Host a speaking event on how NAFTA has failed and why this is a key moment for citizens in all three countries to begin forging a different way forward for North America on economic, trade, immigration and security policy. To arrange for a speaking event or for more information, please email Kate at speakers@globalexchange.org or call Angela at 415-575-5541.

As the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) turns fifteen it is time to get the facts out about how this defining agreement has failed. In late-winter 2008, Global Exchange—together with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, The Council of Canadians, the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade, the Alliance for Responsible Trade and many other groups—are organizing a speaking tour across the United States to detail the indisputable yet seldom mentioned links between bad continental trade and economic policies and accelerated Mexican migration to the US.

The team of experts representing Mexican, Canadian, and US organizations, will also take a critical look at the "NAFTA-plus" economic and security arrangements being forged behind closed doors between the leading corporations and executive branches of Canada, the US, and Mexico without genuine consultation with the legislatures or public in any of the three countries—otherwise known as the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

Carleen Pickard

John Gibler

Hector Sánchez

Carleen Pickard

Carleen Pickard is a Regional Organizer for the Council of Canadians, which is Canada's largest citizens' organization with members and chapters across the country. Carleen works with communities to protect Canadian independence by promoting progressive policies on fair trade, clean water, safe food, public health care, and other issues of social and economic concern to Canadians. In August of 2007, the third Summit on the Security and Prosperity Partnership took place in Montebello, Quebec, and the Council of Canadians called a National Day of Action. Carleen worked with activists in BC to oppose the Summit. She previously worked with Global Exchange on human rights and economic rights issues in Mexico and Latin America.

John Gibler

John Gibler is an independent journalist who has been covering Mexico's social movements since early 2006 and is a Global Exchange Human Rights Fellow in Mexico. His on the ground reporting has included dispatches from the Zapatista 'Other Campaign', a social effort targeting this past year's contested Mexican elections, coverage of the opposition electoral fraud protests in Mexico City, the civil uprising in Oaxaca, and Mexico's drug war. His writing and photographs have appeared extensively in independent media, including Yes Magazine, Z Magazine, ZNet, In These Times, Left Turn, The Independent, and New Politics. He is a frequent reporter for Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now! John's reports from Oaxaca were heard on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and read in the international edition of the Miami Herald. Before moving to Mexico, John worked for numerous human rights organizations, including as a volunteer for Global Exchange, and later reported on environmental justice issues and water privatization in California for Public Citizen. John has a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree from the London School of Economics.

Hector Sánchez

Hector Sánchez is the Policy Education Coordinator for Global Exchange's Mexico Program. He represents the program in Washington, D.C., where he coordinates efforts to inform and organize legislators and key organizations in support of new priorities on trade and immigration. Hector has over 10 years of policy, research and community organizing experience in the education, government, and non-profit sectors. His commentaries on Mexican politics were frequently published in Mexico before he moved to Washington six years ago. During the five years prior to joining Global Exchange in the summer of 2007, Hector worked at Education Trust where he developed and led an initiative to improve public education for this country's immigrant and Latino community. He holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in Political Science from the University of Texas.

Host a speaking event with these leading activists in your community to stimulate the public debate and input which are needed to design more humane and sustainable immigration and trade policies for a better way forward for North America. To arrange for a speaking event or for more information, please email Kate at speakers@globalexchange.org or call Angela at 415-575-5541.

February 16 — 22: Mid-Atlantic Region

March 9 — 17: New England

March 30 — April 10: West Coast

West Coast

March 30: Fremont, CA
3:00pm: Mission San Jose Dominican Motherhouse in Fremont
43326 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539
Host: Dominican Sisters

March 31: San Francisco, CA
12:30pm: Global Exchange
2017 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Host: Global Exchange

7:30pm: Centro del Pueblo
474 Valencia Street, at 16th Street
Host: La Raza Centro Legal

April 1: San Francisco, CA
8:00 am: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
IFPTE Local 21 at 1182 Market near 8th, Room 318
Host: San Francisco Labor Council

6:00pm Santa Rosa, CA
Odd Fellows Hall
545 Pacific Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Hosts: Pax Christi Northern California, May 1st Coalition, and the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County

April 2: Olympia, WA

7:00-9:00pm: Traditions Cafe and World Folk
300 5th Avenue SW, Olympia, WA 98501
Host: The Alliance for Democracy

April 3: Seattle, WA
12:30pm: Cafe Alegro
4214 University Way NE, Seattle, WA
Hosts: SLAP and CISPES at UW

6pmat the Labor Temple, Hall 6
2800 1st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121
Host: Washington Fair Trade Coalition and the Alliance for Democracy

April 8: Portland, OR
7:00pm-9:00pm: First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR
Hosts: Jobs with Justice, Oregon Fair Trade Coalition

April 9: Missoula, MT

April 10: Eugene, OR
7:00-9:00pm: University of Oregon Law School
Room 175, corner of 15th and Agate Street in Eugene
Hosts: Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC), Latin America Solidarity Committee (LASC) Eugene Springfield Solidarity Network (ESSN), Teamsters Local 206, Oregon Fair Trade Committee, Wayne Morse Center, CAUSA, UO Survival Center, UO MECHA