Deborah James
James at the World Trade Organization's 2013 Public Forum.
Born (1971-03-13) March 13, 1971[1]
Fort Sill, Oklahoma
EducationUniversity of California at San Diego
George Washington University
OrganizationCenter for Economic and Policy Research
Board member ofGlobal Exchange

Deborah James (born March 13, 1971) is an American activist. She is director of international programs at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and is on the Board of Directors of Global Exchange.[2][3] Prior to her work for CEPR, James had been called "a top U.S. protest organizer" by the Center for Public Integrity.[4] She was formerly the Director of the WTO Program at Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, the Global Economy Director at Global Exchange, and the Executive Director of the Venezuela Information Office.[5]

Career

Global Exchange

In 1993, James became the Global Economy Director for Global Exchange. During her 12-year stay, she advocated for the Free Trade Area of the Americas[6] (FTAA). The FTAA proposed a free trade zone for the Americas, the proposal however failed.[7] Since then, has continued to contribute by serving the organization by being on the Board of Directors of Global Exchange.[3][8]

Anti-globalization and opposition to WTO

During her time at Global Exchange, James opposed the expansion of NAFTA during the 1990s.[8] James also contributed to the opposition of the expansion of the World Trade Organization at the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 where Global Exchanged help organize the 1999 Seattle WTO protests,[4] at the 2003 WTO meeting in Cancun[8][9] and the 2005 WTO meeting in Hong Kong.[8] The subject maintains the goals of the WTO for employment and prosperity have not been met.[10]

Workers advocacy

During the fall of 1999, James led a campaign called the "Roast Starbucks Campaign" with Global Exchange to persuade Starbucks to use Fair trade coffee in every one of their stores. In an interview, James explained how the Global Exchange campaign included several demonstrations in cities and mailed in letters to Starbucks demanding the use of Fair trade coffee, all organized by Global Exchange. In the spring of 2000, Global Exchange halted its campaign after Starbucks signed an agreement with TransFairUS to offer Fair trade coffee.[11] James also persuaded Procter & Gamble to use Fair Trade Certified coffee as well.[8]

James also advocated for a living wage and suitable working conditions for workers of Nike, Inc. and Gap Inc.[3] She also promoted the usage of Fair Trade chocolate in order to combat child slavery in the Ivory Coast.[3]

Venezuela

In 2006, James wrote a publication for Global Exchange titled U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: A Clear and Present Danger, where she said the United States "undermines" Venezuela's democracy and social progress while also calling on United States citizens to counter this alleged "undermining".[12] The Marxist magazine Political Affairs called James a "Venezuela expert" and that U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: A Clear and Present Danger "tells a shocking tale of US intervention in Venezuela’s democratic process, examines a series of myths about Venezuela, and offers an explanation of the real concerns underlying the Bush administration’s antagonism towards Venezuela" and how the publication "offers US citizens some concrete ways we can get involved".[13] In the publication, James used some of work from Eva Golinger's Chávez Code.[14]

Venezuelan Information Office (VIO)

In 2004, James, with a starting salary of about $64,000 per year,[1] became the Executive Director of the Venezuela Information Office (VIO), a lobbying agency in the United States run by the Venezuelan government that had a goal of improving the view of the Venezuelan government in the United States and had a stated mission "to prevent US intervention in Venezuela".[15][16] While James was Executive Director of the Venezuelan Information Office, she would organize solidarity groups, activists and protesters to support the image of the Venezuelan government and its policies[4] while also lobbying for the Venezuelan government in the United States Congress.[1]

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

Following her time at the Venezuela Information Office, James moved to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) where she is currently the Director of International Programs.[2][17] James' contributions at the CEPR focus on the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and U.S. policy towards Latin America.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "I - Registrant - Venezuela Information Office, LLC" (PDF). United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 CEPR website, Staff Listing Archived March 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, accessed 31 October 2014
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Deborah James". Global Exchange. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Bogardus, Keven (22 September 2004). Venezuela Head Polishes Image With Oil Dollars: President Hugo Chavez takes his case to America's streets. Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "Deborah James". Global Exchange. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Deborah James". Center for Economic and Policy Research. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  7. ↑ Charnock, Greig (2023-03-20). "Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Deborah James". Policy Innovation. Carnegie Council.
  9. ↑ Scott, Alwyn (16 December 2005). "Anti-WTO activists take fight from street to halls of power". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. ↑ James, Deborah. (30 November 2019). "The WTO 20 years after the 'battle of Seattle' ." Al Jazeera website Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Gallander, Sebastian. "Interview with Deborah James, Fair Trade Director at Global Exchange" (PDF). University of Washington. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  12. ↑ James, Deborah (January 2006). U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: A Clear and Present Danger (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-23. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Benjamin, Medea. "US Intervention in Venezuela". Political Affairs. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Ruiz, Tariq Alí (2008). Piratas del Caribe : el eje de la esperanza (1. ed.). Madrid: Foca. p. 82. ISBN 978-8496797031.
  15. ↑ Forero, Juan (30 September 2004). "Venezuela's government seeks to show that its oil riches are well spent". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  16. ↑ "FARA US Department of Justice" (PDF). US Department of Justice. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  17. ↑ Daza Tapia, Andrea (20 October 2009). "Agentes recargan fuerzas para batallar por la "revolución"" (PDF). El Mundo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "Deborah James". Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
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