First paragraph (Teaser):

October 24 and 25 Montreal dubiously hosts the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting at the Sheraton Hotel (Rene-Levesque West and Stanley). The G-20 is comprised of the finance ministers and bank governors of the G-7 nations, as well as other countries defined as "emerging markets." Importantly, the G-20 is also made up of the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank. These men (and they ARE all practically men) are some of the most powerful proponents of capitalist-style globalization in the world.

Rest of the text:

October 24 and 25 Montreal dubiously hosts the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting at the
Sheraton Hotel (Rene-Levesque West and Stanley). The G-20 is comprised of
the finance ministers and bank governors of the G-7 nations, as well as
other countries defined as "emerging markets." Importantly, the G-20 is
also made up of the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank. These men (and they ARE all practically men) are some of the
most powerful proponents of capitalist-style globalization in the world.

In solidarity with recent anti-capitalist mobilizations in Washington
(A16) and Prague (S26), and looking ahead to the demonstrations next
April 2001 against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, a "G-20
Welcoming Committee" has formed in Montreal. The Welcoming Committee comes
together in clear opposition to the G-20, IMF, World Bank and
capitalist-style globalization, and will be employing a diversity of
tactics ranging from popular education to direct actions and protests.

Listed below are the events organized primarily by the G-20 Welcoming Committee and the Halifax Initiative. For more information on the G-20 Welcoming Committee: stop...@tao.ca and on the Halifax Initiative: www.web.net/~halifax/index.htm

== Conference on Global Citizenship and Women ==
Thursday October 19, 2000
1700 St-Denis (Bibliotheque Nationale – Metro Berri-UQAM)
In FRENCH

=== Benefit Show for the G-20 Welcoming Committee ===
THURSDAY, October 19, 8pm
L'X (182, Ste-Catherine East, metro Berri-UQAM)

Acts include Oppressed Conscience, Bodybag, Cavaliers Noirs and Uni-T. $5
at the door.

=== Workshop: "Exposing Paul Martin, Globalization and the G-20" ===
FRIDAY, October 20, 5pm
Concordia University (2130 Mackay, metro Guy-Concordia)

This Friday, Canadian Finance Minister Paul Martin will be hosting a
so-called "Public Consultation" on globalization. The event is one part of
Martin's concerted public relations efforts in the lead-up to next week's
Group of 20 meeting in Montreal (and a potential federal election). The
G-20 meeting brings together the bank governors and finance ministers of
the G-7 nations, as well as other countries defined as "emerging markets."
Importantly, the G-20 is also made up of the heads of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. These men are some of the most
powerful proponents of capitalist-style globalization in the world.

Just before Martin's so-called consultation, members of the G-20 Welcoming
Committee and the Independent Research Collective will be hosting a
popular education workshop and discussion to expose Paul Martin's
destructive economic policies in Canada, as well as to unmask the IMF and
World Bank, two key players in the imposition of corporate fundamentalism
on the world.

Speaking at the workshop will be Michel Chossudovsky, a vocal critic of
capitalist globalization, and the author of "The Globalization of Poverty:
Impacts of IMF and World Bank Reforms" (Zed Books, 1997) as well as
members of the G-20 Welcoming Committee and the Independent Research
Collective.

== FRIDAY, October 20 ==
Concordia University
1455 deMaisonneuve Ouest, Montreal
Hall Building Auditorium
7:00 - 10:00 pm
The Canadian Finance Minister and Chair of the G-20, Paul Martin, will speak and take questions from the floor. First come, first served as space will be limited.
Co-hosted by the Social Justice Committee of Montreal and Concordia
University. Simultaneous live broadcast on CKUT-FM radio.

== SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2000 ==
Halifax Initiative Coalition invites you to a
TEACH IN:
"TRANSFORMING THE
GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM"
Concordia University, Hall Building
1455 de Maisonneuve West
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(French and English Interpretation Available)
---- TENTATIVE AGENDA -----
(Speakers subject to change)

Registration

8:30 am 9:30 am

Plenary - Globalization of Finance

9:30am - 12:00 pm

Rapid deregulation of global financial markets is resulting in
crisis after crisis, increasing poverty and environmental
destruction for many and insecurity and inequity for all. The
vast majority of people are not benefiting from the increased
global traffic in money. This discussion will introduce the issue
of financial globalization and provide analysis of the impacts of
today’s capital flows on the developing world.

Chair: Esperanza Morena, Canadian Council for International
Cooperation (Canada)

Nicola Bullard, Focus on the Global South, (Thailand)

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndugane, Archbishop of Capetown,
(South Africa)

Carlos Heredia, Equipo Pueblo, (Mexico)

Jong Sung You, Citizen’s Coalition for Economic Justice,
(Korea)

Lunch (not provided)

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

WORKSHOPS Choose one of the following 6

1:00 pm 4:00 pm

1. Stopping the Debt Spiral

Break the chains of debt has been a rallying cry for decades,
gaining unprecedented momentum with the Jubilee 2000
movement. The World Bank and the IMF suggest the debt
crisis is well on its way to being over. In this workshop, learn
about the debt crisis, its relationship to the globalization of
finance, the role of the World Bank and the IMF, and new
initiatives to cancel the debt.

Resource People:

Lidy Nakpil, Freedom from Debt Coalition, (Philippines)

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, (South Africa)

Njoki Njorege Njehu, 50 Years is Enough, (USA)

John Serieux, North-South Institute, (Canada),

Facilitator: Ernie Schibli, Social Justice Committee of
Montreal, (Canada)

2. Controlling Casino Capital

The world of international finance has become a global
gambling casino, with over 2 trillion US dollars worth of
currencies being traded every day. This workshop looks at who
wins and who loses from the deregulation of financial markets
and provides perspectives and analysis on re-regulating
financial markets.

Resource People:

Bruno Jetin, ATTAC, (France)

Ruthanne Cecil, Tobin Tax Initiative, (USA)

Steve Tibbett, War on Want, (UK)

Kavaljit Singh, Public Interest Research Group, (India)

Facilitator: Robin Round, Halifax Initiative, (Canada)

3. Financial Institutions

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the
World Trade Organization were set up to redistribute wealth,
stabilize the global economy and manage global trade. The
protests in Seattle and Washington last year demonstrated
increasing concerns that these organizations are active agents
in the growing gap between the rich and the poor. This
workshop debates the need for international institutions,
including the reform of existing international institutions and the
creation of new ones.

Resource People

Sarah Anderson, Institute for Policy Studies, (USA)

Fernando Carvalho, IBASE, (Brazil)

Bob Naiman, Center for Economic Policy and Research, (USA)

Scott Sinclair, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (Canada)

Facilitator: Brian O’Neill, Oxfam, (Canada)

4. Linking Finance for Development

A common rationale for capital account liberalization is that
developing countries need financial resources to develop. This
workshop explores the impact of globalization on developing
countries' access to financial resources and raises questions
about how the global financial system can contribute to
pro-poor and pro-environment development.

Resource People:

Patrick Bond, University of Witwatersrand, (South Africa)

Humberto Campodonico, DESCO, (Peru)

Arjun Sengupta, UN Independent Expert on the Right to
Development, (India)

Yash Tandon, International South Group Network, (Zimbabwe)

Facilitator: Andrea Botto, Canadian Council for International
Cooperation, (Canada)

4. The G20 and the “New