Image by GlobalTradeWatch via Flickr
Take Action!
Urge Congress to Stop Obama’s Secret Trade Deals
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a new “free trade” agreement being negotiated between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim countries. Like other Free Trade Agreements, this one is basically a permanent power grab by corporations and financial companies that will make it impossible for the citizens of countries joining the TPP to choose what laws and rules they want to live under.
For Americans, it would lead to increased gas exports and increased imported foods, while undermining our domestic laws and increasing the financialization of nature.
TPP was started under George W. Bush but is being pushed — hard — by President Obama. In fact, he is pushing it so hard that he has indicated he will seek “fast track authority” for the negotiating, meaning that he, and whoever comes after him, would be able to negotiate as desired without oversight by Congress. Isn’t the reason our constitution created three federal branches — executive, judicial and legislative — to ensure checks and balances?
Please fill out the form below and edit the letter as you wish to urge your congressional representatives to stop Obama’s plan to “fast track” secret trade deals.
Take Action: Food & Water Watch
***
Propaganda Alert!
Joint Statement by the United States of America, Republic of Estonia, Republic of Latvia, and Republic of Lithuania
Image by SS&SS via Flickr
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 30, 2013
The United States of America, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, and the Republic of Lithuania reaffirm our commitment to strengthening our relations by jointly expanding trade ties in pursuit of economic prosperity, enhancing strategic cooperation to address global security challenges, and advancing democracy and human rights around the world. As NATO allies, bound by our shared transatlantic values and holding a common vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace, we resolve to continue and expand our cooperation in the Baltic region and beyond to build a more prosperous, secure, and inclusive future.
The Baltic states have each undergone significant transformations since the restoration of independence just over two decades ago. Fulfilling the promise of the 1998 Baltic Charter, they have become valued members of NATO and the European Union. In joining the ranks of the world’s most developed economies in organizations such as OECD and the Eurozone, and assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, their positive influence on global security and economic issues continues to grow.
As we prepare for the opportunities and challenges that will arise in the coming years, we recognize that cooperation – with and among the Baltic states, with other regional partners such as the Nordics, and in transatlantic and international forums – will be crucial to our success. To this end, we have a shared interest in further developing cooperative, mutually respectful relations with all states in the region. We are stronger and our reach is greater when we work collaboratively and combine efforts in pursuit of our common goals.
We recognize and reaffirm our commitment to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations as a generational opportunity to expand the strong cultural and economic ties between Europe and the United States. T-TIP will not only establish a high-standard, comprehensive agreement that will strengthen the global trading system, but it will also promote competitiveness and growth, adding to the millions of jobs – including Baltic and American jobs – that are already supported by trade and investment across the Atlantic.
As a reliable and diverse supply of energy is a crucial element of economic prosperity, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening energy security in the Baltic region. We recognize the importance of implementing the EU’s Third Energy Directive and developing the projects included in the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan, in order to diversify sources of energy, develop transparency in energy markets, and provide the basis for sustained economic growth in the entire region. The United States strongly supports the Baltic states in their efforts to develop domestic energy resources and clean energy solutions – including energy efficiency – in pursuit of our shared goals of strengthening energy security, addressing climate change, and promoting nuclear safety and security.
Recognizing the benefits and risks of our increasing dependence on information technology and cyberspace, we will strengthen our engagement on cyber issues regionally and globally. We will seek to advance the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure in the region through public/private cooperation. We will continue to cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes. We will strive to advance our shared vision of internet freedom by engaging with other countries, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Our efforts support a common goal: an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet that protects privacy and civil liberties, enables the free flow of information and ideas, and promotes the innovation essential to modern economies.
