As our nation copes with the worst economic crisis in decades, we have a unique opportunity to demand changes in the pro-corporate free trade model that has so negatively affected our family economies. The public tide has turned against NAFTA-style trade agreements in the United States and its partner countries, yet business and some members of Congress continue to push hard to pass the seriously flawed Colombia Free Trade Agreement and others still before Congress. Now is the time to act and demand changes. Take a stand with thousands of fellow citizens against the NAFTA model that displaces millions from their homes and jobs and furthers environmental destruction. We demand and deserve trade agreements that assure job security, decent livelihoods, a healthy environment and safe consumer goods--for us and our children.
Sign the following petition to express your support for a change in U.S. trade policy.
U.S. trade policy is not working for the majority of Americans.
Free trade agreements forged in the NAFTA mold have not brought about a general increase in standards of living at home or within partner countries, and have contributed to the loss of U.S. jobs, eroding labor standards, a burgeoning trade deficit, and worsened inequality.
Despite mounting evidence of negative impacts and calls from the U.S. public to rethink trade policy, the former Bush administration refused to modify the NAFTA model of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and submitted new FTAs to Congress. Three of those - Colombia, South Korea and Panama - are still pending.
It's time to change course in our trade policy. We are joining together to call for a fundamental first step:
Congress should declare an immediate moratorium on new free trade agreements.
By declaring a moratorium on passage of these three FTAs and the presentation of new ones, Congress can heed the message of the majority of the people and take a close look at the way these agreements have restructured our economy, our communities, and our foreign policy. A moratorium on FTAs will give Congress, the executive branch, and the public an opportunity to evaluate the overall impact of Free Trade Agreements, deepen democratic debate on trade, and develop a new long-term trade policy as part of a coherent economic and foreign policy.
The U.S. public and policymakers deserve comprehensive studies on the results of Free Trade Agreements before pushing blindly forward. Studies should measure the impact of the free-trade model to date not merely by gauging growth in international trade and investment, but by its success or failure in broader goals of job creation, broadly shared development, and sustainability. At present there is considerable evidence that FTAs do not benefit the majority of the people.
This long-term view toward sustainable trade policy must take into account its overall impact in U.S. society and in other parts of the world. Elements of a new trade policy should include:
Enforceable international labor, human rights and environmental standards
Mechanisms to guarantee affordable access to life-saving medicines for poor people
Measures to provide for the special needs and goals of developing countries
Recognition of the right to food sovereignty and the social value of preserving family farms, in the U.S. and other countries
Transparency and democratic decision-making in the design, implementation and monitoring of trade policy
Job retraining and community economic restructuring programs
We do not need more free trade agreements modeled after a failing policy. The time has come for Congress and the U.S. public to assume responsibility for adopting a trade policy that works in the interests of the majority and fosters fair and peaceful international relations.
This is the time to make a difference. Endorse the call for a moratorium on Free Trade Agreements by signing on here.
