From November 4-5, 2005, the 34 heads of state of the Western Hemisphere countries (except Cuba) will gather at Mar del Plata, Argentina at the 4th "Summit of the Americas," to discuss the rebuilding of the derailed FTAA process (FTAA negotiations broke down in Miami in November 2003 mainly over the high agricultural subsidies that the US government maintains).

However, Latin American social movements are preparing the largest mobilization of the year at the Summit of the Americas, under the banner of "Bush out of our territory!" With themes of "No to the FTAA, free trade, debt, militarization and poverty" and "Yes to People's Integration: Another America is Possible," trade unions, women's groups, Indigenous peoples, anti-debt activists, farmers, church members, and others will organize a parallel People's Summit in Mar del Plata from November 1st -- 5th. Crucial to the success of the People's Summit will be the participation of US citizens and social movement activists with whom Latin Americans can build long-lasting bridges of solidarity and strategy against militarism, free trade, and debt, as well as envision an alternative integration based on people's human needs, not corporate greed.

Join Global Exchange on a Reality Tour to Argentina to actively participate in the 3rd People's Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata and learn firsthand about the effects of the failed "free trade" model prescribed to Latin America, followed to the letter by Argentina in the 1990s.

Why a Reality Tour to Argentina?

With abundant natural resources and a thriving middle class, Argentina was once considered the Europe of Latin America. In the late 1970s, however, a brutal military dictatorship wreaked havoc on the country, causing the death and disappearance of over 30,000 individuals. Democracy was finally attained in the 1980's but the country's economy was in ruins. In the 1990's, acting as the poster child for the neo-liberal economic policies of the IMF, the Argentine people were told that they would soon become part of the "first world". On Dec. 19 and 20, 2001, however, the bottom fell out. All the banks were locked denying people access to their own accounts, and the people watched as the Peso, along with their savings, was devalued to a third of its original worth. Citizens all around the country took to the streets banging their frying pans and chanting "que se vayan todos" or "throw them all out" for the removal of the corrupt government.

Today, Argentina still finds itself in the midst of one of the worst economic crisis ever. Rampant unemployment and increasing poverty have darkened Argentines' spirits. Yet, amidst the despair, grassroots solutions offer hope for the future. People's movements throughout Argentina are attempting to solve the problems brought on by the crisis and the failures of the current free market economic system. People in Buenos Aires have been organizing into neighborhood assemblies that attempt to take the place of the void left by the insecurity and failure of political representation. Over 65 factories have been taken over by their workers and transformed into cooperatives. The unemployed have created the piquetero movement, which fights for unemployment compensation from the government by organizing demonstrations and blocking major roads throughout the country. Visit Argentina, to better understand the collapse of the neo-liberal project, and witness the possibilities that Argentine and Latin American movements present at the 3rd People's Summit of the Americas in building a world beyond unfair trade, privatization, debt and structural adjustment policies.

Program Highlights:

• Attend the Third People's Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata between November 1-5 and build ties with communities from across the hemisphere who oppose neoliberalism and privatization.
• Meet with an economist who explains how the country fell into its current situation and offers possible alternatives to the policies of 'structural adjustment' promoted by the IMF.
• Tour a recovered factory cooperatively owned and managed by its workers.
• Meet with the women of Las Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo who continue to search for their grandchildren who were kidnapped during the military dictatorship.
• Meet with representatives of the Piquetero Movement of unemployed workers who have conducted roadblocks in protest to government corruption.
• Explore the beautiful and rich culture of Buenos Aires with the music and dance of tango.
• Travel to the Argentine countryside to gain a different perspective from the one in the 'big city' of Buenos Aires. Delegations may visit organizations of the unemployed workers in the Northern Province of Salta, indigenous peoples displaced from their lands, recuperated factories in the Southern Province of Neuquen.
• Extend your stay in Argentina and visit magnificent tourist destinations, like the world famous Iguazu Water Falls on the Argentine/Brazil border.

Cost: $1350, $950 students (from Buenos Aires)

Price Includes:

• Double-room hotel ($200 extra for single room), guest house, or dormitory accommodations; two meals per day; transportation to and from all programmed activities; guides and translators; a qualified trip leader; all program activities; and reading materials.
• International airfare, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses are NOT included.
• Because the program varies according to the focus of each trip and the special interests of each participant, itineraries become available closer to actual date of departure.

How to Register:

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. In some cases, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants.

Make your reservation online now!

Contact Zach with any questions about this trip, or call toll-free 1-800-497-1994 .