Trade Justice: Health is a Human Right
The 2006 US-Thai Free Trade Agreement Speaker Tour

With the generous support of Oxfam America, ENGAGE presented a Speaker Tour to raise awareness about the United States-Thai Free Trade Agreement (US-Thai FTA) throughout the month of October 2006. The US-Thai FTA covers multiple trade issues, including foreign investment, government procurement, and intellectual property rights (IPR). The US-Thai FTA Speaker Tour focused on proposed IPR regulations included in the US-Thai FTA that would limit Thailand’s ability to produce and import generic versions of medicines and would jeopardize its access to high quality, affordable medicines.

ENGAGE, in collaboration with Oxfam America’s CHANGE Initiative and the Thai Network for People living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+), coordinated the tour. Tour stops featured panel discussions, congressional lobbying, movie screenings, potlucks at community centers, and other targeted educational activities. Speakers included a Thai NGO representative, a TNP+ representative and an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) expert.

Enjoy a selection of photos from the tour, below!


Tour members and coordinators outside of San Francisco General Hospital


A representative of Thailand's Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+) tells his story at University of California at Berkeley


FTA tour coordinators, Brighid O'Keane and Kyra Busch with the Statue of Liberty in the
background in New York City


ENGAGE staff and Thai allies meet in San Francisco. From left to right: Chris Westcott, Kyra
Busch, Sangsiri Teemanka, Jiraporn Limpananont, Brighid O'Keane, Boripat Donmon, and
Ubon Yuwa


The tour stopped in Indiana and took in the sights of industrial agriculture


Discarded farm tools welcome visitors to the Lafayette Farmers' Market


Sangsiri Teemanka enjoys American produce


ENGAGE Global Action Director Kyra Busch speaks with students after an event at Macalester College


Jiraporn Limpananont, Boripat Donmon, and Kyra Busch experience a Minneapolis autumn


Tour Participants join forces with the Resource Center of the Americas


ENGAGE and TNP+ with allies from OXFAM America, Gay Mens Health Crisis and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. From left to right: Back Row - Kyra Busch (ENGAGE),
Brighid O'Keane (ENGAGE), Sophia Lafontant (OA), Matthew Coghlan (OA) Front Row -
Jiraporn Limpananont, Sangsiri Teemanka, Boripat Donmon, Dan Rosan (ICCR), Robert Bank (GMHC)


ENGAGE speaking event at University of Pennsylvania


From left to right, tour participants Boripat Donmon, Brighid O'Keane, and Jiraporn Limpananont