CALL TO ACTION! RE CETA

Welcome everybody!

The immediate outpour of interest and committment to protect the commons and stop CETA in our town is truly beautiful.

This is a unified movement of people who celebrate our local economies and are resisting CETA in strong, creative, skilled and practical ways. We are doing this by speaking the truth clearly. We will not back down. We know our lives are all connected and at this juncture, the 1% needs to be lead by the 99. This is such an extensive agreement but we can use that to great organizing advantage. Because of this fact, every Canadian citizen will be adversely impacted by this. The gift/passion/interest you to offer has a home here. We need photographers, singers, artists, gardeners, networkers, members of other community groups, advertising folks, mathematicians, grandmothers, members of business community, political community, service community, everyone of will to find common ground and act on practical solutions. We have a list of 10 working groups we are already putting into action so far just 5 days since our first meeting. Many specific types of work is needed.

So if you want to take action, name what your interest/gift/passion is and we will link you up with specific actions you can take. Or you can suggest your own. The many minds are so much more comprehensive than the 1. How satisfying to feel our citizenship in action. Can you think of a better sense of purpose than that?

Wanna learn more about the effects of CETA on all Canadians lives watch this 6 minute video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQPh_YSnkVI

Read more at the Council of Canadians website at: www.canadians.org

Learn more at the Trade Justice Network at: www.tradejustice.ca

Print off copies of the CETA comics to hand out to other folks.

Do learn the basics about how trade law trumps judicial law. Spread the word in a timely fashion. Think how quickly this knowledge will go viral as we tell 3 people who commit to telling 3 people who commit to telling 3 more...no matter how this package is presented in the media when the Harper government finally tells us (and it will be touted as a grand solution to our economy), remember NAFTA. CETA makes NAFTA look like a little bitty baby. The 9th round of CETA is set to happen in Ottawa from Oct. 17 to the 21st, again behind sealed doors. With zero public input and thus far, zero input from Liberal, NDP, Green party members on Capital Hill. Even they have not been consulted about its specifics, and many politicians have little informed knowledge and critical analysis of trade law.

Here is a listing of the next scheduled events in our area. If you can't come, no prob! Please tell others who desire to be part of the change.

Wed. Oct. 19, 7:00 : Protect the Commons Open Mic

This is a call out to artists, performers, poets, rappers, musicians and other audience participants who want to take the mic for a good cause. Come one, come all as CETA affects every one of us. All proceeds go toward helping to open up the discussion on the proposed CETA agreement. Enjoy a full evening of talent for $3 -$5 sliding scale.

A special blend of CETA coffee will be on the brew. Cost: unaffordable!

Thur. Oct. 13, 7:00 : "Canada's Not for Sale" Open Meeting

This meeting is the culmination of work by the Council of Canadians, London, to invite all Londoners in to learn about and respond to the proposed CETA agreement. CETA or the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement may be ratified by the Harper Government as early as October 17. Many of our MPs and official opposition have not even heard of it, yet it threatens to change the infrastructure of Canada forever. Basically, it puts a "for sale" sign on most of our basic services and resources, curtails our right to local trade, and strikes down existing labour, environmental, industrial, cultural, financial and public sector regulations. Our food sovereignty and farms will be threatened, as will the limited sovereignty of Native Peoples and our Quebecois population. We will lose our right to our own water as well as our ability to recourse for harms done to Canadian citizens by foreign owners. CETA makes NAFTA look good. European's also oppose CETA because it supersedes national & municipal laws hence making democratic political processes obsolete, as it will do in Canada. Come and learn more, voice a response, lend a skill in the effort to make Canadians more aware of what can happen to our country.

Peace and blessings,

The Protect the Commons team (a community coalition led by Council of Canadians and other concerned local organizations and caring Londoners)