An anarchist take on the current struggle against capitalist globalisation in Québec-city.

(The following article is to be appear in the upcoming, and premiere, issue of "The Northeastern Anarchist", the journal of the Northeastern Anarcho-Communist Federation (NEFAC). You can visit their website at http: //flag.blackened.net/nefac)

by Nicolas Phebus

QUEBEC CITY -- In April 2001, the Organization of American States (OAS) will sponsor in Quebec-city the third Summit of the Americas, a meeting of 34 heads of states that is scheduled to discuss "continental integration". The proposed "integration" is in fact an extension of NAFTA --the infamous North American Free Trade Agreement-- to all of the Americas except Cuba.

Just as the organizers are already on the ground trying to sell the Summit to the local population, so is the opposition already crystallized and active in most social fields. Since we guessed readers don't need another article telling them how capitalism and the proposed Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) are bad and destructive, this article will try to present who's working on the ground in Quebec to organize the resistance.

The "Official Opposition": The Bureaucrat's "People's Summit"

As anyone following the global protest movement would have guessed, this Summit of the Americas will also have a counter-summit organized by the mainstream union federations and big NGO's. Several networks have been working on this for years. There is the continent wide "Social Alliance" which is composed of most "free" union federations (such as the AFL-CIO and Canadian Labor Congress) and bigger NGO's (such as the Sierra Club).

In Canada, the main coalitions are "Common Frontiers" in english-speaking Canada and "RQIC" in Quebec (Quebec network on continental integration). These people busied themselves trying to gain a place around the negotiation table and their main objective is to have a "social clause" in the agreement that will defends social and worker's rights. In general, on grounds of realism, they argue, like the AFL-CIO and Quebec FTQ, that globalization is a phenomenon that can't be opposed and to which we must adapt. For some of them, the fight is already lost.

This is not all, however, as some unions and smaller NGO's as well as most student unions have been organizing in a local coalition for months. This coalition is called OQP-2001 (Operation Quebec Spring 2001 in english). This coalition aims to organize non-violent protests to expose the Summit and FTAA. The OQP-2001 coalition could have been really interesting as it soon adopted a clear anti-FTAA position, however it also ruled early on against direct democracy and refused to have a sovereign general assembly and chose a group based structure instead. This move annoyed many locals, as it gave power to professional activists (such as union bureaucrats) and group representatives instead of the actual activists who do the work. As the months went by, the most conservative elements won a wave of votes that bind the coalition to strict non-violence, a clearly reformist agenda and forbid it to collaborate with any groups that don't adhere to a strict non-violent platform. In fact, this was only a small part of a much larger fear campaign aimed to marginalize "radicals" and "peace loving-rock throwing anarchists" (as one local Montreal "activist" once put it).

The Radicals

Where do anarchists fit in all of this? Well, at first, the Quebec-city based NEFAC affiliate 'Groupe Anarchiste Emile-Henry' was a member of OQP-2001, but soon left (shortly after the vote against direct democracy). And, to be fair, it took us a while before we kicked our ass and move onto something else.

In Montreal, however, things where a little bit different and moved much faster. As there was no local organizing going on, three local anti-authoritarians launched a call a year before hand to form a coalition to "bring the spirit of Seattle to Quebec-city in April". After a few long meetings, the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) was founded. It's core principles are in total contrast with most other anti-globalization groupings. First, it's radically democratic, second it's anti-capitalist, non reformist and radical, and, what's more important, it respects a "diversity of tactics". The work done by la CLAC is fairly impressive. First off, most of it's meetings are attended by a crowd in between 50 and 100 people and it have a core of about 30 activists, maybe more. Second, it already have proved, on the ground, that it can mobilize a fairly large number of people. For example, in October, it mobilized between 700 and 1000 people to protest the G20 meeting in Montreal (see elsewhere in this magazine), and also organized some huge popular education days. The one I attend in December had about a dozen workshops and was attended by about 150 people, maybe more (it was hard to count as there were always workshops going on and people arriving all day long).

For a time, la CLAC wished to have working links with OQP-2001, but this was turned down when the latter chose not to be associated with any groups who were not explicitly "non-violent". Needless to say this annoyed a number of anarchists and other radical activists. It was decided to organize two public events in Quebec-city co-sponsored by la CLAC, Groupe Anarchiste Emile-Henry and Le Maquis (another local anti-authoritarian collective) and see what happened. In the mean time, Emile-Henry and Le Maquis chose, as there was no radical opposition to the Summit and as we were less and less interested to work within OQP-2001, to issue a call to form an individual based coalition organized around the same principles as la CLAC. Well, everything went pretty well, more than 100 people attended both events, and some 75 people chose to be associated with the new group. The Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee (la CASA) was founded.

