John Bostrom on Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:04:01 +0100 (CET) |
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[Nettime-bold] FW: Religion Protest and Hunger - Free Trade Solutions After September 11th..htm |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Yes, Men, this Thursday night
"WTO" event is more likely to turn hilarious than
violent.
Press: Link to 1.28.2002 Staten Island Advance
article:
maximize e-mail window for best viewing
|
Thursday January 31 2002, 7:00 PM |
at the Unitarian Church of Staten Island |
A Very Special Evening with the World Trade Organization* |
Herri Baatasuna, LL.D. Agriculture, International Relations, & Public Relations Counselor* Percival Fress, M.D. Agriculture, Pharmaceutics, & Public Relations Counselor* |
The spectre of
violent confrontation haunts Manhattan. New York's Finest have been
gearing up with special training and crowd-control equipment in
anticipation of anti-globalization protests near the Waldorf Astoria, the
site of this year's World Economic Forum, beginning this Thursday,
January 31. Meanwhile, on the other side of New York Bay, a milder, more civilized confrontration between the forces of globalization and their opponents has been scheduled. No helmets, batons, mace, water cannons or arrests - this battle will be fought with ideas amd humor. The Unitarian Church of Staten Island has arranged for two special speakers connected with the World Trade Organization,* who will hold forth on the merits of globalization as a solution to world hunger, making the case, with economic logic and visual aids, that "faith-based opposition to free trade" is - well, misguided. |
The
speakers' main qualifications, and the foundation of their connection with
the WTO, is based on their membership in the internationally renowned
political prank and satire group, the Yes Men. As well as operating
the web site www.gatt.org, the Yes Men have delighted
audiences across the globe with their unique ability to explain visually
the economic and cultural essence of globalization, leading to recent
coverage in Harpers and Fortune and on CNBC Europe
and National Public Radio. Following the slide presentation by the speakers, a session of questions and discussion from the audience will be moderated by Professor Richard Currie of the College of Staten Island, Chairman of the Church's Social Concerns Committee, which is sponsoring the event. The debate is expected to be lively though civilized, and probably hilarious. Admission is free. Coffee and sandwiches will be served in the Parish Hall after the event (about 8:00 PM.) This event kicks off in the Church's Publc Forum Series titled In the Aftermath of 9/11. Future events will be held on Sundays at 1;00 PM beginning February 10 and continuing through March. Future speakers include Rev. Daniel Berrigan, Phyllis Bennis, Stanley Aronowitz, Norman Siegel, and others. |
Herri Baatasuna has served as a Yes Man and legal counsel to the World Trade Organization* for the past five years, where he has been directing a new program which aims to understand and address faith-based opposition to free trade. He holds an LL.D. from Stanford Law School, and he previously worked for the AS Agency for International Development in Nepal and in Washington, DC. Percival Fress is a specialist in the relationship of international trade to human health. As a Yes Man, he has been with the press office of the World Trade Organization* for the past three years, fulfilling a mandate from the WTO* to address the relationships of social needs to global trade. Dr. Fress has an M.D. from Columbia University, and has held previous posts with Novartis, Cargill-Dow, and Monsanto. * This representation of the "World Trade Organization" is a work of political theatre and satire. For further information on The Yes Men, visit http://www.theyesmen.org |
Seating limited to 200. Admission free. Please RSVP. |
Directions to the
Church: http://members.aol.com/uucsi/Forum/directions.htm Church Statement on 9/11 and its Aftermath: http://members.aol.com/uucsi/Forum/UUposition.htm RSVP to Event: (718) 447-2004 or uucsi@aol.com Article from Monday's Staten Island Advance: Unitarian Programs to Examine Issues Related to Sept. 11 Further information: jbostrom@si.rr.com |
IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9/11: |
A Public Forum Series |
Unitarian Church of Staten Island 312 Fillmore Street, Staten Island NY |