Currently on tour with Manuel Perez Rocha and Hector Sanchez, Carleen Pickard works with the Council of Canadians and is based in Vancouver, BC. The Council of Canadians 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. The bulk of the Council's work is currently focused on stopping the 'deep intergration' project of Canadian and US corporations who are lobbying the federal government to move beyond NAFTA toward deeper integration with the U.S. She previously worked with Global Exchange on human rights and economic rights issues in Mexico and Latin America.

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.

Dates

February 16 — 22: Mid-Atlantic Region

March 9 — 17: New England

March 31 — April 9: West Coast

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—is 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).

Topics covered

• The Impact of Free Trade On Canada
• Trade Agreements
• Water Security