What About Action?

La CLAC and la CASA have established a fairly close working relationship, as one would guess. Both groups are proposing a Festival of Anti-Capitalist Resistance in Quebec-city during the Summit (from April 20-22nd) and a Global Anti-Capitalist Day of Action on the 20th. In Quebec-city, to insure the "respect of a diversity of tactics" both groups are advocating, we will propose different spaces so no one steps on the toes of anyone else. Both groups are also calling for an activist gathering and "consulta" in Quebec-city in January, in order to get some feed back from people elsewhere. As for the reformists, no one seems to be proposing a blockade of the Summit anymore, but rather a traditional demonstration on the 21th. As you see, we'll have some fun in April...

To get more info, check www.quebec2001.net and www.cmaq.net
To get in touch with la CLAC, email , for la CASA, try

The writer lives in Quebec-city and is a member of Groupe Anarchist Emile-Henry (NEFAC) and la CASA. He can be contacted at nico...@yahoo.com

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Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee (CASA) -- Québec City
(CASA : le Comité d'Accueil du Sommet des Amériques)
GOALS AND PRINCIPLES (unofficial translation from the French)

Next April 2001, 34 heads of state will be meeting in Quebec City with the goal of creating a free-trade zone that will extend from one end of the Americas to the other -- the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Accelerating both social and ecological degradation -- these leaders aim to extend the reach of capitalism, subjecting our lives to the domination of the commodity economy. In the face of this systematic dispossession of our political power, resistance is essential. This April 2001, a "welcoming committee" will be will waiting for them.

In the absence of a grassroots, radical and anti-capitalist opposition to the Summit of the Americas and the FTAA in Quebec City, we propose the creation of the Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee (CASA). This coalition of individuals, much like the CLAC (The Anti-Capitalist Convergence in Montreal), comes together on the following principles:

-- Anti-Capitalist

In opposition to the growing tentacles of capitalist globalization, the Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee (CASA) aims to create an anti-capitalist platform for discussion and action. No matter what form it has taken in history (liberal, statist, mercantile, neo-liberal, or even "with a human face") capitalism has always been about the domination of commodities over individuals. Following the logic of profits, the capitalist system monopolizes all social space, reducing human beings to simply producers/consumers, much like the environment becomes only a multitude of resources ready for exploitation.

-- Anti-Patriarchy

From its origins, the capitalist system was founded on patriarchal domination. Social relationships have been interwoven by this centuries-old ideology that affects all aspects of our lives. This ideological system creates a global system of masculine-based tyranny. When even the existence of the ideology and practice of feminism is more and more put into question, we reaffirm that only a full understanding of structural oppression will allow us to envisage a society that is radically equal.

-- Refusal of Hierarchy

It's clear that that such a project, radically equal, can only come about in the absence of hierarchical dynamics. We don't just denounce all forms of servitude and exploitation of individuals, groups and peoples, but we believe in putting into practice this basic principle within resistance groups themselves and in our day-to-day activities. Hence, CASA offers a radical opposition to the Summit of the Americas and similar processes by organizing in an anti-authoritarian manner. Bringing together individuals, the Welcoming Committee is structured around a democratic, open and decisional general assembly. Anyone in accord with the values and principles of CASA are urged to actively participate in accord with their respective affinities.

-- Autonomy

Aiming to create as many links as possible, with the goal of strengthening networks of resistance, CASA is autonomous of all forms of authority (parties, unions, etc.). We refuse to organize our actions in view of its eventual mass media impact, which we consider to be a form of disempowerment and subjection.

-- Non-reformist

It is within the perspective of a radical transformation of society that CASA adopts a confrontational attitude and rejects reformist alternatives such as lobbying within the framework of negotiations of free trade accords. We regard these strategies as not being able to have a positive impact, and we exclude use of these types of anti-democratic processes.

-- Diversity of Tactics

Respecting a diversity of tactics, CASA supports the use of a variety of creative initiatives, ranging from popular education to direct action.

In supporting these principles, the Summit of the Americas Welcoming Committee aims to build a radical and resolute opposition to capitalism, and to its lackeys who will be meeting in Quebec City to negotiate the FTAA. The Summit of the Americas will be held in the middle of a Carnival of Resistance that will converge various social movements, and in which CASA intends to play an active role. While waiting to see capitalism crushed by the blows of a new revolutionary movement, CASA intends to derail the FTAA and unhinge the power of the leaders of the Americas. Anyone in agreement with these principles, and who wish to prepare a "warm and thoughtful welcoming," are encouraged to get involved.

temporary e-mail: la_c...@hotmail.com