Blockade CHOGM, Brisbane Australia
Asger
The 4ZzZ Anarchy Show & Friends Affiliate is inviting and encouraging
everyone to join us in a peaceful, festive blockade of the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Brisbane, Qld, Oct 6-9 at the
Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane.
The Qld State government propaganda is attempting to portray this forum as
progressive and positive, one that helps poor African nations and defends
democracy and human rights. Something altogether different to the W.E.F.
The fact is that since CHOGM '97 politicians have been using the forum to
push economic rationalism, and corporate globalisation over and above human
rights issues. As is demonstrated by the CHOGM '99 Fancourt Declaration, "We
fully believe in the importance of upholding labour standards and protecting
the environment. But these must be addressed in an appropriate way that does
not, . end up effectively impeding free trade .".
The Fancourt Commonwealth Declaration on Globalisation and People-Centred
Development clearly states that all Commonwealth nations should pursue
economic liberalisation, through commitment to GATT and the WTO, by
encouraging greater ease of corporate capital flow, elimination of tariffs,
and by poor nations economies becoming entirely export oriented. CHOGM is
entirely elitist, hierarchical and exclusive in it's functioning, with
politicians, bureaucrats and business people making the decisions, while
citizens are excluded from the process.
Furthermore CHOGM has been hypocritical, misleading and ineffective in
promoting issues of labour, environment and human rights. While the forum
makes many nice and progressive statements about abolishing poverty, gender
inequality, small arms, debt etc, these same leaders have been ineffective
in realising these statements within their own country.
For example, CHOGM claims to have been important in abolishing apartheid in
South Africa. This is despite the Queen awarding Joh Bjelke-Peterson (ex-Qld
Premier) a knighthood, when he had been violently repressing anti-apartheid
demonstrations in Queensland. CHOGM claims to be reducing the proliferation
of small arms, despite the UK being a major manufacturer and distributor of
small arms and weapons of torture. CHOGM claims to promote democracy, while
being presided over by a Monarch. CHOGM claims to promote gender equality,
while the Australian government refuses to sign a U.N. gender equality
treaty. And the list goes on.
There is only one way of achieving true social justice in our time. That is
through direct democracy and direct action, not politicians' hypocrisy. So
come and join in with the Anarchy Show & Friends, other affiliates and
individual citizens in a blockade of CHOGM. To demand an end to the elitist,
hierarchical rule of corporate executives, bureaucrats, monarchs and
politicians. To demand governance by direct democracy, and an egalitarian,
co-operative, moral economy.
Looking for contacts or information? Phone 4ZzZ on +61 (07) 3252 1555, or
e-mail Asger at happya...@crosswinds.net, or Dave at da...@4zzzfm.org.au.
Also tune in to 4ZzZ 102.1fm, Mondays 12pm - 1pm, for the Anarchy Show.