Agreement Quote by Barack Obama
“The trade agreement itself does have labor and environmental protections, but we have to stand for human rights and we have to make sure that violence isn't being perpetrated against workers who are just trying to organize for their rights.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Trade and Human Rights, 2015
Trade deals should include labor and environmental safeguards, and must protect workers from violence while they organize.
In simple terms: Trade must protect workers and the environment.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize human rights in trade agreements.
Themes
trade
human rights
labor
environment
politics
Mood
hopeful
determined
Type
policy
advocacy
When to use this quote
- labor unions
- environmental NGOs
- government regulators
- corporate compliance
Key Concepts
safeguards
worker protection
organizing rightspolicy
negotiation
activism
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms ensure enforcement of labor protections?
- How can trade policy better support grassroots organizing?
A Different Perspective
Balancing economic goals with rights can be politically contentious.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