The security of the United States and Europe is indivisible. As established in the Baltic Charter, and as NATO allies, the United States has a profound and enduring interest in the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The Baltic states make significant contributions to NATO missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and we are committed to maintaining and expanding Alliance capabilities – for collective defense, cooperative security, and crisis management – within Europe and beyond. Recognizing the value of practical cooperation, we will work together to find efficiencies and make the most of limited resources. We will coordinate within NATO to identify and develop high-priority capabilities and training and exercise opportunities, while also pursuing regional joint procurement and other security projects where mutually beneficial.
As NATO transitions to a post-2014 non-combat mission in Afghanistan, it will be crucial to maintain the Alliance’s ability to provide for collective defense and contribute to global security. Though economic times are challenging, we must all ensure that we sustain adequate levels of defense investment to maintain a capable, deployable, and interoperable force. In this regard, we reaffirm our commitment to achieve or maintain defense spending at 2 percent of GDP.
In the last two decades, the Baltic states have undertaken impressive democratic transitions, and they now demonstrate leadership in promoting democracy and human rights and strengthening civil society in the countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership, as well as through development assistance to other nations undergoing transition. We will seek opportunities to expand upon these efforts – together, and also with like-minded countries in the region – so the Baltic states can share their successful transition experiences with emerging democracies around the world.
Reflecting our close ties and shared values, we reaffirm our commitment to continue to promote the rule of law as a foundation for a community of free and democratic nations, and to the responsibility of all societies to safeguard and respect the universal rights, civil liberties, and human dignity of all individuals within their territories.
The Baltic states remain grateful to the United States and the American people for their non-recognition policy during the Cold War. Our warm relations are anchored by close interpersonal ties and the rich contributions that the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian diasporas have made to the multi-ethnic culture of the United States.
***
FACT SHEET: The United States and Estonia – NATO Allies and Global Partners
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 30, 2013
President Obama hosted Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, along with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Latvian President Andris Berzinš, for a meeting at the White House on August 30. The visit underscored the close ties between the United States and the Baltic states, which are grounded in our shared values, ideals, and interests. The leaders highlighted ongoing cooperation in the following areas:
Defense and Security Cooperation:
- Sustaining NATO capabilities: Estonia demonstrates its commitment to transatlantic security as one of only a few NATO allies that meet the NATO benchmark of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.
- Afghanistan: Estonia is a stalwart supporter of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and has committed to continue supporting NATO’s post-2014 non-combat mission. Estonia currently has more than 160 troops, Special Operations Forces, and trainers deployed in Afghanistan, primarily in Helmand province. In addition to providing $1.3 million in development assistance to Afghanistan in 2013, Estonia has pledged $500,000 annually from 2015 to 2017 to support the Afghan National Security Forces. Tallinn is also a key port along the Northern Distribution Network, which facilitates the transport of materiel to coalition troops in Afghanistan and serves as a retrograde route for materiel leaving the theater.
- Cyber Security: Estonia is a key ally and recognized leader on issues of cyber security. Our bilateral cyber relationship is captured in our pending partnership statement and includes collaborative efforts on network protection, development cooperation, combating cyber-crime, strategic global policy alignment, internet freedom, and improving cyber education. Estonian and American Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERTs) are in regular contact in order to effectively respond to cyber incidents.
- Defense and Security Cooperation: U.S. and Estonian troops participate in a range of joint and multilateral exercises, including: BALTOPS, SABER STRIKE, and STEADFAST JAZZ 13. Estonian soldiers and defense personnel also receive technical training and strategic education in the United States.
- NATO Allies: As NATO allies, the United States and Estonia are committed to each other’s defense and partner in critical areas around the world. Estonia also hosts a NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, which serves as a repository of expertise on cyber security issues.
- The State Partnership Program: Estonia’s military maintains an active relationship with the Maryland National Guard through the State Partnership Program. Last year, the two worked jointly to train Estonian helicopter pilots to support medical evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.
Diplomatic Cooperation and Global Development:
- Development Cooperation: Estonia has drawn on its transition experiences and cyber expertise to provide specialized development assistance in the sectors of e-governance, cyber security, and civil society. In addition to partnering with the U.S. government to support development projects in Moldova and Georgia through the Department of State’s Emerging Donor Challenge Fund, Estonia mentors Eastern Partnership countries and other emerging democracies through the Tallinn-based Eastern Partnership Center.
