From Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] There is a coalition forming here in Iowa to organize around the upcoming meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle. The group wants to plan activities here in Iowa to raise awareness of what is going on in Seattle and exactly what the WTO has the power to do. Iowa Citizen's Action Network has been involved in this effort and would like to spread the word to other environmental groups. Included are IEC, Iowa Assoc. of Counties, Ecumenical Ministeries of Iowa, Trees Forever, Audubon, and wind and energy groups. Nationally, Sierra Club has been involved with this. There was one earlier meeting that I was not able to attend. Is anyone interested in attending? If you are interested, please contact Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] or 515-223-5047 The next meeting is this Friday, October 29 at 9:00 am at the American Friends House at 42nd and Grand in Des Moines. Please call ICAN Executive Director, Rick Kozin, if you have any questions (277-5077 x 14) ======================================================== Dear Jane: I am writing to see whether you might be interested, or might know someone from the Sierra Club who would be interested in collaborating with a group of us trying to plan some local event to draw attention to the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, WA on Nov 29 - Dec 2. I know that the Sierra Club nationally has condemned actions of the World Trade Organization: for instance, the fact that the WTO has the power to overrule national environmental protection legislation when it thinks that such legislation gets in the way of free trade. One example is that in 1998, the WTO ruled against a U.S. law requiring shrimp fishers to fit their shrimp nets with "turtle excluder devices" to avoid harming sea turtles. As a result, the U.S. law has been shelved and the U.S. government is searching (but has not yet found) other ways to protect the endangered sea turtles. National organizations throughout the country are asking members to travel to Seattle for the WTO to demonstrate against such WTO actions. Locally, an informal coalition of organizations is planning to hold a meeting this Friday at 9:00am at the Friends Meeting House on 4211 Grand Ave., in Des Moines, to talk about how we can bring local attention to the WTO. The coalition includes labor, faith, agriculture, and peace organizations so far, and we would be very interested in getting the environmental-protection organizations involved. If you are able to attend, or are interested, or know of someone else at the Sierra Club I should contact regarding this matter, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention to this request. Ann Naffier American Friends Service Committee and Catholic Peace Ministry 4211 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 515-255-8114 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]