THE MOVEMENT

Maine Global Action Network sets up in Portland

By Noah Bruce

Activists without affiliation take note: there’s a new progressive group in town. Southern Maine Global Action Network (SMEGAN) started up in August, has already held a meeting attended by 25 people, and met with US Representative Tom Allen.

According to member Toji Perlman, SMEGAN is affiliated with the Maine Global Action Network, a network of progressively minded non-profits throughout the state. SMEGAN’s primary concern is regulating corporate globalization. To that end, they are campaigning actively against the Free Trade Association of the Americas (FTAA) — a treaty that would extend NAFTA to include the entire western hemisphere (minus Cuba) — and Fast Track authority that would speed the treaty through Congress.

“We’re for human rights before profits,” says Perlman, “and FTAA is a big step back in many of our views in giving corporations rights and taking away countries’ sovereignties, as well as contributing to environmental and human rights abuses around the world.”

SMEGAN met with Allen to talk about the FTAA and Fast Track on September 4. “We told him our views, which was good,” says Perlman, “but he’s a politician and he’s good at giving vague answers.”

Perlman reports that Allen’s “not against the FTAA [in theory], but he’s not for it as it is now. He was vague about it. We figured as much.”

Other upcoming SMEGAN activities include picketing the Nike shareholders meeting (which was recently moved from the Center for Cultural Exchange to the Portland Expo Center) on September 17 and actions both in Portland and in Washington DC against the World Trade Organization at the end of September.

SMEGAN holds bi-monthly meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at the Maine Peace and Justice Center on Center Street. Call Toji Perlman at 774-3021 for more information.