- Internet Freedom: Estonia is a close partner in the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of governments collaborating to advance Internet freedom. As current chair of the coalition, Estonia will host the next ministerial in Tallinn in spring 2014. The United States and Estonia are also donors to the Digital Defenders Partnership, which provides emergency support for Internet users in repressive environments who are under threat for peacefully exercising their universal rights online.
- Leaders Engaged in New Democracies (LEND) Network: The United States and Estonia co-chair the Leaders Engaged in New Democracies (LEND) network, a groundbreaking technology platform that connects key leaders in young democracies with experts on democratization from around the world. Working under the auspices of the Community of Democracies, LEND leverages expertise from world leaders including former presidents, prime ministers, and supreme court justices in dozens of countries.
Economic, Energy, and Environmental Cooperation:
- Energy Security: Estonia enjoys a high degree of energy self-sufficiency due to its large domestic oil shale reserves, from which the country derives approximately 87 percent of its electricity. In 2011, the United States and Estonia signed an Oil Shale Cooperation Agreement to promote research in this area.
- Trade, Investment, and Jobs: Bilateral trade in goods with Estonia was $743 million in 2012. The government of Estonia has expressed strong support for the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations. T-TIP aims to boost economic growth in the United States and in the EU and add to the more than 13 million American and EU jobs already supported by transatlantic trade and investment.
Educational and Cultural Ties:
- Educational Exchange Programs: Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Fulbright program in Estonia. Since 1992, more than 160 Estonians have been educated, taught, or performed research in the United States through the Fulbright Program. In the past 20 years, more than 170 U.S. Fulbright students and scholars have studied, researched, or taught classes in Estonia.
- Cultural Programs: Annual festivals such as the jazz festival, Jazzkaar (Jazz Arch), and the Black Nights Film Festival, which features North American independent films, highlight the rich cultural ties between Estonia and the United States. Arts-based cultural exchanges in the areas of music, literature and the humanities, and museum communities have strengthened ties between American and Estonian societies
- Professional Exchange Programs: Since 1991, 540 Estonians have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Department of State’s premier professional exchange program, which brings current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields to the United States to experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. In addition, approximately 730 Estonians took part in privately funded professional exchanges with the United States last year, including the Summer Work Travel, Intern, Short Term Scholar, and Au Pair programs.
- Science Cooperation: The United States and Estonia signed a bilateral Science and Technology Agreement in 2008 that prioritized collaboration on environmental and biodiversity protection, marine science, energy, space, HIV/AIDS, engineering, and sustainable development. Estonia and the United States are also jointly engaged in the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) program. Currently, 81 Estonian schools collect data on soil, biometrics, and hydrology that they upload to a NASA website for use by U.S. researchers.
***
FACT SHEET: The United States and Latvia – NATO Allies and Global Partners
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 30, 2013
President Obama hosted Latvian President Andris Berzinš, along with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, for a meeting in the White House on August 30. The visit underscored the close ties between the United States and the Baltic states, which are grounded in our shared values, ideals, and interests. The leaders highlighted ongoing cooperation in the following areas:
Defense and Security Cooperation:
- Afghanistan: Latvia is a stalwart supporter of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and has committed to continue supporting NATO’s post-2014 non-combat mission. Latvia has contributed to a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Faryab province and currently has 140 troops deployed to the Nordic-Baltic Task Force in Mazar-e-Sharif. Additionally, Latvian Special Operations Forces support the ISAF mission in Kabul. Riga is a key port along the Northern Distribution Network, which facilitates the transport of materiel to coalition troops in Afghanistan and serves as a retrograde route for materiel leaving the theater. Latvia has pledged $500,000 annually from 2015 to 2017 to support the Afghan National Security Forces.
