BACKGROUND:

This November 19-21, The so-called "leaders" of every country in this
hemisphere, excluding Cuba, will meet in Miami to discuss the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA is a trade agreement that gives corporations and large business the right and ability to undercut local businesses all over the hemisphere, puts human rights below the rights of corporations, lessens corporate accountability, gives corporations the ability to sue governments for setting up "barriers to trade" (even if that country's population backs those "barriers", which can include human rights and environmental laws), and simply brings profit and gain to the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and working sectors of the population.

We stand firmly opposed to any policy, plan, agreement, treaty, or other program that exploits the poor on behalf of a few people in high positions of power. The FTAA will only benefit the corporations, politicians, and the handful of elite who are backing it. The FTAA is largely opposed by working people all over the hemisphere who realize it's true and underlying meaning; To establish hemispheric corporate dominance over almost every sector of production and services, including water and energy.

For information about the FTAA, please visit the links at the bottom of this text.

HELP ORGANIZE TO STOP THIS:

We want and intend to SHUT DOWN these meetings. On November 7th and 8th, we will be hosting a Mid-Atlantic Consulta to Shut Down the FTAA in Baltimore, MD. This consulta will consist of large meetings discussing direct action, civil disobedience, and general logistical and organizational information concerning the protests of the 8th Ministerial of the FTAA in Miami this November.

We invite and URGE affinity groups, organizers, action groups, and other interested parties from east coast cities (and neighboring cities) to attend this meeting.

This will be one of many consultas that have already occurred or are planned. Louisville, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Chicago have already hosted consultas, with San Francisco, New Haven, and Gainesville hosting consultas in the future. These simply serve as organizing bases for folks traveling to Miami in November to join with tens of thousands of others in protesting this meeting and offering our alternatives to hemispheric undemocratic systems.

REGISTRATION/CONTACT:

We will give you info about the location as you register, and we will house and feed you. To register for attendance and to get housing, send an email to maconsulta [at] ziplip.com. Please let us know how many folks will be in your group, where you will be coming from, how long you will need to stay, what group you represent, and any other info we may need to help accommodate you (smoke/smoke free, child care, medical conditions, etc.).

This meeting will be a "vouched-for" meeting, so you should come prepared to explain what group you represent and how you heard about the call. This is for security purposes only, as we would prefer to meet in an environment where we can feel comfortable talking with each other and vocalizing our ideas and preferences.

Please email maconsulta [at] ziplip.com before coming or you may not have a place to stay and food to eat!

In solidarity, The Mid-Atlantic Consulta Committee