In 2008, Barack Obama promised that when he became president, NAFTA leaders summits “will be conducted with a level of transparency that represents the close ties among our three countries”.

The leaders statement from the last NAFTA summit in Guadalajara on August 10th 2009 states “We recognize and embrace citizen participation as an integral part of our work together in North America. We welcome the contributions of businesses, both large and small, and those of civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, academics, experts, and others. We have asked our Ministers to engage in such consultations as they work to realize the goals we have set for ourselves here in Guadalajara.”

Let’s take up this challenge – We don’t want any more secretive processes!

Collective action is our best method of combating a corporate agenda that controls the mainstream media message. If we are going to be effective we need to work together. Joining and becoming active in organizations that combat this agenda, signing up to their action alert lists and subscribing to publications all help to strengthen their advocacy efforts.

The following are some of the organizations that I suggest citizens in Canada get involved with to help keep our government honest and involve civil society in all future decisions regarding trade, regulatory reform and security.

The Council of Canadians - Canada’s largest citizens’ organization.
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting – A strong independent public broadcaster is key to a healthy democracy.
Democracy Watch – Cleaning up and making governments and corporations more accountable to you, and making Canada the world’s leading democracy!
Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives – Research, Analysis and Solutions.

Campaign for Democratic Media

(I’ll keep adding to this list – feel free to send suggestions to Paul@manlymedia.com)

Get involved in your local community and support your local economy.
- Join your locally owned Credit Unions and Coop’s.
- Support local business and avoid spending money at big box stores and big corporate chains.
- Support you local family farms and farming community by buying local produce.
- Support community gardens and community foodshare initiatives.
- Start or support local community currencies and barter systems.
- Get involved with local community groups that are tackling the corporate agenda on a local level.
- Get to know your neighbors and other community members – Wow that sounds radical!
- Share information – the good and the bad – lets keep each other inspired to work for the kind of world we want for future generations.
- Live the change we want to see – Thanks for that insight Mr. Gandhi!

Be politically active – it doesn’t matter what political party you belong to, this issue crosses party lines. I honestly believe that if the grass-roots of the Liberal and Conservative parties understood what the elites in their parties were doing we would have two new reform parties in this country, Reform Conservative 2 and Reform Liberal. Never mind the west wants in or Quebec wants in – THE PEOPLE WANT IN!

Support the Trade Union movement and the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively. If workers get a fair wage they spend that money in our communities and support our local economy. Unions have fought for many things that a lot of working class citizens now take for granted – minimum wage, benefits, fair wages, health and safety standards, an 8 hour work day and forty hour week , overtime pay etc. etc.. Companies like Walmart prove that unions are still needed and valuable for ensuring a fair and equitable workplace.