STudent Alliance to Reform Corporations
On April 21st and 22nd, sixty-seven people from New Haven representing four local colleges, union members, environmentalists, and generally concerned citizens traveled by bus to Quebec to join the 50,000+ demonstrators demand that the Free Trade Area of the Americas be stopped. See below for info and reasons.
In response to the work we have done, the Yale Corporation recently voted to disclose information about Yale's ethical shareholder activities for the year 2000. It deals only with broad themes of issues, but it is a positive step in the right direction. The report was drafted and suggested for release by the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility. We thank them for taking this first step in the right direction: towards making both the shares Yale holds and the votes it takes public information. See the Yale Daily News article on the topic. See the Herald Story
On Thursday, February 22nd, The FTAA Caravan came to speak at Yale. It
was an excellent, high-energy event.
Background:
Up and down the Eastern Seaboard, communities are mobilizing for massive
protests planned for the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in April.
The main organizers of these protests are coming here from Quebec to talk
about their plans and about the target of the protests -- the Free Trade
Area of the Americas, or the expansion of NAFTA to all of the Americas.
If "free trade" boosters get their way, the FTAA will undermine critical
environmental, health and safety rules, lower labor standards, weaken
unions, slash and/or privatize government services, and generally transfer
power from communities to wealthy corporations.
On April 20-22, more than 50,000 people will be protesting in Quebec.
We want you to be one of them.
For more info, e-mail Justin or
call 777-FEAR
See the Yale Daily News article.
See the 22 mentions of STARC by name in the Yale Daily News archives
See the 25 mentions of STARC by name in the Yale Herald
Some of the articles in the New Haven Advocate
The campaign to bring Fair Trade coffee to campus and surrounding coffee
houses has been wholly adopted with our full support by Food From the
Earth. This advocacy organization has already been working with the
dining halls to increasingly bring local and organically grown foods to
our plates, motivated by a committment to environmental and social
sustainability.
For more info, or to get involved, contact Rebecca Falik 6-1906
Background info:
*Coffee is the world's SECOND MOST TRADED COMMODITY--after oil.
*Over 20 MILLION coffee workers produce coffee in nearly 50 countries.
*EXPLOITED by middlemen, farmers frequently are paid barely enough to
cover production costs.
*Currently groups AROUND THE WORLD are working to promote Fair Trade, an
alternative to sweatshop production.
*Transfair certified coffee beans are available ONLINE & in New Haven at
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES and STARBUCKS.
Websites: Global Exchange,
TransFair USA
For happenings, see the Calendar
And you can always visit the Independent Media Center