Things are really beginning to pick up here in Cancun, with more and more people arriving daily to confront the WTO. Newspaper estimates, supported by activist projections, have risen as to how many will descend upon Cancun in September ...a fairly consistant figure thrown about is 20,000.

The main forum and camping spaces will not be availible until the 7th, so the activity hub remains on Calle Margaritas and the Palapas Park. The Hotel Zone and the area around the (WTO) Convention Center (known locally as the « party zone » – we shall see!) is still open to all(August 30th), with little restriction. Security is supposed to be stepped up dramatically from September 1st, but it remains to be seen how draconian that will be.

On the organizing front, there is lots of work still yet to be done, and everyone is encouraged to participate. If you think there would be nothing to do if you came early, think again.... The Convergence and Media centers are in full swing..

Cancun Calendar of Events – Here is a link to the latest (August 31) calender from Cancun, which has the most current information available, covering events from the 1st of September to the last day of the mobilization. Compiled by OWINFS, it can be found here:

http://slash.autonomedia.org/print.pl?sid=03/09/01/0721229

GETTING ORIENTED:

The Margaritas Strip. As if by fate, the main sites of alternative activist interest – the Convention Centre and the Indymedia Centre – are all located on one street, leading to the Palapas Park, which will host many cultural resistance events of the alternative forums. Five minutes from the central bus station is Calle Margaritas (turn south at the bookstore Librería La Rana Sabia on Calle Uxmal; the Convergence Centre is the large 4-story building, about 25 metres down the street).

The Convergence Centre is an autonomously organized gathering space and information hub where people arriving in Cancun can get oriented, network with others, plug into various working groups, make banners and puppets, get trainings in first aid, legal rights, nonviolent direct action, and other useful skills. Cultural events and spokescouncil meetings to plan the actions will take place here nightly, and all are welcome to attend.

The Indymedia Centre, next door to the Convergence Centre, is preparing for the Tidal Wave Alternative Media and Tech Convergence (September 1 – 7) and afterwards will serve as the base of operations for dozens of independent journalists. Independent media coverage of the mobilization is vital for the spread of accurate information.

If you would like to participate in and/or assist in organizing for the Media Convergence and Cancun Indymedia please contact:
convergenciamediosindependientes.org or cancunmediosindependientes.org

Please fill out the registration form for the Tidal Wave Alternative Media and Tech Convergence, which can be found on the front page of:

http://www.cancunindependientes.org

The Global X Puente House, located further down the road, has been the de-facto welcoming house for many national and international activists arriving in Cancun up until now, and continues as a logistical space until the eve of the protests.

Conact Puente a Cancun at noomcbuz.org

Comité de Bienvenida, which has been the main Cancun-based organizing group up until now, has re-assessed its capabilities and defined a more clear role for themselves. They will NOT be the de-facto welcoming committee, nor participating in the organizing of events. They have re-defined their role as helping logistically in setting up the People's Forum, organizing the march on the 11th, and briefing the local press. While the Comité has done a huge amount of work over the the last 6 months in very difficult circumstances, they have now taken a more logistical support role, forming a working group featuring the following staff. Jaun Carlos Nunez – President., Arturo Mosso – Treasurer, Ivanova Pool – Press Officer, Hector Rodriguez – Cultural Events. The phone number is 8878167. and they are located at Coco 4 at the corner of Chiabal, but they are not receiving unsolicited visits.

GET INVOLVED!

Alternative Cancun – Hook into the various working groups!

Different working groups have been formed around what are seen as key and exciting issues to address, such as the alternative media convergence from the 1-7th of September, food for the thousands of descending protestors, tactical communication, and medical support. We invite you to participate in this effort for a successful resistance to the WTO and all it represents in the struggle against corporate domination. This is by no means a definitive list. Please use the contacts below for the working groups you are interested in helping out.

These projects are all organic creations, which will only improve with your participation and initiative. We must respond to their determination for control with our creative resistance. These are the seeds of dissent. Make them grow!

