It is critical that people coming to Quebec City from anglophone (english-speaking) areas arrive in Quebec with an attitude of respect for the people of Quebec and the french language.

The 34 heads of state and their teams of negotiatiors and bureaucRATS coming to the summit of the Americas will have hundreds of translators and translating technology to facilitate their discussions.

Obviously, the people in the street, and those most affected by globalization, haven't got these resources. And while we speak a lot about the "globalization of resistance", almost all of our organizing goes on in English. It is critical that people coming to Quebec City from anglophone (english-speaking) areas arrive in Quebec with an attitude of respect for the people of Quebec and the french language. Quebec City itself is 97% francophone.

There has already been some needless divisiveness among organizers along lines of language and culture. However, there has also been a remarkable rise in bilingual organizing (in Montreal in particular) which has been very encouraging. Hopefully the latter will predominate in Quebec City during the Summit protests.

Things that you can do to ensure that this happens:

- have someone in your affinity group who can translate from English to French, and from French to English.
- put french first, as often as possible.
- place translating links onto your website and even e-mails (see www.a20.org for an example of this)
- be patient at spokescouncil meetings. be respectful of translation--keep noise to a minimum while someone is translating.
- make banners and signs as bilingual as possible.
- read french postings on CMAQ and indymedia and at http://www.ainfos.ca/fr/--become familiar with the language and organizations within the francophone resistance.
- study the "french for activists" dictionary found at http://www.oqp2001.org/en/index.html.
- check out the pointers at http://www.soaw-ne.org/FTAAGuide.html#Languages%20in%20Quebec%20City
- take advantage of this opportunity to make links with francophone groups for long-term organizing.
- don't tokenize francophone participation in your activities.
- read about the history of Quebec City, and the history of Quebec separatism. The massive police repression which the anti-corporate/capitalist movement is currently experiencing doesn't even compare to the actions of the Canadian state during October 1970, when the War Measures Act was declared, in order to suppress the largely working class separatist movement.
Some good history about Quebec City, and the past battles which have occured there. http://www.montrealmirror.com/meat/news7.html
- finally, learn french chants and slogans. here are a few...

SLOGANS
=======

Police partout! Justice nulle part!
(police everywhere/justice nowhere)

La police/au service/des riches et des fascistes!
(the police is in the hands of the rich and the fascists)

les bavures policières/n'ont pas de frontières!
(police "fuck-ups" have no borders)

____, salaud
le peuple aura ta peau
le jour venu, tu seras dans l'rue
on te bottera le cul
(__insert name of favourite politician here__, bastard,
the people will have your hide
a day will come when you'll be in the street
...and we'll kick your ass!)

So-So-So! Solidarité
(translation obvious. Really easy, but really over-used. There's lots of other versions:
So-so-so! So many cops! So-so-so! Société malade! So-so-so! Socialisme!

Nouvel ordre mondiale/Dictature du capital
(New world order/the dictatorship of capital)

Révolution! La seul solution!
(revolution; the only solution)

À qui les rues? À nous les rues!
(who's streets? Our streets!)

Assez! Assez! Assez de cette société
Qui n'offre que la chomage et la précarité
Temps partiel imposé et retour au foyer!
(Enough, enough, enough of this society,
which offers only unemployment, insecurity,
part-time work, and then you're out the door!)

Le peuple, uni, jamais ne sera vaincu!
(The people, united, will never be divided!)

Crime organisé contre l'humanité
(Organised crime against humanity)

État, patronat, patriarchat, votre système on en veut pas
(State, boss, patriarchy, we don't want your system!)

Notre action est légitime, que l'État arrête ses crimes
(Our actions are legitimate. Stop the crimes of the State!)

Les bourses et les banquiers sont des gangs organisés!
(stock exchange and bankers = organized crime!)

Contre la dictature du capital/l'action directe et radicale!
(Against the dictatorship of capital: direct, radical action!)