- Cyber Security: The government of Latvia has recognized the danger of increased cyber threats and is working together with NATO, the EU, the Baltic states, and the United States to strengthen cyber security. The United States supports Latvia’s efforts through visits by U.S. experts and Latvian participation in EUCOM- and NATO-sponsored events and U.S.-based training. The government of Latvia is also a partner in the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of governments collaborating to advance Internet freedom.
- Defense and Security Cooperation: U.S. and Latvian troops participate in a range of joint and multilateral exercises, including SABER STRIKE, BALTOPS, and STEADFAST JAZZ 13. Latvian soldiers and defense personnel also receive technical training and strategic education in the United States.
- NATO Allies: As NATO allies, the United States and Latvia are committed to each other’s defense and partner in critical areas around the world. Latvia contributes important capabilities to the Alliance’s collective security, including the training of U.S.-certified joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) who coordinate air support for ground units during operations.
- The State Partnership Program: Latvia has partnered with the Michigan National Guard since 1993. The program has brought together hundreds of Guard personnel and their Latvian counterparts through training and outreach activities. Latvia and the Michigan National Guard are also joint providers of military assistance to Liberia through a program to train non-commissioned officers.
Diplomatic Cooperation and Global Development:
- Development Cooperation: Latvia’s development assistance priorities include Central Asia and the EU Eastern Partnership countries. Latvia also works closely with the United States to provide border management and customs training to Central Asian countries. The Latvian government is also preparing to submit its first Emerging Donor Challenge Fund proposal, for which the government of Latvia and the U.S. Department of State would co-finance a border management project in Uzbekistan.
- Eastern Partnership: Along with the United States, Latvia places great emphasis on assisting the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries. Latvia’s efforts in this area have included supporting land registration modernization in Azerbaijan; conducting border guard training in Belarus and Georgia, in conjunction with Estonia and Lithuania; and providing training to the Georgian armed forces. Additionally, Latvia conducts economic development and rule of law projects in Moldova through the U.S.-Latvia Agreement on Supporting Justice Sector Reform in Moldova, which was signed in June 2012.
- Global Cooperation: Latvia has been a strong ally in advancing human rights and democratic values around the world. Latvia has taken a leading role in encouraging democratic reforms in Belarus and helping Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova integrate more fully into European institutions. Latvia deploys seamen to the EU-led anti-piracy and anti-robbery Operation ATALANTA off the coast of Somalia and provides military training in Mali.
Economic, Energy, and Environmental Cooperation:
- Energy Security: Latvia actively pursues a national strategy of energy diversification. A key portion of Latvia’s energy diversification strategy involves the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency. With half of its territory covered by forests, wood biomass is one of the primary fields for development. Latvian companies are pursuing U.S. technology and partnerships in wind power, biomass gasification, and waste energy solutions. These efforts support the Latvian government’s commitment to produce 40 percent of total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020.
- Trade, Investment, and Jobs: Bilateral trade in goods between the United States and Latvia totaled $760 million in 2012. Coal and petroleum gases, machinery, and vehicles are among the United States’ major exports to Latvia. Recent partnerships between U.S. and Latvian businesses have been concentrated in the information technology, transportation and logistics, energy, and heavy industry sectors. The government of Latvia has expressed strong support for the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations. T-TIP aims to boost economic growth in the United States and in the EU and add to the more than 13 million American and EU jobs already supported by transatlantic trade and investment. In May, Latvia was selected to receive a roadmap for membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Latvia will formally adopt the euro on January 1, 2014.
Educational and Cultural Ties:
- Educational Exchange Programs: Since 1991, the United States has awarded Fulbright fellowships to 177 outstanding scholars and students from Latvia to study and conduct research in the United States. Each year, approximately eight Latvian students and scholars travel to the United States. Additionally, in the past 20 years, more than 150 U.S. Fulbright scholars and students have conducted research and lectured at universities in Latvia.