Street Medics: Medical teams are being assembled to assist in the mobilizations. If you are a doctor, paramedic, EMT, or would like to be trained as a street medic, please contact: medic_cancunyahoo.com

Creative tactics and Puppetistas: Many forms of creative resistance will be taking place. Several projects are under way, from giant puppets of angry Mayan gods to giant banners to amazing stencils. We invite you to write to this list if you plan on bringing your own project or would like to participate in any of the ones already in formation. All creative ideas are welcome. Contact: puppetistas_cancunyahoo.com

Direct Action: The working group focused on developing a plan for direct action has been very productive, compiling information from various sources and coming up with proposals to present to student groups in Mexico City who will be arriving later in the week. Much progress has been made, and many creative and effective strategies are coming together.

Film festival: A protest film festival will be taking place throughout the week of the mobilization. We will show films about protest movements and political struggles, particularly recent films on the anticapitalist globalization movement. Many independent filmmakers will be will be bringing their work in person. If you are a filmmaker, film collector, technician, or would like to help organize, please contact: filmscancunyahoo.com

Music: Concerts will be occurring during the week of mobilizations. If you would like to participate as a performer, sound engineer, stagehand, or in any other way, please contact:
music_cancunyahoo.com

Food: For the mobilization to succeed, thousands of people will need to be fed daily. Food Not Bombs will be in Cancún to provide support. If you would like to participate in this important aspect of nourishing the dissent, please contact:
foodcancunyahoo.com

Tactical Communications: An independent communications infrastructure will be set up to support the mobilization and critical actions. If you are interested in participating please contact:
tactics_cancunyahoo.com

EVENTS

Indigenous People's Forum for an Alternative to the WTO
The Forum is aiming to provide a space, unattended by the world's leaders, where grassroots voices will be heard and listened to which will take place on September 10 from 9 am to 9 pm in the Kuchil Baxal Gymnasium in Cancún. Its aim is:

• to name and denounce the consequences indigenous people suffer from free trade policies
• to expose their organization and resistance strategies as real alternatives to neoliberal economic globalization.

The proposed agenda is as follows:

Topical Sessions:

• Free determination of indigenous people and the WTO policies
  Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, Tebteeba International Center for Indigenous People Raiders
• Militarization and natural resources in indigenous zones
  Ana Esther Ceceña, Instituto de Investigación Económica
• The impact of WTO agricultural agreements on indigenous territories
  Carlos González, Congreso Nacional Indígena, Región Centro Pacífico
• Biodiversity, bioprospection, and transgenics and indigenous people
  María de Jesús Patricio, Congreso Nacional Indígena, Región Centro Pacífico
• Indigenous women facing the WTO
  Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas

Note: We recommend that all attendants be prepared to camp as a shortage of accommodations is foreseen and hotels in Cancún are expensive. We are doing our best to provide inexpensive food. Attendants must cover their own expenses.

The Forum is being convened by: Foro Maya Peninsular-miembro del CNI, Autoridades Tradicionales del Municipio de Suljaa? (Nanmañi N?iaan Ndaatyuaa Suljaa?), Tribu Mayo Sonora-CNI, Alianza de Pueblos Indígenas de la Sierra Oriente del Estado de México, Comisariado de Bienes Comunales de San Pedro Atlapulco- CNI, UNITONA – miembro del CNI, Asociación Jalisciense de Apoyo a Grupos Indígenas (AJAGI), Pueblo Purépecha – CNI, Organización Indígena Independiente Huacateca, Semilla Nueva Ixtepec?Puebla, Xanaytiyat, Xanatlaxaja-- Organización Médicos Tradicionales Nahuas de Tuxpan Jalisco, Comisión Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos (CIDHM)?miembro del CNI, Comité Independiente de Derechos Humanos y Grupo de Mujeres

The International Forum on Globalization
The IFG is holding a teach-in on alternatives to economic globalization and the WTO. Tuesday, 9 September, 10:30 AM - 8:00 PM Teatro de Cancun Blvd. Kukulcan KM 4; Zona Hotelera.

Speakers (partial list - subject to change): Martin Khor - Third World Network, Malaysia; Vandana Shiva - Research Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology, India; Tony Clarke - Polaris Institute, Canada; Victoria Tauli-Corpuz - Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research & Education, The Philippines; John Cavanagh - Institute for Policy Studies, US; Sara Larrain - Chile Sustentable, Chile; Jerry Mander - International Forum on Globalization, US; Walden Bello - Focus on the Global South, Thailand; Alberto Gomez - UNORCA, Mexico Maude Barlow - Council of Canadians, Canada; Lori Wallach - Public Citizen - Global Trade Watch, US; Agnes Bertrand - ECOROPA, France; and others.

