Acknowledgements
This document reflects an ongoing, collaborative process to establish concrete and viable alternatives, based on the interests of the peoples of our hemisphere, to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). It is the second draft of a document initially prepared for the April 1998 Peoples' Summit of the Americas-a historic gathering of activists determined to change the prevailing approach to trade and investment policy in the Western Hemisphere.
This is a working document, designed to stimulate further debate and education on an alternative vision. The paper focuses on positive proposals, while dealing only implicitly with the impact of "neo-liberalism" and free trade agreements on our countries. At this stage of the struggle, it is not enough to oppose, to resist and to criticize. We must build a proposal of our own and fight for it.
This document draws upon the contributions of individuals too numerous to name. Over the course of many years, hundreds of people have participated in discussions, helped draft documents, or conducted educational or organizing activities around an alternative vision for our hemisphere. To a large extent, this paper is a culmination of all of these efforts.
The individuals primarily responsible for writing, editing, and coordinating the development of this document include:
Sarah Anderson (Institute for Policy Studies, USA)
Alberto Arroyo (RMALC, Mexico)
Peter Bakvis (CSN, Quebec)
Patty Barrera (Common Frontiers, Canada)
John Dillon (Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice/Common Frontiers, Canada)
Karen Hansen Kuhn (Development GAP, USA)
David Ranney (University of Illinois/Chicago, USA)
The following individuals also made significant contributions to the writing
and editing:
Quebec:
Marcela Escribano (Alternatives/ RQIC),
Dorval Brunelle (Groupe de Recherche sur l'Integration Continentale-UQAM),
Luc Brunet (CEQ), Robert Demers (FTQ),
France Laurendeau (FTQ),
Hélène Lebrun (CEQ)
United States:
John Cavanagh (Institute for Policy Studies),
Terry Collingsworth (International Labor Rights Fund),
Rob Scott (Economic Policy Institute),
Lance Compa (Cornell University)
Mexico:
Andres Penaloza (RMALC),
Teresa Gutierrez, Luz Paula Parra R and the Comision Mexicana de Defensa y
Promocion de los Derechos Humanos (CMDPDHAC),
Hilda Zalasar (Desarrollo, Ambiente y Sociedad/ RMALC),
Alejandro Villamar (RMALC),
Bertha Lujan (FAT/ RMALC),
Juan Manuel Sandoval and the Seminario Permanente de Estudios Chicanos, Matilde
Arteaga Zaragoza (FAT/ RMALC)
and all those who made proposals to the Women's Forum at the Santiago Summit
Canada:
Sheila Katz (Canadian Labour Congress),
Ken Traynor (Canadian Environmental Law Association),
John Foster (University of Saskatchewan/Common Frontiers),
Tony Clarke (Polaris Institute),
Bruce Campbell (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives),
Carlos Torres, Daina Z. Green, the Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice
and the Common Frontiers Steering Committee Central America:
Raul Moreno and Alberta Enriquez (FUNDE)
We would also like to thank:
Renato Martins (Cut Brasil),
Coral Pey and RECHIP (Red Chile por una Iniciativa de los Pueblos),
CETES (Centro de estudios sobre Transnacionalizion, Economia y Sociedad, Chile).
And, our translators:
English & Spanish: Daina Z. Green,
French: Philippe Duhamel,
Portugese: Vincente De Mello