Boston Global Action Network

The Globalization and Immigration Coalition (GAIC) is working to create links between global justice (anti-corporate globalization) activists and activists from immigrant communities whose home countries have been harmed by the IMF, World Bank and multinational corporations. We seek to draw links between the effects of globalization abroad and issues like gentrification and amnesty for undocumented immigrants in the US, and to find ways to support each others' struggles.

GAIC includes a wide range of community and social justice organizations, including Jubilee 2000, Bank Busters, Jobs with Justice Irish Immigration Center, City Life/Vida Urbana, Boston Global Action Network, Roxbury Community College (Caribbean Focus), Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Salvador, Tonantzin, MA Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and United For a Fair Economy.

Listen to a radio report on Indymedia
Watch a video clip on Indymedia

At least 115 people came to Roxbury Community College for the inaugural event of the Globalization and Immigration Forum on September 25. A panel made up of immigrants living in the Boston area spoke with passion and in considerable detail about ways in which globalization in general and specifically IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs, plant closings and downsizing by multinational corporations, and other aspects of globalization have effected them and their families and communities.

Presentations were made by Lesly Rene (Haiti), Katya Lemos (Brazilian Immigrant Center), Dovi Abbey (Senegal), Jose Soler (Puerto Rico, labor activist), and Magalis Troncoso (Dominican Republic, active with Vida Urbana/City Life). Moderators were Jean-Carmel Juste (Haiti, Irish Immigration Center) and Basav Sen (India, Bankbusters/Boston Global Action Network). There was considerable time for questions and comments from the audience. Nearly everyone stayed for the full two and a half hours (Snacks were provided and appreciated).

Presentations were also made on the upcoming immigration amnesty march in NY and elsewhere October 14 and on immigration legislative updates.

This was a teach-in in one of the best senses of the term -- activists of all ages listened to people from the global South talk about globalization from personal experience. The genesis of the event can be traced back to conversations between activists in BGAN, United for a Fair Economy and Jubilee 2000 between February and June, where the topic kept coming back to variations on "how can we make our movement(s) more multiracial, less white, more in tune with the perspectives of those who we are trying to be in solidarity with?" The idea of a tribunal on debt was floated and grew slowly, and we anticipate coming back to this in more detail. For a first time event, we decided to emphasize looking for common areas of experience regarding globalization locally and around the planet.

A planning group began meeting in late July. While all of the planning committee was convinced this was a great idea, most of us thought turnout would be about half of of the numbers who showed up.

Our evaluation of the event has emphasized the positive: great turnout, presentations, facilitiation, bringing groups together who have not worked closely together in the past. We also acknowledged falling short of our goal of reaching primarily immigrant audiences. A rough estimate from sign-up sheets and word of mouth is that at most a third of the audience was made up of immigrants, though a larger number of immigration activists were present. We hoped for more direct links between the local and global than we felt were brought out, but this can happen in future meetings. It was a good start.

At this writing we are planning a second meeting of the GAIC (Globalization and Immigration Coalition) for October 16, again at Roxbury Community College in the evening. An announcement will be going out very soon; call or write for details.

The event was video and audio taped; more information forthcoming soon on how to obtain. We think this event format is noteworthy, possibly a model that other areas can work with.