WHAT IS THE GLOBAL 99?

Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street global movement, a group of faculty, staff and students from the University of Washington have created a new collective called “Global 99” to look beyond the United States borders to the 99% around the world struggling for a more just global financial order. As global health advocates, members of Global 99 seek to highlight and act upon the growing health inequalities around the world created by a global financial system that delivers high profits to the richest 1% at the expense of the majority of the world’s population.  As difficult as the current crisis has been for many Americans, the impact has been harshest in our most impoverished communities and in countries where even the most basic services to the poor majority have been undermined. Global 99 seeks to educate about the link between experiences and policies of economic inequality in the United States and those of people around the world, to expose and challenge the institutions that perpetuate the structural violence of the current global order, and to build bridges of solidarity across borders to create healthy communities. Activities may include organizing education sessions and resources related to the global effects of the current economic crisis, especially on health, participation in actions related to campus and city Occupy Seattle and beyond events, art activism, letter writing campaigns, and a range of other actions.

Global 99 invites you to join us in organizing events here at UW and in Seattle, and connecting to other organizations on campus and in the region.