ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT TRUST (ODCMT)
P.O. BOX 38665, LUSAKA. TEL:260- 1- 231322 FAX: 260-1- 231583
E-MAIL: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE ON THE LAUNCH GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION
10th TO 16th APRIL 2005

The Organisation Development and Community Management Trust (ODCMT) today launch the Global week of Action in Zambia. The week starts from 10th - 16th April 2005, where as many campaigns as possible across the world active on Trade come together in united action. The idea is for all organisations, networks and movements to take action in their own national and regional campaigns.

The aim is to make the biggest Noise and challenge unjust local, regional and international Trade and put forward alternatives by delivering the biggest global mobilization we have ever seen. The Global week of action triggers massive mobilization in Zambia for trade justice and it will gather momentum in run up to the World Trade Organisation Ministerial summit in Hong Kong.

“International trade rules are blatantly unfair, and keep millions of people in poverty. For every dollar the rich counties give they take away 2 dollars through rigged rules and double standards. Poor countries lose more than 100 billion dollars because of unfair tariffs. If poor countries increased their share in world trade by just one percent, the income produced could lift 128 million people out of poverty.” Oxfam Big Noise Campaign

But International trade is excluding poor countries from gaining their fair share, and in the process there is greater poverty. Millions remain trapped in poverty and it is the institutions, conditions and rules of international trade, more than anything else, that keep poor people poor.

It is time to change these conditions and change the rules. Only when millions of people raise their voices and put pressure on world leaders can we change this situation. It is also important that we put pressure on our own leaders to ensure that small scale producers are protected from exploitation by multinational companies. That is, they should be paid a fair price for the produce and their labour.

The Organisation Development and Community Management Trust (ODCMT) joined the Big Noise for Making trade fair run up to the Cancun meeting and mobilized 750 000 Zambians to join the petition. Big Noise has now linked up with the Global Week of Action - to support a global Trade Justice mobilization and to get ready to bring even more powerful voices from Zambia to the Hong Kong World Trade Organisation Ministerial meeting in December 2005.

THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF: THE MOVEMENT OF EMERGING NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN ZAMBIA (MENGOZ)

ODCMT will host a public concert with song, dance and music in Chipata on the 16th of April 2005. Testimonies from people directly affected by unfair trade practices will be heard at this event. A CD of testimonies from the cotton farmers will be launched and distributed during the Global Week of Action.

Zambian cotton farmer live in misery even though they work so hard. 250 000 American farmers get so much export subsidy that they are able to dump cheap cotton on the world market and as such exclude poor farmers from getting a fair price for their cotton. ODCMT wants all cotton farmers and other small farmers and all Zambians to come to the concert in Chipata.

Agriculture which is the mainstay of farmers is failing across most of the world and rich countries are making it worse for their own corporate gain and national privilege.

The world bank and IMF driven ideology and flawed research in getting countries like Zambia to open their markets too quickly and with too little thought has resulted in greater poverty and suffering for majority of Zambians.

This must change…. let us make a Big Noise for trade justice.

Irene Banda

For/ Executive Director
Advocacy and Campaigns Programs Officer