WTO Seattle Events and Creation of Strategic Network to Push Civil Society Guidelines for WTO

[Deborah Groban Olson <dgo@esoplaw.com>]

Dear Rich, Peter, Mike and John:

        I would like a schedule of the planned events in Seattle surroundng the
WTO meeting. I hope to come if I can get specific info soon and affordable
transportation. There will be others from the Captial Ownership Group (COG)
at the Seattle events,whether or not I am able to attend.  I would
appreciate a response from each of you on the following idea, including
some suggestion regarding a way to bring these groups together from some
ongoing dialogue on proposals, strategic planning and action beyond the
planned demonstrations and teach-ins.

        My goal for this event is to connect activists from different realms 
into
a network. The purpose of the network is to develop or cross-endorse
proposals on a broad range of subjects affected by WTO action. The groups
in the network should include labor, local government, environmentalists,
employee owners, religious, community organizations, community economic
development groups and funds, and all those concerned that civil society is
taking an inappropriate back seat to global corporations.

        John Rakowitz, is business liason to Beverly Stein, County Board Chair 
and
County Executive of Multnomah County, Oregon. Several of you know Beverly
as long-time activist. John is working to get Beverly an invitation to
speak to the WTO ministers at the Seattle meeting. Bev has asked me to
provide her with content for her speech if she is invited, based on a
proposal I've written requiring a stock quid pro quo for all government
largesse to corporations. If she is not invited to present to the
ministers, I hope the organizers of the events will give her an opportunity
to address the protesters in an appropriate venue. I propose this as an
appropriate catalyst for creation of this network. If there is no other
venue for the discussion, I also offer the COG website, which is currently
running 8 discussion groups on related topics. I would like the network to
start with a live meeting in Seattle, and request that one of you provide a
venue for it.  Unless someone has another suggestion, I also offer the COG
website as an electronic location for this network discussion. We are
currently running 8 related discussion groups.

        We are planning a COG meeting for April 14-15 in Chicago, at which we
could provide some time for this topic for those unable to make it to Seattle.

        I have read the AFL-CIO proposals to the WTO, which I support
wholeheartedly. However, I think they do not cover enough territory to get
at the fundamental problem of capital concentration. International trade
agreements negotiated by the WTO are similar to the interstate commerce
clause and privilege and immunities clauses of the US Constitution, without
the other aspects of the Constitution which protect the rights of citizens
and local communities. (I know Bob Stumberg corrects me on the simplicity
of this idea and I humbly accept his corrections which we have not yet had
time to discuss.) These are merely a few examples of the types of issues
the proposed network should discuss. 

Thank you for your interest.

Deb Olson 
Attorney Deborah Groban Olson
Chair
Captial Ownership Group
c/o Shared Equity Strategies, Inc.
3163 Penobscot Bldg.
645 Griswold St.
Detroit, MI 48226
(ph) 313/ 331-7821  or 964-2460
(f) 313/ 331-2567     or 964-4065

dgo@EsopLaw.com
www.EsopLaw.com