Here's a draft of the FTAA calendar. This is certainly an interesting mass action--one that brings in a diverse group of issue interests, and augments existing coalitions that were foraged around NAFTA, MAI, fast track, and WTO. Student networks are already holding weekly conference calls in anticipation of April, and for the first time in a long time, we're facing a timeline that affords us in opportunity to do a lot of local lead-up organizing.

MAI was defeated in great part due to the leaking of languaging over the internet. The fact that we have no access to FTAA language (a hemispheric agreement that amounts to MAI + NAFTA on steroids) affords us an opprotunity to create a series of fixed dates to ratchet up pressure over the course of the next many months, and to turn the volume up on local issues (labor especially) affected by cross-border privatization issues (take a look at the release-the-text campaign efforts).

Might be a good thing, whether folks think about heading to Quebec or not, to consider sponsoring local solidarity campaigns, media hits, regional teach-ins, etc.