Battling Corporate Globalization and

Building Resistance in the Redwoods!

STARC National Gathering 2001

Santa Cruz, California

August 5-12, 2001

STARC is taking a proactive role in building an anti-racist student movement for social justice and environmental sustainability in the forested mountains of Santa Cruz, California.

Space is limited so register today and look into airline prices-- but wait for a confirmation before you pay for a ticket!



WHAT?

Students and youth from around the country are uniting to challenging corporate dominance! For seven days, we will swap skills in strategic campaigning. Together, let's work to structure (or dismantle) ourselves as an organization and focus on how to stop the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement. This is the chance to plug into a fired-up network of anti-corporate campaigns, while building the skills necessary for effective corporate-ass-kicking! Through trainings and discussion, we want to further our understanding of anti-racist organizing and incorporate it into the work we do. MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will have the opportunity to set the course of the organization and become a leader in creating positive change in your community! The Free Trade Area of Americas (FTAA) is an international treaty that is being negotiated behind closed doors. If passed, it would create the world's largest free market zone, allowing corporations to bypass human rights and environmental regulations for increased profit. It is the most recent of international "free" trade agreements intended to expand the already massive power of corporations.

STARC's FTAA project cluster is working on a many levels to defeat the FTAA by using a wide range of tactics such as lobbying, letter-writing, education, and direct action, to name a few. It is part of a broader resistance against the latest effort by political and economic elites to expand and institutionalize imperialism, white supremacy, and neoliberalism in the Western Hemisphere. To read more and take action in the campaign, check out http://www.corpreform.org/noFTAA/

To get more information of the FTAA and the mobilization in resistance visit www.stopftaa.org

During the week of the gathering, we will select the leaders for the coming year. YOU are encouraged to step up and be a part of STARC's National Support Committee!

Project cluster (our term for "campaign") ideas are welcomed--if you have an idea for a project cluster this is the place to put it into action!



WHO?

YOU and your ideas, passion, vision, and musical instruments- or a representative of your group if they include students and youth concerned with the lack of democratic accountability by corporations, and their influence within our government, media, and schools.



More on STARC's Project Clusters!

Current project clusters include:

Fair Trade Coffee

Be a part of the amazingly successful national campaign to get your campus to serve coffee grown sustainably and bought from the farmer at a living wage.

Socially Responsible Investing

The Socially Responsible Investment campaign strives to use universities' power as investors to reform the egregious social and envrionmental practices of corporations.

Spank Citibank

The Citigroup Project Cluster takes aim at the world's most destructive bank, guilty of racist lending practices and funding the world's most socially and environmentally destructive projects. The core demand is that Citigroup establish basic social and environmental criteria for their investment and lending decisions.



Stop the FTAA

Let's make it happen!

***If you want to dig right into to STARC's project clusters and get involved, head to www.corpreform.org -click on the STARC icon- then on "Projects" You will have access to many strategies and loads of background information, which are used by STARCies nation-wide.



WHEN?

August 5th through 12th, 2001

Click here for rough draft schedule.



WHERE?

Quaker Center, located in the mountainous redwood forests of Santa Cruz, California.



COST and Info on financial assistance

minimum, recommended, No upper limit. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Some travel scholarships available. We are also gratefully accepting donations to cover costs.





HOW TO REGISTER

The official registration will be added to the website soon. Please check back periodically.



Questions? Contact Eric Romann at (510)272-9109 or staffer@corpreform.org.