Free Trade Area of the Americas Forum - Oct 23 to 28 Hernan Cortez, representative of the "Proceso de Comunidades Negras" 　The second forum concerning Latin American issues to be held on the 39th cruise took place between Cartagena and Callao, and involved leaders of various social movements in Panama, Ecuador and Colombia. The eleven representatives of ethnic minorities, farmers organisations and environmental groups introduced their activities before discussing the effects of globalisation on local cultures, habitats and economies and the implications of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). One result of the forum was the decision to set up a new group uniting people from different social movements and regions to resist the FTAA, which they feel represents an extractive, non-sustainable method of exploitation benefiting only the USA and multi-national companies. Furthermore, the agreement threatens the resource-rich land that Latin American peoples fought to reclaim from colonialists, land that is closely connected to their lifestyle and livelihoods, without which they fear the loss of their culture and eventual disappearance of already beleaguered minority populations. Members of the forum drew up a communique stating their unequivocal rejection of the FTAA in its present form, and lodging a protest against governmental decisions that give precedence to economic interests over the long-term needs of the people. After disembarking, a delegation went to Ecuador, where a Ministerial Meeting on the FTAA is currently underway, to present the statement to the alternative forums taking place concurrently in Quito. Article 9: Humanity's Hope - Charles Overby - Oct 28 Japanese participants give a reading of Article 9 　Founder of the Article Nine Society, Dr. Overby delivered an impassioned speech articulating the threat to Article 9 of the Japanese constitution that renounces war and rejects the "right of belligerency of the state". Calling for a new paradigm for the resolution of conflict that excludes war and militarism, he made a moving appeal for participants to fight to save Article 9, a piece of "beautiful wisdom", from extinction. Overby termed the actions of the Japanese government, as it attempts to pass legislation allowing Japan's Self Defence Force to participate in US initiated wars anywhere in the world, an Orwellian redefinition of Article Nine's war prohibitions. Dr. Overby proposed the re-allocation of defense budgets to assist in overcoming world hunger and poverty and achieve sustainable economic development instead of being used to terrorise other nations. He also spoke of the concept of Green Technology by Design whereby products, powered by consumer demand, are designed to minimise consumption of the earth's resources, reduce pollution and prevent resource wars such as those in the Gulf States. Dr. Overby concluded with suggestions of how we as individuals can create a peaceful and a non-violent world for our descendents. To learn more about Article 9, visit the Article Nine Society homepage: www.article9society.org, or in book form, "A Call for Peace: The Implications of Japan's War-Renouncing Constitution" - Charles Overby (text), M Kunihiro (Japanese translation), K. Momoi (photo artist). Published by Kodansha International, Tokyo 1997, New York 1998 Peace Boat's 39th Voyage index