Anti-Globalization Group Marches Towards G8 Site
UPDATED: 12:56 pm EDT May 31,
2004
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- About a dozen marchers on their way from Hampton, Fla., to Brunswick, Ga., to urge world leaders to rethink globalization stopped in Jacksonville Sunday -- one of many stops planned along the way to spread their message.
While the mission of their Walk for Social Justice includes spreading their message to an audiences like that gathered at the Jacksonville Landing, marchers said their real hope is to get the attention of the people who can make a difference -- the powerful world leaders who will attended the G8 Summit next week.
"We're walking primarily to bring message up to the G8 leaders at Sea Island that we don't think globalization is going well," John Linnehan of Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice said Sunday. "The value systems that they have, we feel are causing instability -- an unstable world."
Linnehan told Channel 4's Charmayne Brown he believes this instability is fueling terrorism, and the United States and other world powers must level the economic playing field.
"Globalization is not a bad thing. It's the way that globalization affects countries and citizens of countries and depletes resources of those countries," Doris Marlin of Wage Peace said. "With positive emphasis, globalization can be helpful rather than harmful."
These marchers hope their 140-mile trek will catch the attention of the world leaders. They are on schedule to arrive in Brunswick, Ga., on June 5 to be ready to make their pitch for change when the Summit begins on June 8.
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