- Cultural Programs: A robust series of cultural exchanges between the United States and Latvia in the fields of music, literature, humanities, and museum communities have strengthened ties between American and Estonian societies. Latvians and Americans share a deep appreciation for music. This year, internationally acclaimed Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons was appointed the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Well-known American Jazz musicians regularly visit Latvia. Recent performers include Bobby McFarrin, Liz Wright, Christian McBride, and Medeski, Martin & Wood.
- Professional Exchange Programs: Since 1991, 412 Latvians have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Department of State’s premier professional exchange program, which brings current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields to the United States to experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. In addition, approximately 300 Latvians took part in privately funded professional exchanges with the United States last year, including the Summer Work Travel, Intern, College and University Student, and Camp Counselor programs.
***
FACT SHEET: The United States and Lithuania – NATO Allies and Global Partners
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 30, 2013
President Obama hosted Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, along with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Latvian President Andris Berzinš, for a meeting in the White House on August 30. The visit underscored the close ties between the United States and the Baltic states, which are grounded in our shared values, ideals, and interests. The leaders highlighted ongoing cooperation in the following areas:
Defense and Security Cooperation:
- Afghanistan: Lithuania is a stalwart supporter of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan and has committed to continue supporting NATO’s post-2014 non-combat mission. Lithuania currently has approximately 240 troops, including Special Operations Forces and trainers, deployed in Afghanistan. Lithuania has led a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Ghor province since 2005, the smallest ISAF contributor nation to lead a PRT. Lithuania has pledged $500,000 annually from 2015 to 2017 to support the Afghan National Security Forces. The city of Klaipeda is also a key port along the Northern Distribution Network, which facilitates the transport of materiel to coalition troops in Afghanistan and serves as a retrograde route for materiel leaving the theater.
- Cyber Security: Lithuania has made cyber security a priority for its 2013 EU Presidency.
- Defense and Security Cooperation: U.S. and Lithuanian troops participate in a range of joint and multilateral exercises, including: SABER STRIKE, BALTOPS, and STEADFAST JAZZ 13. Lithuanian soldiers and defense personnel also receive technical training and strategic education in the United States.
- NATO Allies: As NATO Allies, the United States and Lithuania are committed to each other’s security and stand together in critical crisis areas worldwide. Lithuania has made valuable contributions to NATO operations since 1994. Additionally, Vilnius hosts a NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence, which advises NATO on all aspects of energy security.
- Nuclear Security: At the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, Lithuania announced its commitment to strengthen its contribution to the global effort on non-proliferation and nuclear security, including by opening a Nuclear Security Center of Excellence in Vilnius. In April 2013, the U.S. Secretary of State and Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs strengthened the countries’ partnership to combat nuclear terrorism by signing a joint action plan to protect against nuclear and radiological smuggling.
- The State Partnership Program: This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s productive partnership with the Pennsylvania National Guard. The program has brought hundreds of Pennsylvania National Guard personnel together with their Lithuanian counterparts to strengthen a wide range of Lithuanian capabilities, including planning, crisis management, and civilian-military disaster response. Pennsylvania National Guard troops have partnered with Lithuanian troops to advance our joint efforts in Afghanistan.
Diplomatic Cooperation and Global Development:
- Development Cooperation: The majority of Lithuania’s bilateral assistance goes to Afghanistan, where Vilnius has contributed more than $7 million since 2006. In addition, Lithuania actively seeks to support democratization elsewhere around the world, using its own transition experience as a model for others. Along with the United States, Lithuania provides economic and technical support for a range of projects in the EU’s Eastern Partnership states, including Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine. The Lithuanian government is preparing to submit an Emerging Donor Challenge Fund proposal, for which the Lithuanian government and the U.S. Department of State would co-finance nuclear security workshops on best practices in deterring nuclear material smuggling for Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Armenian participants. More recently, Lithuania has also joined multilateral efforts to assist democratization efforts in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Eastern Partnership: Lithuania has consistently placed the Eastern Partnership among its top foreign policy priorities. During the final week of November, Lithuania will host a series of events advancing the Eastern Partnership, culminating in the November 28-29 Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. Lithuania has hosted the Belarusian European Humanities University since it was expelled from Minsk in 2004.
