Urge your Members of Congress to Sign on to the Kolbe-Smith Letter Which Supports Global Trade Rules That Work For the Poor
ACTION REQUIRED: Trade rules that could help poor countries are currently being negotiated among the 148-members of the World Trade Organization. These talks are at a crucial moment, and the United States is a key player. The US needs to show leadership in overcoming current roadblocks on the path to a more fair global trade system.
Please call your Representatives and urge them to sign a letter to President Bush authored by Representatives Kolbe (R-AZ) and Smith (D-WA) – there is a copy of the letter below. The letter asks President Bush to take the lead in getting rich countries to take the necessary steps in making trade work for the poor. This is a key goal of the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty.
WHY THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT: International trade -- the flow of goods and services across national borders -- can be one instrument for poverty reduction and development in poor countries. Since 2001, world leaders recognized that trade was not working for the poor since most of the benefits of increased trade remained in rich countries.
The next key moment in this process is the WTO Meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005. T he United States is a key player. In the lead up to the WTO meeting, Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Adam Smith (D-WA) have authored a letter that asks President Bush to assume leadership in getting rich countries to move towards making trade work for the poor. This letter reflects the direction USCCB and CRS believe WTO trade talks should be heading.
Take Action Now! Contact your member of Congress by mid-November. Urge them to sign the letter to President Bush being circulated by Representatives Jim Kolbe and Adam Smith in support of a successful outcome in the WTO trade negotiations that will reduce global poverty. Although the principal U.S. negotiator is the US Trade Representative, any trade agreement needs to be passed by the US Congress for it to become US law.
BACKGROUND:In November 2003, the US Catholic Bishops adopted For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food: Catholic Reflections on Food, Farmers and Farmworkers. In this letter , Bishops looked at the whole system of food and food production in the United States and around the world. As part of their reflections, the Bishop recognized that the billions of dollars that rich countries such as the US and the European Union spend on supporting their agriculture sectors prevent farmers in poor countries from selling their products on local and international markets. This prevents farmers in poor countries from becoming self-reliant and therefore decreases food security .
Behind the complicated economics and the necessary trade-offs that will need to take place to reach an agreement in Hong Kong, USCCB and CRS are reminding officials from the US Administration and the Congress to keep the needs of the poor front and center in the negotiations. We are reminded that Catholic Social Teaching calls on us to uphold the dignity of the poor and vulnerable among us, whether they live in the United States or overseas, and help meet poor people’s basic needs as well as promote peace and justice.
What More You Can Do: In addition to contacting your Representatives, as suggested above, you can also take the following actions:
Visit CRS/USCCB’s Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty website to learn more about issues of aid, trade and debt, and what you can do. Visit the web site here www.usccb.org/globalpoverty
