The tourism and leisure industry is among the most lucrative and fastest growing industries in the world. The potential to harness revenues from this industry and direct them towards development has been touted by multilateral institutions and national governments alike. While there are many promises of how tourism can increase development for communities, further examination unveils the detrimental impacts the industry has on communities. One such impact is the erosion of communal land rights, particularly the rights of indigenous people, as the industry expands. This phenomenon is not limited to the developing world. This paper seeks to expand the discussion on the impact of tourism on land rights by highlighting the experience of the Gullah community in the U.S. and linking the Gullah struggle to maintain communal land rights to that of communities across the globe.

This article reports on negotiations leading to the Doha Financing for Development Review on the trade chapter, where deep divisions among country blocks on how the Doha FFD Review should interpret the record of the WTO round of trade negotiations -- that came to a halt earlier in 2008-- came to the fore.

With much blaming and shaming the Western Trade Ministers and media announce the most recent collapse of the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s current attempt to reach agreement on the so-called Doha Development Round of Trade. (They have been trying to negotiate an agreement for more than seven years!)

"The 2002 Farm Bill is set to expire this year and debate on a new Farm Bill is heating up in the U.S. Congress, drawing both domestic and international attention. Given the scope and reach of Farm Bill legislation, this is an opportunity to change the course of U.S. agriculture and draft meaningful legislation for U.S. family farmers and rural communities and their international counterparts. This article will discuss the current direction of U.S. agriculture policy, the interaction with international trade rules and current proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill, contrasting those that seek to comply with trade obligations and those that present an alternative to the current system. "

There are a series of trade initiatives that are sponsored and/or driven by the U.S. government through a variety of mechanisms which are moving at a rapid pace. Trade and investment policies will have major impacts on the region and globally. The Global Women's Project at the Center of Concern is concerned with the gender and social impacts of trade and investment agreements that favor corporate interests over national sovereignty and the rights of people, the market over real development needs.

The below fact sheets critique the impact that these policies are having on women, their families and their communities. They are designed to serve a proactive role in critiquing and shaping the power relationships behind these policies. Because of our role as gender activists in the North, we recognize and oppose the fact that the U.S. is using a variety of mechanisms to push an agenda which is hindering the common good.