More information available at http://www.ifg.org

Or call 1-415-561-7650 International Forum on Globalization 1009 General Kennedy Avenue #2, San Francisco, CA 94129 Tel. 415.561.7650 Fax 415.561.7651

http://www.ifg.org ifgifg.org

Forum: The Impacts of "New Technologies" on the Global Food System:
Join this discussion on free trade, new technologies, and the future of agriculture. New technologies, such as nanotechnology, food irradiation, and genetically modified organisms are critical to create a corporate-controlled global food system. Neoliberal policies have already hurt local and regional economies, and that must stop.

Where: Casa de la Cultura, Cancun.
When: Thursday, September 11th, 2 pm.
Who: Wenonah Hauter, Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, Public Citizen USA; Géza Varga, Hungarian Co-operative for Organic Farming; Liana Stupples, Friends of the Earth International, England, Wales, Ireland; Antonio Tujuan, IBON Foundation, The Philippines; Pat Mooney, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration, Mexico; Nadège Adam, Council of Canadians, Canada.

Global Union Conference
Conference on « Making Globalization Work for People: Respect for Development, Workers' Rights and Sustainability at the 5th WTO Conference »

Cancún, Mexico, Tuesday 9 September
For details read here -
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/news

Forest Forum On Globalization and the WTO
September 10: 9 :00 am to 7 :00 pm Hotel Calinda America Corner of Tulum and Brisa St. Downtown Cancun, Mexico Come participate in the Forest Forum on Globalization and the WTO, and hear about the key threats facing global forests and biodiversity due to the current agenda of the WTO. Topics include in depth coverage on how WTO negotiations on investment, tariffs & non-tariff barriers, labelling, and government procurement threaten to speed deforestation. Learn from forest activists about promoting fair trade through community-managed forests, sustainable certification processes, and new trade policies. The full day of events includes 20 speakers, including representatives from the Zona Maya Community Foresters & Wood Producers, and forest activists from Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, and the US. Sponsored by Union Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales Campesinas Autonomos, Organizacion de Ejidos Productores Forestales de la Zona Maya, Pacific Environment, American Lands Alliance, Friends of the Earth-Japan, International Forum on Globalization, Global Exchange, FERN, and World Rainforest Movement. For further information please contact: Cynthia Josayma, Pacific Environment, cjosayma http://www.pacificenvironment.org

Social Movements' Assembly:
Following the decision undertaken during the Social Movements' Assembly in Porto Alegre last January, we are convoking the SOCIAL MOVEMENTS' MEETING IN CANCUN September 7th and 8th, venue to be announced.

The proposed agenda, still open to modifications and suggestions from the network members, is as follows:

September 7th: 4 pm - 8 pm. Update on the social movements' situation from Porto Alegre to Cancun. Update and discusstion on information from Via Campesina . Talks by Walden Bello - Focus on the Global South, and Raffaela Bolini - ARCI .

September 8th: 10 am - 2 pm. Coordinating a common agenda from Cancun to Mumbai From the information by the Network Contact Group. Update by members of the WSF 2004 Indian Organizing Committee and by the WSF International Secretariat 4 pm - 7 pm - Antiwar activists meeting: strategies and organization. (includes the debate on the International People's Tribunal), with discussion and updates from the Jakarta Peace Consensus network, European antiwar social movements and the Continental Campaign Against Militarization..

Grupo de Contacto de la Red de los Movimientos Sociales .

Rua General Jardim, 660 7o andar. 01223-010 São Paulo-SP, Brasil. tel/fax: (55 11) 3237 2122. http://www.movsoc.org

Peninsular Women's Forum (Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco), by Ana Laura, Puente a Cancun
In preparacion for the international meeting, local women organize towards September....

