Resolution against Free Trade and for ALBA

San Antonio Resolution ALBA-Against NAFTA and Free Trade

Southwest Workers Union
PO Box 830706
San Antonio, Texas 78283
210.299.2666
www.swunion.org

Contact:  Chavel Lopez at chavel@swunion.org 210.378.5548 cell

The neoliberal program started by the United States right after WWII, started with the triple headed institutions including The World Bank, The International Monetary Fund and the Bracero (Guest Worker) program in 1945. 

At the heart of the Neo Liberal capitalist expansion, is the monetary policy, world ‘Re-conquest” through privatization and ‘free trade’ re-colonialization, and the control of energy, markets and resources.  The implementation of the neo liberal plan comes with the military power, capital and/or forceful collaboration. 

The strategy is hemispheric first in the campaign to adopt the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), establishing Canada and Mexico as a power block for the United States.  AN expanded NAFTA came in the form of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA plus) because it included Central American nations and the Dominican Republic in Caribbean.  Moreover, the push fro the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA) at the hemispheric level was defeated in Mar de Plata. 

Historically, all of these ‘globalizing’ institutions of the Neo-Liberal Capitalist expansionist programs resulted in giant debt for client states.  Nearly, 60 years after the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were to do away with poverty, all of their client states are in crisis economically because of the debt.  In most cases the original debt has been paid several times over in interests paid.

The proof is that the neo-liberal capitalist expansion has failed because it is unsustainable.  The reason it is unsustainable is because the speculation of money, the exploitation of resources of poor countries, global control of petroleum, climate change and global warming, and the economic crisis is now ‘permanent’ crisis.  The neo-liberal system is in permanent crisis.
Therefore,

• Revoke NAFTA and CAFTA
• We propose that we must dismantle the neo-liberal system and begin constructing the Other World is Possible, by beginning with another United States.  
• We propose to establish and develop ALTERNATIVE INSTITUTIONS AND INFRA STRUCTURE that is off the ‘grid’, independent of the system.  
• We propose the to establish the ALBA economic alternatives in the United States.  We propose Cooperative economies, solidarity economies and bartering systems that are not based on the dollar.
• We propose that the ALBA-US integrate in the Social Movements in the ALBA that brings together social movements from the global south and the global north.
• We propose that ALBA-US organizations participate in the Gathering of Social Movements to take place in September 2010 in Quito???  and the Gathering March 2011 in Foz iguazu, Brazil.
• We propose to form the United States Social Movements (organizations) members of ALBA US and coordinate actions and plans as well as strategies.

We will organize ACTIONS:

The international DAY of ACTION for ALBA social movement organizations is ___________