RALLY
Show Solidarity and Support - Speeches
Meet at Bartholomew Square 3.30pm, Thursday 29 March

DEBATE
Straight after the rally come and listen to the debate in Brighton Town Hall (4.30 start)

LOBBY
Write messages in support of the resolution to your councillors and local media.

For more info, contact Keith Taylor on 07966 528944.

What is GATS?
GATS is a feature of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and stands for General Agreement on Trade in Services, and negotiations to extend the scope of the regulations are being held this week in Geneva (start 21 March). If WTO get their way GATS powers will be extended worldwide in order to make it easier for large corporations to bid to provide essential public services, like health and education.

What would GATS do?
These far-reaching powers could enable private corporations to over-rule national government policies if they saw those policies as an obstruction to free-trade, irrespective of whether they were initially introduced to safeguard vital social or welfare rights, planning policy or environmental protection measures.

What would be the result of extending GATS' power?
If GATS goes ahead, the authority of national governments and local authorities will be held up to scrutiny by big business. All sorts of safeguards we currently take for granted could be swept aside by the unelected WTO bureaucrats. If GATS goes ahead, every person of the planet could be affected, especially those in poorer countries, as the march of trade-liberalisation seeks to maximise profit from human and material resources at the same time as minimising its costs. GATS is a system designed for, and by, huge multinationals - with one priority - to increase their profits and market-domination.

What can I do?
If you are concerned about the drift toward globalisation where money becomes more important than people, where profit and loss accounts could replace social and environmental laws, then read the proposed Council resolution and come to Thursday's rally!