Year One, a report by the Stop CAFTA
  Coalition, September 2006 (PDF file)

• El TLC entre los EEUU, Centroamérica y la
  República Dominicana en su primer año, un informe
  de la Coalición alto al CAFTA, Enero 2007 (PDF file)

• Report on "Rethinking U.S. Trade Policy for the Common Good"
  Congressional briefing, March 13, 2007

• As Guatemala enters CAFTA, U.S. coalition calls for a new trade model (July 6)

• Coalición Estadounidense llama a seguir un nuevo modelo de intercambio comercial mientras Guatemala entra al CAFTA (July 6, 2006)

• National Labor Committee's report on U.S.-Jordan free trade agreement
  (May 2006)

• Is the U.S. trade agenda coming apart at the seams?

• Holy See's reflection on occasion of WTO ministerial meeting in Hong
  Kong, December 2005

• Maryknoll Leadership Statement on Trade and Investment
  Trading in Justice: The Local Impact of Global Economic Decisions
  (PDF file)

• Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns’ Update on Trade and Agriculture Aug-Sep 2003 (PDF file)

• Interfaith Working Group Statement on Trade and Investment (PDF file)

• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) website, "Trade Matters"

Fair trade links

• Just Garments: fair trade clothing from El Salvador
• Equal Exchange
• Fair Trade Federation
• Fair Trade Certified
• Fair Trade Resource