U.N. figures to greet NY 'People's Economic Summit' May 31

In front of UN at 47th St & 1st Ave,
Sessions and Panels: 11am to 5pm
Main Plenary starts at 1:pm

Byron Blake, United Nations ambassador for Jamaica and senior advisor to President of UN General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto-Brockmann, will bring greetings from UN President d’Escoto to the People's Economic Summit's plenary session on May 31 in New York. Ambassador Blake.

The People's Economic Summit, called by the U.S.-based Bail Out the People Movement (BOPM) and other organizations, was first called to show solidarity with the U.N. Conference on the Economic Crisis that had been scheduled for June 1-3. The summit will also discuss plans to organize protests in Pittsburgh, PA., in September to protest at the next G20 meeting.

The June 1-3 U.N. Conference was aimed at representing all U.N. members in confronting the worldwide economic crisis and not just the restricted elite powers of the G8 or G20. Pressure from some of the G8 countries forced the U.N. organizers to postpone the UN Conference to June 24-26. But those organizing the People’s Economic Summit say that the forced posponement simply means that the peoples struggle against the bankers is more important than ever and their summit must go on.

Hundreds of participants representing community organizations, solidarity groups, women's, lesbian/gay/bi/trans, workers' unions and other progressive organizations will join the Peoples Summit from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. in a summit tent city across the street from the U.N. on May 31 under a tent at 47th Street and Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.

Besides Byron Blake, featured speakers include: Cynthia McKinney, Ramsey Clark, Ajamu Sankofa, Vinie Burrows, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Nellie Bailey, City Councilperson Charles Barron, Chris Silvera, Brenda Stokely, Larry Hamm, Lynne Stewart, Rev. Lucius Walker, Dulphing Ogan and Curtis Doebbler.

BOPM organizer Larry Holmes said that "because of recent developments, the May 31 Summit will not only be a critical opportunity to discuss the causes of the world economic crisis, hear the voices of those who are suffering the most because of this crisis and plan mass action, it will also be a protest against the G20 governments, especially the U.S. and European imperialist powers that have conspired for six months to either derail, discredit, or weaken the U.N. economic summit."

"The People's Economic Summit, Holmes added, "will be discussing such things as how can the mass movements work together, how can we elevate the organization of the unemployed in the struggle for jobs, and in specific terms how will the movement here respond to the next G20 summit meeting scheduled to take place in September in Pittsburgh, Penna."

Holmes concluded, "The campaign of the rich against the U.N. conference on the world economic crisis should and must serve as a reminder that changes from above are only possible if there is mass resistance from below. It is to this understanding and this purpose that the People’s Economic Summit is dedicated."

For more information:

Bail Out the People Movement
Solidarity Center
55 W. 17th St. #5C
New York, NY 10011
212.633.6646
http://www.BailOutPeople.org
Email: http://bailoutpeople.org/cmnt.shtml