Judgement Day draws near. That is Art judging day, which begins November 12. Winners will be announced November 14.

Fliers, like the one shown above, have been appearing around Baltimore over the last two weeks. The fliers invite creative people to express their views on the ills of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in a graphic way. See www.milk-money.org for details on the art contest.

The convergence of the peace movement and the justice movement, represented in part by opposition to the FTAA, is growing. According to movement elders, this social mass movement is bigger than the movement of the 60s. Much of the movement activity is happening outside of the United States, but come Novemeber 17-21, the movement will be reflected on the streets of Miami, Florida USA as people demonstrate their opposition at the FTAA ministerial meetings.

The linkage between the peace movement and the justice movement can be made in many ways. One shocking link is made in our Nation's National Security Strategy of September 2002. Many people know of this strategy due to its controversial new military doctrine of pre-emptive war. However, the new strategy also advocates an open market agenda in which "a Free Trade Area of the Americas is our next goal."

The US military has been used throughout history to open markets for the benefit of a small minority of corporate interests. Now, that military/economic policy is formalized in black and white.
usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/1202/ijpe/toc.htm

Movement elders note that the converging peace and justice movements must not only address political and economic challenges, but must also mount a cultural struggle to off-set the influences of the corporate mass media. The FTAA Art Contest is one small way people can do that, and have fun in the process.

Note: This piece draws from "Evidence of Things Unseen: The Rise of a New Movement" Tom Hayden, October 23, 2003 ZNet | Third Party.