NEED to bring WTO issues closer to poor

NEED to bring WTO issues closer to poor

December 09, 2005, Indian Express

While experiencing an urgent need to involve the media in expanding the knowledge base of small traders, agriculturists and handicraft workers and making them aware of the issues and agreements of the WTO, a media workshop was organised today under the aegis of Network of Entrepreneurship and economic Development (NEED) and Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), an NGO.

The speakers on this occasion said there was a great need to understand the trade and economic issues and its relationship with development and poverty. While requesting the media to shoulder responsibilities in order to take steps to deal with the issues that help the masses in achieving better economic condition. The speakers called upon the civil societies to come forward. Naveen Joshi, Resident Editor of Hindustan, Lucknow, inaugurated the workshop.

Anil Kumar Singh, Chief Executive of NEED said, “we strongly stand by the masses in protecting the livelihood of the common people and also want them to understand the intricacies of international trade agreements”.

Marginal producers and women weavers who come from interior villages of Uttar Pradesh always share their difficulties and challenges of trade related threats. NEED has already organised outreach meets in the state in order to collect correct information. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to demand that marginal traders be involved in the international market at the Hong Kong WTO meet. He informed that depending upon the experiences and experiments at the grassroots level, NEED has also submitted proposal to the Chief Minister to set up a ‘State Trade Policy Council’ to meet the challenged posed on the indigenous market due to global challenges.