October 29 is Zero Remittance Day!
The times are uncertain and the world economy is in crises, while I don't exactly agree 100% with the statement below I don't think it will hurt migrant workers not to send their hard earned dollars for just a day. We are in a dire situation and the migrants countries need to shape up or we are all back to hunting and gathering economy. PJ
October 29 IS ZERO Remittance Day!
October 29 IS ZERO Remittance Day!The International Migrants Alliance (IMA), an alliance composed of 112 grassroots migrants' organizations worldwide, declares October 29 as Zero Remittance Day.
The Zero Remittance Day is a symbolic protest action of migrants against forced migration and systematic exploitation of cheap labor. It coincides with the opening of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) on October 29, whilst migrant organizations worldwide shall also hold the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees (IAMR) to directly oppose the GFMD.
The Zero Remittance Day principally takes the GFMD to task for being an elitist, anti-migrant forum aimed to perpetuate the greater commodification of migrants worldwide. All over the globe, the growing migrants' movement views the GFMD as a sham assembly with the sole objective to consolidate and legitimize attacks on migrants' rights and welfare.
The GFMD cannot be expected to become a significant tool to its supposed stakeholders, migrant workers themselves, when it fails to tackle the fundamental problems and issues concerning the unprecedented growing number of migrants. The very fact that the GFMD fails to even accommodate genuine migrant representation in its roster is glaring proof of the forum's defectiveness.
The Zero Remittance Day also aims to condemn the convention of the GFMD amid the global financial crisis. It seeks to send out the united message of protest from millions of migrants worldwide who are forced to leave their homelands and subject themselves to cheap labor and exploitation out of desperation. It discredits migration as a tool for development but the result of continuous unemployment, landlessness and lack of basic services in sending countries.
Migration as a tool for development is a fallacy. Migration, at the expense of migrants worldwide, would only serve to benefit developed First World nations. It would not end poverty and joblessness resulting in the forced migration of peoples of poor countries.
In the midst of a global financial crisis, the U.S. and its client states will use the GFMD to increase remittances and the profits they extract from it. The WB has said that the $377-Billion worth of global remittances are greater than the combined amount of official development assistance and foreign direct investments. But these mainly benefit developed countries such as the U.S. and receiving countries while migrant-sending states like the Philippines would only use remittances to pay off foreign debts, keep afloat bankrupt economies, and as a source of corruption.
On October 29, thousands of migrants of different nationalities from different countries will not send home remittances to shout their clarion call – NO to GFMD! End labor export! Create jobs at home! Advance and defend migrants' rights!
Migrants from sending and destination countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, and Australia under the IMA call on fellow migrants and their families to participate in and support the Zero Remittance Day.
The Zero Remittance Day principally takes the GFMD to task for being an elitist, anti-migrant forum aimed to perpetuate the greater commodification of migrants worldwide. All over the globe, the growing migrants' movement views the GFMD as a sham assembly with the sole objective to consolidate and legitimize attacks on migrants' rights and welfare.
The GFMD cannot be expected to become a significant tool to its supposed stakeholders, migrant workers themselves, when it fails to tackle the fundamental problems and issues concerning the unprecedented growing number of migrants. The very fact that the GFMD fails to even accommodate genuine migrant representation in its roster is glaring proof of the forum's defectiveness.
The Zero Remittance Day also aims to condemn the convention of the GFMD amid the global financial crisis. It seeks to send out the united message of protest from millions of migrants worldwide who are forced to leave their homelands and subject themselves to cheap labor and exploitation out of desperation. It discredits migration as a tool for development but the result of continuous unemployment, landlessness and lack of basic services in sending countries.
Migration as a tool for development is a fallacy. Migration, at the expense of migrants worldwide, would only serve to benefit developed First World nations. It would not end poverty and joblessness resulting in the forced migration of peoples of poor countries.
In the midst of a global financial crisis, the U.S. and its client states will use the GFMD to increase remittances and the profits they extract from it. The WB has said that the $377-Billion worth of global remittances are greater than the combined amount of official development assistance and foreign direct investments. But these mainly benefit developed countries such as the U.S. and receiving countries while migrant-sending states like the Philippines would only use remittances to pay off foreign debts, keep afloat bankrupt economies, and as a source of corruption.
On October 29, thousands of migrants of different nationalities from different countries will not send home remittances to shout their clarion call – NO to GFMD! End labor export! Create jobs at home! Advance and defend migrants' rights!
Migrants from sending and destination countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, and Australia under the IMA call on fellow migrants and their families to participate in and support the Zero Remittance Day.
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2 Speak Out:
PJ:
Honestly.I don't agree with this idea.
The migrants' families need the remittances.They resort to borrowing "5-6" whenever there are delays in the remittances.
Gloria will not be affected at all.
EQ
@eq, I like your honesty and frankness in disagreeing with some of my views, this is healthy. It is only by voicing our opinion for or against ones' stand will we arrive at plan of actions that will make a difference.
I believe the reason why they are calling for just a day of zero remittance is precisely on the concern that you brought up which is more of symbolical than hurting Gloria Arroyo. This is one way of assessing what will work in mobilizing the OF community.
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