JSAPMDD held two workshops as part of the week-long activities of the Social Movements for an Alternative Asia and the Indonesian National Coalition against Neoliberalism and Imperialism/Gerak Lawan which were timed with the 9th Ministerial of the World Trade Organization in Bali, Indonesia. The Global Week of Action from December 1-6, 2013 brought together peoples’ organizations and movements from different countries who highlighted the adverse impacts on people and communities, livelihoods and the environment of the corporate-ruled, free trade regime and resoundingly called for an end to the WTO. (See http://smaa.asia/action-plan-and-roadmap-to-bali and http://smaa.asia/endwto/gerak-lawan-social-movements-for-an-alternative-asia-will-take-to-the-street-on-the-opening-of-the-wtos-9th-ministerial-in-bali for more details)
The JSAPMDD-organized Forum on Trade and Climate Justice on December 5 made the the connections between trade and the climate crisis. It called attention to critical areas and issues for action and surfacing unities for coordinated advocacy and campaigning in the region.
The Forum on Trade and Tax Justice the following day, December 6, examined how trade and investment agreements (WTO and FTAs) shape international and national tax policies and practices. It also showed how these neoliberal-oriented policies constrain and even erode countries’ ability to mobilize public finance domestically.
Co-organizers of the two fora were the Freedom from Debt Coalition Philippines, Koalisi Anti-Utang (KAU), Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak Atas Air (KRuHA), Civil Society Forum on Climate Justice – Indonesia, Equity BD, LDC Watch, Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), Solidaritas Perempuan, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE), AKSI!, Public Services International (PSI) Asia Pacific and Christian Aid.