The Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC) is a national coalition of environmental, labor, consumer, family farm, religious, and other civil society groups founded in 1992 during the fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). CTC is a leading advocacy vehicle in congressional debates over fair trade policy.

CTC advocates that international trade and investment are not ends unto themselves, but instead must be wiewed as a means for achieving other societal goals such as economic justice, human rights, healthy communities, and a sound environment. The organization is centered on a belief that the rules which govern the global economy must reflect the views and needs of the majority of the world's people on issues such as jobs, wages, the environment, human rights, food and consumer safety, access to essential services, and public health.

At both the national and local levels, CTC attempts to facilitate the formation of cross-sectoral coalitions in which diverse interests can come together to share strategy, coordinate advocacy efforts, and promote an alternative vision to the neoliberal model of globalization. CTC strives to provide national and local organizations, grassroots trade activists, and ordinary citizens across the U.S. an effective means to have their voices heard in Congress while working at the local level to unify those voices, educate the public and press, and hold elected officials accountable to their constituencies at home.

On a national level, CTC attempts to spearhead lobbying efforts in support of just trade policy. Coordinating efforts of member organizations and allies on Capitol Hill, and local activists in Congressional districts, they struggle to educate Members of Congress and hold them accountable for their trade votes.

CTC also educates Members of Congress, the media, and the public about the negative effects of free trade policy and the corporate-managed trade model. They strive to expand the debate beyond labor and the environment to include the increasingly diverse issues that international trade encompasses.

The CTC Agenda from thier website:

We believe that with regard to international trade and investment rules:
Domestic environmental, labor, health, food security, and other public interest standards and policies must not be undermined.
Global labor, environmental, labor, health, food security, and other public interest standards must be strengthened to prevent a global "race to the bottom."
The provision and regulation of public services such as education, healthcare, transportation, energy, water, and other utilities is a basic function of democratic government and must not be undermined.
Raising standards in developing countries requires additional assistance and respect for diversity of policies and priorities. Trade is no substitute for aid.
Countries must be allowed to design and implement policies to sustain family farms and achieve food security.
Healthy national economies are essential to a healthy global economy. The right of Governments to pursue policies to maintain and create jobs must be upheld.
The right of state and local governments to create and enforce diverse policies must be safeguarded from imposed standardization.
Rules for the global economy must be developed and implemented democratically and with transparency and accountability.

Website: www.citizenstrade.org