The Forum was primarily focused on information, as most of the participants where unfamiliar with Free Trade Agreements, the role of the World Trade Organization and the local and global strategies resisting the WTO. Some of the women participants had never heard of the WTO, while some of the event's organizers and panelists had received formal invitations to participate in the official WTO events.
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/feature/display/53/index.php

The International Women's Forum is the space for the articulation of their organizations' activities, within the People's Forum for an Alternative to the WTO, before and during the meeting of the Minister of the World Trade Organization, in Cancun, in September 2003.

For more information, please contact: mujereshaciacancnyahoo.com.mx
Tel/fax/télécopieur: 52 (55) 5 544-2202, Tel. 52 (55) 5 544-6902

ON THE GROUND
Ecovillage

From September 5th to the 14th, ecological designers from the US and Mexico will produce an ecovillage model of practical solutions to the corporate takeover of food, water, energy, and land use.
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/display/66/index.php

Global Youth/Juventud Global: Uniting local youth, students, counter-culture and direct action enthusiasts, the JUVENTUD GLOBAL group began a campaign of raising awareness by tabling and flyering a local Tanguis market, holding a press conference and showing a WTO video in Palapas Park.

They can be contacted at juventud_globalhotmail.com

Any interested youth are welcome to participate in their activities. Find them at the Convergence Center, on calle Margaritas, or at their Tuesday evening assembly at 8 pm in Palapas Park..

Art, Culture, Change, Puppetistas...
The artistic theme for the actions taking place against the WTO in September is that the Mayan gods are angry! They are upset that the WTO, which is playing a leading role in the exploitation and impoverishment of their people, is coming to hold their secretive little meetings on sacred Mayan land. Each god and goddess has a bone to pick with this conniving group of rich men known as the WTO:

1. Chac, the god of rain, is very upset about the WTO's plans to continue the privatization of water.
2. Itzma, the god of maize, or corn, is infuriated that the WTO has allowed the relentless flow of cheap, transgenic, and heavily subsidized US corn to flood the Mexican market, putting his people out of business and displacing them from their land.
3. Hurukan, the god of the Hurricanes, is ready to do some damage
4. Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, will make her presence known!
5. Kukulkan, the universal symbol for all of Mesoamerica, similar to the Aztec god Queztalcoatl, will be with us all during the actions.
6. Hunahpu, the god of the sun, will be urging the WTO to consider the use of solar energy.

Many more gods and goddesses will be marching with us, but they need your help to be constructed, created, and given life!

Volunteers Availible!
Rights Action, an organization that works to augment international support of popular movements in Central America will be acting as 'volunteer placement coordinators' for the WTO events. Any organizations in need of volunteers, and any volunteers in need of work are encouraged to let us know what they have going on:
jpupovacrightsaction.org

---

2. News From Mexico

a) Mexico City
The news is very good. The main organizing bodies, including UNORCA, student groups, Espacio Mexicano, PRD-istas, the Carlo Giuliani Caravan, and farmers from Atenco, have cobbled together a sizeable caravan, which will hook up with activists from Puebla and Guadelajara.

The caravan of social organizations from Guadalajara, Jalisco will depart from Mexico City on September 6th. The 1,000-plus caravan will stop in Puebla on the 7th before meeting up with the Chiapas caravan on September 8th in Villahermosa. Upon arriving in Cancun, they will occupy camping space in the Casa de la Culturas. On Sep 9th they will participate in creative actions; on Sep 10th, the Via Campesina march, and later that night join in a Cacerolazo, Argentinean-style. On September 11, they will be a part of the march to comemorate the victims of state coups in Latin America, marking the date September 11, 1973, when the Pinochet coup overthrew Salvador Allende in Chile. It will also be a day of reclaiming the streets, and piquetes, or roadblocks, another specialty from the Argentinean uprising.

b) Chiapas
Communities and social organizations from Chiapas are sending a caravan of 11 buses to Cancun. The Chiapas caravan will link up with other buses in Villahermosa, Tabasco on September 7th for a joint rally before departing to Cancun.

Additionally, local communities and grassroots organizatins in Chiapas will continue the same successful tactic employed during last year's International Day of Indigenous Resistence, blocking key highways on September 11th, together with marches and local events. The Chiapas delegation is still in need of funding to guarantee transportation and food for all community representatives. Please contact CIEPAC (ciepaclaneta.apc.org) to make a donation.

