Alliance for Democracy Proposal for Panel for Water Track for the USSF
“Secret Deal Exposed: Transcontinental Pipelines for Private Bulk Water Sales”

This workshop will expose the new, neo-colonial, Super-NAFTA Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) signed in Waco, Texas, on March 23, 2005, by President Bush, Mexico’s President Fox, and Canada’s Prime Minister Martin. Virtually secret planning meetings have followed, attended by high-ranking government officials and military, corporate business, industry and financial leaders, and members of academia and think-tanks. Now each country has created working groups to accelerate planning and implementation.

Bush signed the SPP for the U.S. with no Congressional debate or approval. Congress has passed no legislation to authorize the activities or funding of the SPP. Congress has no official involvement in the process and no oversight.

There was no public debate on the two essential and most alarming features of this plan that will have an enormous impact on our society, politics, economy and environment. The first is creation of integrated cross-border regional zones by opening the borders of Canada and the U.S, and the U.S. and Mexico. These regions have benign-sounding names, such as “Atlantica” for northeastern Canada, New England, and northern New York.

The second is building a system of huge transportation supercorridors linking these cross-border regions. and running the length and breadth of the U.S. These supercorridors would have six lanes for cars and four for trucks. They would be paralleled by railroad tracks, oil and gas pipelines, water and other utility lines, including broadband cables. Oil, natural gas, AND WATER from resource rich areas like Canada would be extracted from and piped and transported to production, distribution and manufacturing centers. Just recently, a document was leaked outlining plans for cross-border bulk transportation and selling of fresh water from water rich Canada to water poor areas of the U.S. and Mexico. When water is sold commercially, the rich will consume huge amounts, and the poor will be without. This is an environmental and social justice issue of the first order.

The national media have virtually ignored this topic. However, Texas citizen groups have mobilized against the Texas Corridor, already in the planning stages, that alone would take 584,000 acres of farmland, ranches and homes. In Canada, public forums are being held and communities in the “Atlantica” region mobilized.

The workshop will feature an illustrated power point presentation titled: “Threats to Our Water: NAFTA, SPP, Atlantica, Super-Corridors,” based on the extensive research of Janet Eaton, Sierra Club Canada. After viewing the powerpoint, workshop attendees will discuss how to build awareness of the SPP, mobilize local opposition, and demand that Congress hold oversight hearings to provide full disclosure and informed debate of this scheme that is now on its own “Fast Track.”

Discussion Facilitators: Nancy Price, Alliance for Democracy; Ruth Caplan, Sierra Club. The Alliance for Democracy will invite someone from Texas to participate.
_____________________
NOTE: I understand Alliance for Responsible Trade and the Council of Canadians are also submitting proposals on the SPP. We would be pleased to collaborate in any way to fully expose this secret plan, build public awareness, and discuss ways to create effective actions and movement to defeat the SPP. Nancy Price