In addition to crew and Greenpeace reps, the Rainbow Warrior has brought a number of witnesses from around the world to the WTO meetings. They will be sharing their firsthand accounts of the damage done by the trade organization via seminars and on-line web brodcasts. Here’s a brief look at some of their concerns:

David Batker, Economist (US)

“The economic theory governing modern trade is centuries old and obsolete. It omits the fundamental importance of the environment, capital flows, and democracy. Trade must bring about more ecologically sustainable, equitable, democratic, and economically efficient development, not simply maximize profits for select companies engaged in trade. Rather than all nations gaining from trade, what we see is a trading system where scores of countries are abandoned by trade and investment.”

Ngarlejy Yorongar, politician (Chad)

A presidential candidate and opposition politician, Ngarlejy has been arrested 13 times, many for protesting human rights violations in connection with foreign investment in his country, including corrupt sales of oil drilling rights. When Ngarlejy won the presidential elections in May 2001, he was arrested and tortured.

Tom Wiley, farmer (US)

“During the last few years I have become extremely concerned about the rapid expansion of transgenic [genetically modified] crops in the USA. Virtually the entire canola crop in North Dakota is now genetically modified, with soybeans close behind. Last year my conventional soybean crop was contaminated by cross-pollination from a neighbour’s Roundup Ready soybeans, costing me about $10,000 in a lost contract to Japan.”

Thomas Xavier Kocherry, priest (India)

The WTO often encourages countries to grow commodities to sell for export instead of for local use, as is the case in India where massive strips of costal land were developed for shrimp farming. The farming caused environmental devastation on such a level that in 1996 the Supreme Court issued an order to demolish all non-traditional shrimp farms. Kocherry has also worked to protect local subsistence fishers—more than 10 million in all—who are losing jobs as the country opens up its waters to multinational fisheries.