On September 11, people all over Chiapas will be mobilizing locally in support of the protests in Cancun. Marches, roadblocks, and demonstrations will take place in the following locations - Crucero La Trinitaria-Lagos de Montebello; Puente Internacional de Ciudad Hidalgo, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Oxchuc-Ocosingo, de la Zona Centro en Tuxtla Gutiérrez y Cintalapa.

c) Via Campesina
Mexican affiliate UNORCA (National Union of Regional Autonomous Peasant Organizations) is mobilizing at least 10,000 of their members nationwide for the Cancun protests. « We are going to go all the way to the Convention Center, » says executive coordinator AlbertoGomez Flores, « We are holding a meeting there in front of the WTO... »

UNORCA's appeal for funds on an emergency basis to help charter buses has been very successful. They are about 60% of the way towards securing their target. The appeal continues - and can be found on their webpage – it takes people to a secure server where they can make contributions via credit card (tax deductible in the US).

UNORCA web page - http://www.unorca.org.mx
Read Via Campesina's convocation to Cancun here -
http://viacampesina.org/art_english.php3?id_article=228

d) Oaxaca.
Indigenous and farmers from the Pueblos Istmeños will be mobilizing in Cancun to protest the WTO and participate in the Agricultural Forum. Tehuantepec organizations – such as the Union of Communities of the Northern Zone of the Istmo (UCIZONI), and the Tepeyac Human Rights Center (CDHT) - will also be preparing local demonstrations to mark the 5th Ministerial of the WTO.

3. News from Around the World.

It has been reported that over a 1,000 activists will flood in from the United States and Canada, and at least 2,500 Europeans. So while that is great news, its important to remember that the impulse for the anticapitalist movement has always been based in the global South. While the Cancun mobilizations will be global in representation, people from the countries of the South will be low in numbers, for obvious economic reasons. Nevertheless, the call to organize locally has being taken up all over the world, or as it is popular to say here, intergalactically....

a) Africa
Declaration On Africa and the World Trade Organization

The Africa Trade Network (ATN) and the Southern African People's Solidarity Network(SAPSN) convened a gathering in Johannesburg last month of labour union activists, civil society organizations and other social movements to evaluate the current state of negotiations in the WTO in Johnnesburg in August. A declaration was issued, calling for a mass mobilization, increase of pressure on trade representatives, and an information dissemination campaign. To view the entire document, go to:
http://aidc.org.za

b) Dakar, Senegal
Invited by the West African network of farmers organisations and agricultural producers (ROPPA) the representatives of farmers organisations and agricultural producers from Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe gathered in Dakar, Senegal from 19 to 21 May, 2003. A few months before the crucial deadline of WTO negotiations in Cancun, they published the common declaration "For mutually supportive agricultural and trade policies". Given the risks involved in the present WTO negotiations, and with a view to defending the choices stated in the declaration during the Ministerial Conference in Cancun, farmers organisations and civil society organisations must urgently be mobilised on the largest possible scale.

c) India

• On 7-8 August a two-day seminar was held in Delhi on Cancun and its implications for developing countries by IPCAWTO (Peoples' Movement against WTO).
• On 26th. August a rally and public meeting is being organised in Delhi against Cancun by left and democratic political parties and organisations who have formed the IPCAWTO.
• On 13th September,while major international protests are being held, a massive protest rally is to be held in Delhi orgnised by CPI-ML and its peasant, trade union, youth and women's fronts and other organisations.

d) Korea. SIGTUR's Voices from the South and Toward Real Solidarity between North and South will take place on September 11th, in Cancun, Mexico, on behalf of our member organization, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Solidarity, Sohi Jeon, Korean People's Action against FTA & WTO (KoPA)...(These are the folks sending a plane load of union organizers to Cancun!).
Read more here : http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/news

4. Media

a) Keeping a Watch on Arms in the Carribean, by Arturo Cano
Excellent Article from Masiosare, a Sunday supplement of Mexico's progressive daily newspaper La Jornada. History, current local analysis, political background, all in the context of the upcoming WTO meeting, protests, and alternative forums. [translation by Neil O'Mahony from imc translation team, with greatly appreciated help from a few others.]. Informed criticism of the Comité de Bienvenida therewithin. originally in La Jornada, August 17 2003.]
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2003/ago03/030817/mas-cano.html

