TORONTO – Sid Ryan, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, will participate in the third Peoples’ Summit of the Americas being held November 1 to 5 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
The event parallels the Summit of the Americas (November 4-5), an event attended by the many worldwide leaders pushing to implement a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement. Four million people in 200 cities will demonstrate against US President George Bush’s vision for the agreement. More than 50,000 people will demonstrate in Mar del Plata, the host city for the Peoples’ Summit.
“The Peoples’ Summit will address issues in the proposals being made by these leaders, discuss the impacts of their decisions, and then make counter proposals. In Canada, we know first-hand the inherent problems, adverse effects and broken promises of free trade agreements through the ongoing disputes over NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement),” Ryan said, noting the current debate about softwood lumber.
The Peoples’ Summit agenda will deal with poverty and inequality issues, the environment, universal health care, social programs, natural resources, human rights, democracy and trade issues. It is a coalition of labour organizations, religious communities, farmers, human rights and women’s organizations.
More than 500 national and international organizations will be represented at the Peoples’ Summit, and will participate in workshops, cultural events, marches and rallies.
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For more information, please contact:
Sid Ryan
President, CUPE Ontario
(in Argentina) 011 54 911 6125-0493
Sharon Young
CUPE Communications
416-299-9739; 905-213-2704 (cell