About seventy people, including MSU students, participated in the three-day MSU Global Justice 2001 conference this weekend. The event focused on non-violent demonstration strategies.
Social movement speakers shared skills and strategies for “derailing corporate globalization,” at Berkey Hall while updating participants on upcoming demonstrations.
The three-day conference was hosted by Great Issues along with the ASMSU Programming Board, Food Not Bombs, Students for Economic Justice, Brighter Days Collective, Xicano Development Center and Students for a Free Tibet.
“It is important because it brings together people from all over the state and Midwest,” organizer Michael Krueger, a history senior, said. “It is good to talk about strategy and general information about what it is that we are doing.”
The stop at MSU was the second part of a ten-week tour across the country, helping train students in non-violent civil disobedience, guerilla theater, media relations, strategic campaign design, legal issues and direct action planning.
The tour, which is produced by Call to Action, will culminate in Quebec City, Canada on April 20 when citizens from around the world are scheduled to gather in efforts to shut down the Free Trade Area of the Americas’ agreement.
“We are educating ourselves about what we need to do and how to go about doing it,” Krueger said. “It has gone really well. A lot of people have been learning a lot of new things. The workshops are fun and they involve everybody.
“I think a lot of people are going to take what they learned to Quebec City, and apply it.”
Call to Action, which educates campus and community groups on activism and campaign support, describes the treaty as an attempt by corporations to expand NAFTA to 34 countries and 800 million people across the western hemisphere. The activists say that these agreements will lead to worker exploitation and environmental destruction.
Anthropology junior Shaun Godwin, an organizer, said the event provides a good basis for sharing information.
“Spending a weekend working on the same types of issues really makes you bond and gives a future basis work together and crosses some boundaries between groups,” Godwin said. “That is exciting to me.”
Ingrid Chapmanis traveling with the tour, demonstrating how to build demonstration props and puppets.
“This is our second stop on the tour,” Chapman said. “A lot of really wonderful people are coming together to learn what the different issues are how they can work to make their campaigns stronger. We are providing tools for their toolbox.”
Students like urban planning sophomore Aaron Kruegersaid the event provided new insight into the issues and group organizing skills. He also learned his rights in dealing with the police.
“This whole tour has helped me become aware of a lot of the major issues that can affect the futures of many countries in the western hemisphere,” he said.
“This is going to help me to get involved and use my voice in the community.”