« Hotel owners are demanding "tough measures" against those whom they call "globalphobes". The mayor is using his trip to demand more money from the federal government and the lines are being drawn for possible repression. The federal government and international organizations are starting to take up positions in the city. The local critics of globalization would [literally] fit into a VW Beetle. Cancun is getting ready to witness the derailment of the WTO or its apparent continuity, and also the resistance... »

b) Local Cancun newspapers have begun extensive coverage of the WTO Ministerial and the peoples mobilizations, with the « WTO » section in each newspaper spreading over 6 or more pages. The coverage ranges from the scandalous ( « thousands of farmers to camp in city parks! ») to the provocative (numerous pictures of fearsome looking black-block militants accompanying articles about the Peoples' Forum). But also there is some space given over to critics of the WTO (Walden Bello, Victor Menotti, etc) and quite a lot of articles about the inconveniences suffered by local working people due to the extensive security measures in place. Por Esto is perhaps the most liberal of a bunch of very conservative, tourist industry-led local newspapers.

5. Official WTO World

The main task of the 5th Ministerial will be to take stock of progress in negotiations and other aspects under the Doha Development Agenda. WTO official agenda and other official documents of the WTO can be seen at:
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/display/29/index.php

a) Dissent is simmering beneath the smooth veneer of control and omnipotence of the WTO, as seen at the meeting of its General Council on Tuesday, August 26th. Developing countries clearly expressed their wide-spread feeling of dissatisfaction and disagreement with the draft ministerial text put forward on 24 August, by the Chairman of the General Council, Amb. Carlos Perez del Castillo of Uruguay. Read more here:
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/news

b) Deal Reached on Subsidies for Farmers... or not. August 14, 2003, NYT August 14...
In an effort to breathe life into global trade negotiations, the United States and the European Union said today that they had agreed on a way to reduce the subsidies and import duties used to protect their farmers.

c) Ciepac, a Chiapas based think-tank has produced some excellent resource materials dealing with the WTO. Read their "Frequently Asked Questions about the WTO" here, and follow the links:
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/newswire/rate/15

d) Neoliberal Globalization: Cancun and Beyond.
Check out this in-depth report on the WTO, written by Aziz Choudry in July of this year; it provides a critical analysis of the WTO and what's in store in ";Cancun and Beyond" as well as highlighting its relationships to militarization, regional free trade agreements, megaprojects (such as PPP) and more.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=60814&PHPSESSID=c5cc7d723412c54b1a34d6d695d59287

6. Security and Legal Issues.

Police:
It's not looking promising on the policing front. Despite the Cancun Mayor's assurances, backed up by the tourist minister, that protesters will have the right to free expression and legal protest, preparations by the security forces indicate a repressive strategy is in place and the current activities don't inspire confidence. While a representative from the government Human Rights Commission gave a few lessons in Humans Rights to some cops last week, the PFP (federal paramilitary force) Police Commissioner was making headlines by threatening « an eye for an eye ».

Meanwhile, the unprecedented attack on a couple of hundred peaceful protesters in the nearby city of Merida by a squad of brutal riot police was presented in the media as a kind of preparation for the WTO Ministerial. The women, children, and men caught up in this vicious « preparation » - locals from the Merida Civic Assosiation - were not impressed.

Also unimpressed are the residents and street sellers of the Tepito district of Mexico City, who were subjest to a mass police raid on Friday, August 30. The unusual feature of this violent raid by hundreds of riot cops, was the appearance of a unit in khaki « desert storm » type gear. Again, the newspapers suggested a link to Cancun. That incursion led to X detentions and some street violence.

The problem may be considered one of accountability, as the various police agencies compete for budgets and overlap on responsibilities, engaging in « turf-wars », and bringing a certain macho reputation to all their work: Who will be the real bad-ass police force to kick « globalifobico » ass? (The PFP are the current favourites...).

But the buck stops at the Federal Government, at President Fox. He will not wish for a repeat performance of the 2001 WEF police violence. The image of Mayor XX will also be tarnished, as he has promised to handle protesters with kid gloves (as did the mayor of Seattle, the last time the WTO met in a self-proclaimed democracy). A campaign to pressure top government authorities would most likely be quite effective.

