CIAO DATE: 06/02

Protest and Collaboration: Transnational Civil Society Networks and the Politics of Summitry and Free Trade in the Americas

Spurred by democratization and profound social transformations associated with globalization, the Americas are witnessing the emergence of new social and political actors, among the most salient of which are civil society organizations (CSOs) and social movements organized in transnational networks. This paper examines these new actors and focuses on the politics of hemispheric integration exemplified by the Summits of the Americas and the parallel negotiations over the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Identifying moderate "insiders," who cooperate with governmental initiatives, and "outsiders," who are critical of summitry and proposals for economic integration, the authors provide a detailed examination and evaluation of the strategies and tactics, as well as the successes and failures, of these new "networked" actors active in shaping hemispheric integration.

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