[IMC-Video] please forward: call for videographers in Seattle this wednesday

[Sasha Costanza-Chock]

Hello friends,

I'm writing to ask for any video activists who are in Seattle, or able 
to get to Seattle, to communicate with the Korean delegation that will 
be coming to fight against the US Korea Free Trade Agreement this week.

Please see the details below. Basically, if you are able to come to 
Seattle on Wednesday, Thurs., Fri., or Sat. (Sept 6-9, 2006), please 
contact Dongwon Jo to coordinate. Korean media activists are hoping for 
Indy footage to be shown really widely in S. Korea.

peace,
schock

--

[..] This is dongwon from seoul, s.korea. i'm one of volunteer at Media 
Culture Action against neo-liberal globalization and FTA in particular 
recently. here you find some at http://gomediaction.net/
I'm also working as a volunteer for the PR department of "Korean 
Alliance against the KorUS FTA"(KoA).

As you might know, KoA is going to send about 100 korean struggle 
Delegation to the U.S. around the 3rd round talk of Kor-US FTA in 
Seattle from 6th to 9th.
As far as i know there are none of video activist embedded in this 
delegation, unfortunately.

[note: there will be one video activist with the delegation]

so i'm wondering if you, indy activists from Seattle IMC to collaborate 
and cooperate to cover this events by way of articles, photos, and 
videos in particular.
have you had any plan to cover this by any chance before? if so, it's 
great to talk further. but if not, Are you able to consider some 
collaborative media activities regarding korean Delegation's 
struggles(protest, workshop, performances etc.) in Seattle, 6th-9th of Sep.?

here are my ideas:
- i talked to one of coordinator for about how korean delegation and 
indy media activist there can help each other. you may like to cover 
korean delegation's struggles. so one of coordinator of korean 
delegation and some korean-american activists get in touch at the site 
directly.
- basically you may want to cover that in terms of articles, photos, and 
videos in http://seattle.indymedia.org
and we can translate them for our circulation.
- if possible, live streaming: video(preferable) and radio for some 
special events. As for video live streaming, i think we can re-transmit 
live streamed video there through a diversity of korean websites. it'll 
be fantastic indy/international co-work i guess.

FYI, i also try to contact IMC-LA activists through the IMC-video list 
and IMC-LA list, because korean delegation will stop by LA to 
participate in workers' day celebration in 4th of Sep., before coming to 
Seattle.
i talked about live streaming with them, they are planning to cover 
that, including live streaming.

[note: we weren't able to get the live streaming together in time]

there is a basic info of "Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA" as 
below, and an english website of the center at ttp://nofta.or.kr/en/

really looking fw to hearing from you.
thank you.

best, dongwon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA - KoA
Address: Namsan B/D 310, 34-5, Namsan-dong 3ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel. +82.2.775.2501~3
e-mail: nofta at hanmail.net
http://nofta.or.kr/en

Korean Alliance against KorUS FTA(KoA) is
an alliance of 282 trade unions, political parties, peasant
organizations, NGOs and social movement organizations against the
Korea-US(KorUS) FTA. We...
- believe in mobilizing the masses, from bottom up, against the KorUS
FTA and globalization;
- work to coordinate and strengthen solidarity between different
movements and sectors to Stop the KorUS FTA;
- perform various activities to mobilize, educate and propagate
struggles against the KorUS FTA and globalization;
- share information, research and analyze pending negotiations on the
FTA and strategies of both Korean and US governments;
- consolidate interntional solidarity with global movements against
neliberalism, WTO and FTAs.


How and Why KoA was formed

Korean government had passed so-called four pending trade issues
regarding Korea-US trades since October 2005. They were on the
suspension of pharmaceuticals mark-down on Oct. 2005; the lowering of
the standards of automobile exhaust fumes in Nov. 2005; the resumption
of American beef importation on Jan. 13, 2006; the strategic; finally
the decision of the screen quarter reduction on Jan. 26th 2006.
And then, the government gave the surprise announcement of the resuming
the Korea-US FTA negotiations despite the dismissal of the hearing
committee on the FTA on Feb. 2.
With some groundless delusions, Korean government began a secretive move
to get through the FTA. While watching the steps the Korean government
took, social movements, trade unions, peasant groups and NGOs realized
the urgent necessity to strengthen solidarity and joint actions against
the FTA.
It will not admit three basic labor rights. Nor it allow Korea's
sovereignty over food, culture, environment, and jurisdiction. It will
threaten livelihood of all the people in South Korea. What the United
States demands in the FTA is nothing less than a 100% open-door policy
from South Korea. It will not serve people's interests but the benefits
of transnational capitals' since the FTA is merely the intensification
of some types of neoliberal policies.
Last winter in the turmoil of protests a couple of farmers died, and
last February film directors and actors took the streets to protest
against th reduction of screen quota. Workers, farmers, intellectuals,
artists and other conscientious people in every walk of life are coming
to form Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA(KoA).


What We have been doing

- the First Pan Korean People's Rally against the KorUS FTA
Since its launching on Mar. 28th 2006, KoA initiated struggles against
the KorUS FTA. In particular, it held the First Pan Korean People's
Rally against the KorUS FTA on Apr. 15 2006. It mobilized more than ten
thousand people in the rally. We are planning the second and the third
pan Korean People's Rally and small and medium sized demonstrations till
we stop the KorUS FTA.

- a nation-wide sign-up campaign against the KorUS FTA

- publication of Peoples’ Paper on the KorUS FTA
With deep analysis on the on-going negotiations and expected results of
the FTA, KoA will publish People's Paper on the KorUS FTA.

- Sit-in Struggles in front of the integrated government building since
Jun. 3th 2006

- Korean People's delegation to the US against KorUS FTA in early June 2006

- lecture programmes, propaganda activities, etc.


Who Join the KoA

- Coalition for Cultural Diversity in Moving Images(43 groups)
- Coalition of Farmers, Ranchers and Fisheries to Stop the KorUS FTA(41
groups)
- Audio-visual Media Joint Committee to Stop the KorUS FTA(20 groups)
- Joint Countermove Councils for Cultural Diversities against KorUS
FTA(31 groups)
- Joint Countermove Councils of Professors and Intellectuals to Stop
KorUS FTA(33 organizations)
- Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights to Stop KorUS
FTA(23 organizations)
- Students Committee to Stop KorUS FTA(13 organizations)
- Educational Countermove Committee to Stop KorUS FTA(26 organizations)
- Intellectual Property Countermove Committee to Stop KorUS FTA(3
organizations )
- Environmental Countermove Committee to Stop KorUS FTA(14 organizations)
- Public Service Joint Committee to Stop KorUS FTA(9 organizations)
- Joint Committee of Financial Sectors to Stop KorUS FTA(6 organizations)
- Women's Counter Council to Stop KorUS FTA(14 organizations)
- Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
- Federation of Korean Trade Unions
- Democratic Labor Party
and more individual groups and organizations