CANCUN BLACK LIST - In the following two articles are lists of names leaked from the Mexican government, of activists from many countries who are on their "watch list" for Cancun. It is a very bizarre list, including the likes of Noam Chomsky and author and journalist Naomi Klein, alongside the infamous student leader « El Mosh ». While the former could be considered among the « intellectual authors » of the movement, it's hard to imagine them masked up with El Mosh and the CGH militants on the streets of Cancun. http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/news

More Surprise Hotel Cancellations.
In response to the building pressure on behalf of the Mexican government, Cancun hotels have started to cancel reservations of activists in both the hotel perimeter and in downtown Cancun. Preliminary reports speculate that the Institute on Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) summarily had their hotel reservations cancelled in the « Zona Hotelera » within the WTO security perimeter.

The IATP is the principle organizer for the Fair Trade Expo, slated to take place from September 10-14th. Mexico's « Estado Mayor » (Presidential Secret Service) apparently has carte blanche to cancel reservations at will, continuing their tactic first introduced in Cabo San Lucas, during the Asian Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) last year.

Activists are advised to confirm hotel reservations and be prepared to find alternative accommodations in Cancun upon arrival.

7. Legal Issues.

What follows is the conclusion of the legal manual that will soon be published in English on the web in its entirety. You can find it in Spanish at
HIPERVÍNCULO http://tdt______ http://tdt______
For the complete English language version of the legal manual check:

Preventive Measures: Before leaving for Cancun:

• Come with basic information about the use of Mexican communications infrastructure (information such as long distance codes, emergency numbers, air and ground lines of transportation and secure routes).
• Have an emergency contact list with: phone numbers of friends, human rights commissions, media and embassies.
• Be ready for unexpected situations and have an emergency plan.
• At all times you should have a photo ID, passport or migratory document with you.

8. Health and Wisdom

It's not that hard to stay healthy while traveling, but it does take a little advance planning:

WHAT TO DO NOW

1. Get enough sleep. You probably won't sleep enough while you are in Cancun, so try to arrive well rested.
2. Start drinking lots of water now to prepare your body for the tropical climate.
3. Be good to yourself. Eat healthy foods, and support your immune system (vitamin C, echinacea, astragalus, whatever you like).

WHAT TO BRING

1. Lots of mosquito repellent. Dengue fever and malaria are both widespread in the region. These are serious illnesses which you should do your best to avoid contracting.
2. A mosquito net, cheaply available at surplus stores.
3. Something to carry water and a way to purify it. The risk of dehydration and heat-related illness is very high, and the tap water is unsafe to drink.

There will be lots more information available once you arrive. First aid trainings will be happening almost daily, a clinic is already established, and medics will be easy to contact through the convergence center if you have any questions or want to get involved.

For more info on general health care for demos go to http://www.blackcrosscollective.org and check out the sections on demo preparation, tear gas and pepper spray, and aftercare.

Fight the power, do no harm. See you in Cancun!

9. The Real Cancun

Cancun: a model for self-destruction

Cancun is known to the world as a spring break mecca. What is not acknowledged is that about half of the 300,000 permanent residents have no access to basic services, such as running water, sewage treatment, electricity, and garbage removal. The WTO has chosen to meet in this contrived resort paradise, fully aware that the city has little social consciousness and few avenues for change.
http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org/feature/display/30/index.php

10. Quintana Roo – A History of Resistance.

The Cancun mobilizations continue a deep history of combative struggle against outside powers, as exemplified by the centuries-long struggle of the Yucatan Maya against foreign invaders. As we prepare to protest in Cancun, shoulder to shoulder with the Maya of Felipe Carill Puerto and the surrounding lands, let us remember that history walks with us, and it is a valiant and combative one.

The Maya, like other indigenous people of America, did not roll over and die when the conquistadores arrived. The northern territory of the peninsula was an autonomous region where the Chan Santa Cruz Maya successfully held off the Mexican Federal State through armed resistance, and maintained their independance through smuggling with bucaneers from Belize. In 1857 they captured Mexican Fort Bacala and for the next 40 years controlled the entire Caribbean coast. They even borrowed an idea from the colonizers of taking prisoners, and holding white occupiers as slaves. Eventually, the boom in demand for hennequen (a plant used to make rope), and several difficult assaults by the Mexican army forced the Chan Maya to sign a peace treaty in 1935, ending the autonomous era, but the struggle of the indigenous of Quintana Roo had not ended.