- Global Cooperation: Lithuania has been a strong ally in advancing human rights and democratic values around the world. During its 2009-2011 Presidency of the Community of Democracies, Lithuania helped establish the Democracy Partnership Challenge, which aims to channel financial and technical assistance to select emerging democracies. In 2011, Lithuania chaired the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, focusing on the promotion of energy security in Europe as well as democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, notably freedom of the media, worldwide. On the security front, Lithuanian seamen are deployed to the EU-led anti-piracy Operation ATALANTA off the coast of Somalia. The unit protects a World Food Program-chartered vessel transporting food from Kenya to Somalia.
- Internet Governance: Lithuania actively participates in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), created at the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society as a venue for multi-stakeholder dialogue on internet policy issues. Lithuania hosted the fifth IGF meeting in Vilnius in 2010.
Economic, Energy, and Environmental Cooperation:
- Energy Security: Lithuania is rapidly moving to reduce energy dependence on a single supplier. Its energy strategy aims to increase both energy efficiency and energy diversification through the development of nuclear, LNG, renewable, and unconventional energy. Lithuania is also working to promote competition, interconnection, and investment in the local and EU energy markets. Since July 1, Lithuania has made energy security a top priority of its EU Presidency by focusing on the implementation of an internal energy market, increased energy efficiency and use of renewables, strengthened security of supply, and improved effectiveness of external energy policy.
- Trade, Investment, and Jobs: Trade between the United States and Lithuania exceeded $1.9 billion in 2012. The government of Lithuania has expressed support for the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations. T-TIP aims to boost economic growth in the United States and in the EU and add to the more than 13 million American and EU jobs already supported by transatlantic trade and investment. Lithuania anticipates joining the Eurozone in 2015.
Educational and Cultural Ties:
- Educational Exchange Programs: Since 1992, the United States has awarded Fulbright fellowships to more than 170 outstanding scholars and students from Lithuania to study and conduct research in the United States. Additionally, in the past 20 years, more than 180 U.S. Fulbright scholars and students have conducted research and lectured at universities in Lithuania. Lithuania also participates in the Exchanges in Culture, Education, and Leadership (ExCEL) program, a public-private partnership. ExCEL sends high-school level students from Lithuania to the United States to spend a year in an American high school and is currently in its third year.
- Cultural Programs: Lithuania has hosted many American cultural events, including numerous jazz festivals and an annual American country music festival in Visaginas. A robust series of cultural exchanges between the United States and Lithuania in the fields of music and the arts have strengthened ties between American and Lithuanian societies.
- Professional Exchange Programs: Since 1991, 445 Lithuanians have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Department of State’s premier professional exchange program, which brings current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields to the United States to experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. The current President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, is an IVLP alumnus. In addition, approximately 1,245 Lithuanians took part in privately funded exchange programs with the United States last year, including the Summer Work Travel, Intern, College and University Student, and Secondary Student programs.
see
TPP: The Terrible Plutocratic Plan by David Swanson
TPP: The Biggest Threat to the Internet You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Trade Secrets – Draft EU Documents Reveal Trade Agenda With U.S. by Karen Hansen-Kuhn (TTIP)
Dandelion Salad 
Pingback: Trans-Pacific Partnership Leaders Statement (#TPP) | Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Obama Pushes Secretive TPP Trade Pact–Lori Wallach: The #TPP is A Corporate Trojan Horse | Dandelion Salad
Pingback: You Can Stop the #TPP: Say NO to Fast Track | Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Activists Hang Four Anti-#TPP Banners on U.S. Trade Building in D.C. | Dandelion Salad
Pingback: Kristen Beifus: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (#TPP) | Dandelion Salad