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Advice for the Next Administration: Listen

October 24, 2008

Mr. Hakim and Ms. Sweig were among the skeptics of the panel who
addressed the limits to US policy in Latin America and the realities
that have to be dealt with before making general suggestions to the new
president.  Mr. Hakim urged everyone to consider the impact of the
current financial crisis on domestic economies of Latin America and
also on the effect of any policy directed toward these countries.  Many
currencies are falling drastically and, although we cannot know the
full extent of the financial crisis, it is more likely than not that
unemployment across Latin America will rise.  This will stress the
Venezuelan economy as the price of oil drops and, as Ms. Sweig pointed

Dole Pineapples: Economic Growth for Whom?

October 20, 2008

Dole’s continued expansion—while not benefiting farmers, is neither
fostering the development of healthy local markets, critical to
sustainable development.  Instead, its expansion means taking more land
for food export at a time when Filipinos are struggling to feed
themselves.  Where the Philippines used to be a net exporter of its
staple food, rice, the country has become the world’s largest importer
of the now expensive commodity.3
The government has begun to provide subsidized rice to the poor due to
the recently doubled cost of imported rice, causing a swelling deficit.4
Taking over more lands for export crops without dealing with the roots

Shopping with a Conscience

October 16, 2008

Shopping with a conscience is more important now than ever before.
Globalization has led us to value the products we buy that are produced
worldwide, but unfortunately at a cost to many. The situation is
ironic, because it is apparent that sweatshops are completely
unnecessary for further economic development – the global economy can
sustain itself without sacrificing fair and equal standards for
workers. Half of the work is done for you, now all you need to do is go
online and shop!

Trade and the last presidential debate

October 16, 2008

Obama responded by saying, "The history in Colombia right now is that labor leaders have been
targeted for assassination on a fairly consistent basis and there have
not been prosecutions. And what I have said, because the free
trade -- the trade agreement itself does have labor and environmental
protections, but we have to stand for human rights and we have to make
sure that violence isn't being perpetrated against workers who are just
trying to organize for their rights..." 

Sugar cane workers' strike in Colombia

October 15, 2008

Proponents of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement argue that labor standards
have improved dramatically under President Álvaro Uribe, but has the government
responded to support the needs of the sugar cane workers? Of course not. In
what continues to be the world’s most dangerous country to be a union member,
Uribe has decried the strike as a national security threat while meeting with
ASOCANA’s leaders at a national military base. Meanwhile, strikers attempt to
communicate that they can no longer work under the present circumstances, with
salaries as low as 200 dollars a month and work days as long as 14 hours.

Pro-Labor or Pro-Vote?

October 10, 2008

Obama has expressed a pro-labor position to the agreement and calls for more strict labor and environmental provisions within the current FTA. According to trade lobbyists and union representatives in a recent article from The Hill, the Colombia deal has better shot under Obama. Union representatives believe Obama would be more likely to enforce labor laws than McCain.

The issue of trade in Latin America was not a hot topic during the second presidential debate this Tuesday. However, while watching I wondered:

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

October 9, 2008

We wish our sisters here well in their efforts to convince the US
Supreme Court that retaliation against women speaking out against this
terrible abuse should never be permitted, and we truly hope that
governments and courts around the world will begin, finally, to protect
those who dare to tell the truth about harassment.

Here is more information about sexual violence in the workplace:

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