11. Telephone Information and Accomodation

Useful phone info:

When you arrive you will want to purchase a Ladatel phone card for use at Mexican public phones, as coins are typically not accepted. Ladatel cards can be purchased at money exchange booths, convenience stores, and pharmacies, and are bought in denominations of 30, 50 and 100 pesos, with 50 pesos ($5 US) buying a 12 minute cell phone call. Other local calls cost 1 peso/minute)

A lot of the numbers in use are cell phones. In Mexico, the caller pays 4 pesos ($0.40) per minute; the recipient does not get charged.

Important Phone Numbers and Addresses

In Cancun:
Legal emergencies and assisstance: (cell phone) 01 984 877 58 51
01 984 877 98 28
Health Center (General Hospital) 888 29 88
National Institute of Migration (Government) 884 14 04
Representative of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (Secret Police) 886 16 58
Health, Fire and Police emergencies 060
Ministry of Foreign Relations 884 80 14
Red Cross 884 74 66
State Commission of Human Rights 884 91 45
Long distance code for Cancun 998
Popular Culture Movement (Playa del Carmen)(cell phone) 01 984 873 34 53

In Mexico City:
National "All rights for everyone" network (01-55) 5523 9992
Amnesty International, Mexico (01-55) 5559 8413
National Human Rights Commission (CNDH-Government Human Rights office) (01-55) 5681 8125

Embassies (based in Mexico City): Germany (01-55) 5283 2200
Austria (01-55) 5221 9792
Switzerland (01-55) 5520 8535
Canada (01-55) 5724 7900
United States (01-55) 5080 2000
United Kingdom (01-55) 5207 2089
France (01-55) 5282 2271
Italy (01-55) 5596 3655
Belgium (01-55) 5280 0758
Australia (01-55) 5531 5225
Guatemala (01-55) 5520 9249
Nicaragua (01-55) 5540 5625
Honduras (01-55) 5211 5747
Costa Rica (01-55) 5525 7764
El Salvador (01-55) 5281 5725
Spain (01-55) 5282 2271

Accomodation
Mexico Hostels: S.M. 23 Manzana 8 Andador Palmera 30 Corner of Ave. Uxmal
4/6/8 bed rooms for $9.50
Telephone: 52 998 887 0191
Available Sept. 1-14

Hostal Alcatraces: Calle Alcatraces 49 S.M.22 Cash only
4 Bed rooms for $11.51
12 Bed rooms for $10.55
Telephone: 52 9988 84 8967
Available Sept. 1-14

Mayan Hostel Cancun: Margaritas 17 S.M. 22
8 Bed rooms for $9.59
Telephone: 998 892 0103
Available Sept. 1-14

Hotel Margaritas: Av. Yaxchilan 41 S.M. 22
Twin Private for $16.00
Telephone: 98 84 93 33
Available Sept. 1-14

Hotel Plaza Kokai: Av. Uxmal 26 S.M. 2-A
Double Beds for $20.00
2 Bed mixed for $22.00
Available Sept.1-14

Cancun Suites el Patio: Ave. Bonampak 51 S.M. 2-A
Twin Private for $22.50
3 Bed rooms for $18.00
Available from Sept. 1-3 & 11-14

Hostal Soberanis: Av. Cobà 5 y 7 Manzana 8 S.M. 22
Double/Twin/or 3 bed rooms for $16.78
4 bed rooms mixed for $11.51
Available Sept. 1-4, 7-11

12. About Puente a Cancun....

We are a group of international activists (Mexico, US, Ireland) based in Cancun and Chiapas, who came together to promote and help logistically towards a successful mobilization against the WTO in Cancun. With our experience from a variety of global mobilizations we are providing support for the logistical effort on the ground, providing information and orientation for people arriving from other parts of Mexico, the US and indeed, the four corners of the world. Read our convocation towards Cancun here -
http://www.protest.net/LASC/calendrome.cgi?span=day&day=10&month=9&year=2003 &list=Off&state_values=
or contact us here -
noomcbuz.org