Invitation: Alterglobalists' Week in Hungary

And please help us circulate this info in CEE countries via mailing lists,
news groups, friends, partner NGOs etc. so it may reach everybody
concerned!

Alterglobalists' Week in Hungary
2005, February 11-16.
www.vedegylet.hu/conferences


In February 'Protect the Future' (Hungary) is organising two
international conferences (Feb. 11-13 : Public Services, Globalisation and
Sustainability; Feb. 13-16 : Seattle To Brussels Network Conference) in
which we would like to ensure there is a significant participation from
organisations from Central and Eastern Europe concerned about;
- the privitisation of Public Services, GATS and/or the EU's 'Bolkenstein
Directive',
- agricultural 'reform' in the guise of inequitable and unsustainable EU
and global agricultural trade agreements
- GMOs
- sweatshop production
- international trade injustices perpetrated through the WTO
- Fair Trade and other consumer issues such as eco-labelling, access to
information, product boycotts, etc.

The two events are as follows:

FEB. 11-13 : PUBLIC SERVICES, GLOBALISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE:

Across CEE vital public services are being privatized: Why? By whom? For
whom?

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If you have asked yourself these questions then you are in good company:
the same question is being asked by citizens? groups across the globe.

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Protect the Future is looking for answers and invites you to a 3 day
learning experience with experienced campaigners, experts and engaged
organizations from all over Europe.

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If the governments aren?t listening, then we have to work together to make
them!

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Public Services are too precious ? join the debate on their future!

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Public Services, Globalisation and Sustainability
In an Enlarged Europe

Conference, February 11-13, 2005, Budapest

In co-operation with other environmental and social issue focused
organizations, Védegylet ? Protect the Future! Society ? is organizing an
international conference on the future of public services and
sustainability.

The conference serves the idea of bringing together actual and potential
campaigners from East and West. Our aim is to provide an opportunity to
learn more about the ongoing liberalization and privatization of public
services and the role that the WTO and the EU play in this process, to
promote a debate around the issue and to discuss campaigning
opportunities.

The conference will take place in Budapest, February 11-13 2005. We invite
activist from Central and Eastern Europe. We are looking for participants
who are involved in related debates or who realized the need to join this
European wide campaign.


Some limited funds are available for travel costs reimbursement and
accommodation.

You can download the draft programme of the conference and the
registration form and further background materials at:
www.vedegylet.hu/conferences.
For registration and further information please contact Bálint Hamvas
(hamvasb (at) vedegylet.hu).

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FEB. 13-16 : SEATTLE TO BRUSSELS NETWORK CONFERENCE:

Due to resilient opposition from farmers, women's, workers', peasant and
environmental organisations, the WTO Cancun Summit ended without agreement
on how the 'Doha Round' of trade negotiations should progress. Since then
organisations across Europe have been looking towards the next ministerial
summit in Hong Kong, December 2005: How can we continue to oppose the EU's
corporate-led trade agenda? What is our strategy for Hong Kong? What do
the EU and WTO directives and agreements mean for agricultural
sustainability, trade equity and the future of public services? Protect
the Future would like to facilitate a stronger cooperation on trade
justice issues in the region, and to this end joined the Seattle to
Brussels Network: by hosting this meeting of the S2B Network we hope to
extend the network to the CEE region and allow organisations to share
experience and strengthen each others campaigns.
(for more on S2B see www.s2bnetwork.org / For background reading see
 http://www.s2bnetwork.org/statements_publications.htm )


The two conferences complement each other very well and we would urge
potential participants to consider taking part in both. The first will
give a thorough insight into the questions of commodification and public
control of public services, primarily within the region and at EU level.
The second will place these questions within a wider context of global
trade agreements and their interlinkages as global power blocks play one
'deal' off against the other, to the benefit of elites and corporations.
Both will encourage involvement in international campaigns to strengthen
and achieve public participation, accountability, sustainability and
social justice.
Both conferences will use English as their working language.


You can find the program and the registration form
of the Public Services, Globalisation and Sustainability Conference and of
the Seattle to Brussels Network Conference at
www.vedegylet.hu/conferences.



For more information on
the Public Services, Globalisation and Sustainability Conference,
please contact Balint Hamvas
hamvasb (at) vedegylet.hu

For more information on the on the
Seattle to Brussels Network Conference,
please contact Tracey Wheatly
tracey (at) vedegylet.hu