Letter from Canadian Church Leaders: the Summit of the Americas

Dear Heads of State and Government, and all brothers and sisters at the Summit of the Americas,

As representatives of churches from the host country of this Summit, we join in welcoming you and in praying for light on your discussions. With millions of our fellow citizens, we are aware that your decisions will have important consequences for life in the Americas.

We welcome also the participants in the Peoples’ Summit and similar alternative events. We see in them that hunger for social justice and zeal for participation in public decisions that should animate all of us. Let every voice that is raised in sincerity and concern, whether inside or outside the security perimeter, be greeted with respect in this great negotiation process.

The economic integration agreements that you are negotiating are complex indeed, and you face difficult decisions about appropriate checks and balances. Their complexity, however, does not mean that they should be hidden from the public eye. We call for genuine transparency and for public participation to be restored to your negotiations, including full democratic accountability in your national legislatures.