2008 Woodie Awards
Students learn about negative effects of NAFTA on their trip to Oaxaca, Mexico
Deena Zaru
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Features
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According to Woerner, the role of the United States, especially when it comes to NAFTA, makes the situation worse for Mexico.
"(The United States) is using (its) power to not only increase their own gains, but also the gain of the elite in Mexico, thus the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) sees these trade agreements as positive," Woerner said.
Woerner said that the situation will not change unless the United States "completely changes its motives in order to prevent this abuse of power in the future."
According to Ginsburg, policies like NAFTA do not only have negative effects on Mexicans, but also on farmers in areas like Greensboro.
"Many factory jobs have left this area for just south of the border," Ginsburg said. "It seems like it would be in the best interest in the people of the United States, Canada, and Mexico - though not the elite - to prevent future free trade agreements or similar 'development' plans.
Ginsburg said that "by creating real democratic, community-based structures (in the United States), we can help support similar efforts in places like Oaxaca."
According to the Director of Interdisciplinary Leadership for Social Change Judy Harvey, a first step to creating change is to think about how we spend our money and what corporations, causes, or issues it supports.
"What we do impacts other parts of the world as the students in the Oaxaca group pointed out … they were learning in a very personal way what their money supports when they buy Fair Trade Coffee," Harvey said. "Their trip was a first step in developing personal relationships with the people who do the hard work of growing coffee. We can't all make that trip and meet the coffee growers personally, but we can learn from (their) experience."
The students agreed that one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was meeting the people in Mexico who are directly affected by these international policies.
"What inspired me is that the people were so strong and hopeful," Young said. "They are sick of fighting and sick of being oppressed because this has been going on for generations, but they are still not going to give up."
During the presentation, Ginsburg cited a direct quote from one of women they met, who said "Hopefully by the time you come back to Oaxaca, we will have a real democracy."
"(The United States) is using (its) power to not only increase their own gains, but also the gain of the elite in Mexico, thus the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) sees these trade agreements as positive," Woerner said.
Woerner said that the situation will not change unless the United States "completely changes its motives in order to prevent this abuse of power in the future."
According to Ginsburg, policies like NAFTA do not only have negative effects on Mexicans, but also on farmers in areas like Greensboro.
"Many factory jobs have left this area for just south of the border," Ginsburg said. "It seems like it would be in the best interest in the people of the United States, Canada, and Mexico - though not the elite - to prevent future free trade agreements or similar 'development' plans.
Ginsburg said that "by creating real democratic, community-based structures (in the United States), we can help support similar efforts in places like Oaxaca."
According to the Director of Interdisciplinary Leadership for Social Change Judy Harvey, a first step to creating change is to think about how we spend our money and what corporations, causes, or issues it supports.
"What we do impacts other parts of the world as the students in the Oaxaca group pointed out … they were learning in a very personal way what their money supports when they buy Fair Trade Coffee," Harvey said. "Their trip was a first step in developing personal relationships with the people who do the hard work of growing coffee. We can't all make that trip and meet the coffee growers personally, but we can learn from (their) experience."
The students agreed that one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was meeting the people in Mexico who are directly affected by these international policies.
"What inspired me is that the people were so strong and hopeful," Young said. "They are sick of fighting and sick of being oppressed because this has been going on for generations, but they are still not going to give up."
During the presentation, Ginsburg cited a direct quote from one of women they met, who said "Hopefully by the time you come back to Oaxaca, we will have a real democracy."
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