And while we’re on the subject of Canada’s disgraceful treatment of indigenous people, try this article I just published on Shawn Brant’s case. I don’t think Shawn or Sue know who I am, but I remember hearing them speak in Toronto in the spring of 2001 before the Quebec City anti-FTAA protests, being much impressed then and since. I hope my article gives some idea of how impressed.
Category: Canada and Empire
On Canadian foreign policy and its subordination to the needs of the Empire, including the “Five Eyes”.
Shawn Brant
http://www.zcommunications.org/shawn-brant-by-justin-podur
From the UN – Indigneous Peoples’ Rights Upheld, with only 4 disgraceful countries voting against
With only eleven abstaining and 143 in favor, it’s great to see the anglophone settler solidarity against indigenous rights, isn’t it? Thanks guys.
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UN General Assembly backs indigenous peoples’ rights
Thu Sep 13, 5:07 PM
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a non-binding declaration upholding the human, land and resources rights of the world’s 370 million indigenous people, brushing off opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
The Pope Squat
http://www.zcommunications.org/the-pope-squat-by-justin-podur-1
The pope has left the city, and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty still has the building.
The papal mass in Toronto drew 600,000 Catholics from all over the world to Downsview, a place far to the north of the city’s center. Far to the south of Downsview, beyond the city center and right on the shore of lake Ontario, is the neighbourhood of Parkdale.
The Harper-Uribe Handshake
http://www.zcommunications.org/the-harper-uribe-handshake-by-justin-podur
I
Irreversible Damage: conservatives in power
People think of bloggers as astute observers of the press. I think if you read this blog carefully you realize that I, unfortunately, am not. I read a few foreign papers and get a fair amount of material from email, because of my work at ZNet. And on the other side, I don’t have the stomach to pay constant attention to the North American mainstream media. When I do try to read it in detail, it is often a very painful experience (the most recent and painful experience being the foray into Mitch Potter’s writing).
Continue reading “Irreversible Damage: conservatives in power”
The recently-breaking (5-year old) Harper Afghan detainee abuse scandal
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been reporting on the torture of detainees of the “war on terror” since about 2002. There are plenty of specific reports of people dying in detention, people being tortured to death, and so on. Some of that is documented in “Bleeding Afghanistan”, the book written by my friends Sonali Kolhatkar and James Ingalls.
Continue reading “The recently-breaking (5-year old) Harper Afghan detainee abuse scandal”
Politics in classrooms, “terrorism” at union meetings…
A little more on the case I mentioned yesterday, in which a teacher tried to get a boycott/divestment/sanctions (BDS) resolution passed in a Ontario teacher’s union.
The JDL is on the US State Department’s terrorist list.
Continue reading “Politics in classrooms, “terrorism” at union meetings…”
Don’t bring POLITICS into the CLASSROOM!
Back in the summer we at ZNet published a fine piece by a very intelligent teacher named Jason Kunin on how to talk about Israel/Palestine issues to unionists. In Canada, activists in unions are trying to push a boycott/divestment/sanctions (BDS) campaign to force Israel to stop its ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies against the Palestinians. Goes without saying that this is an uphill battle. This is, after all, the same jurisdiction where a children’s book that talked about children in Israel and Palestine was banned.
Uphill, indeed. Kunin tried to pass a motion in his union on BDS. It seems that Kunin’s school board took it upon themselves to suspend him and investigate his teaching. They have suspended him, the preliminary reports say, for bringing politics into the classroom. The irony of this seems to have escaped them.
The motion is copied below. If I hear more on how to support this case I will publish it here.
BIRT D-12 STBU bring the following motion to AMPA 2007:
BIRT that AMPA 2007 express its concern about the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by taking the following actions:
a) Requesting the PE to endorse the recommendations of Amnesty International, in its report “Israel & the Occupied Territories: Road to Nowhere” (December 1, 2006)
b) Requesting that the Provincial Executive write a letter to the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, copied to the Prime Minister of Canada as well as to the leaders of the opposition stating OSSTF’s endorsement of the recommendations of Amnesty International, in its report “Israel & the Occupied Territories: Road to Nowhere” (December 1, 2006)
c) request the provincial HRC to educate OSSTF members to the present crisis and to develop moral and other supports for students, teachers, unions, or other organizations in the Occupied Territories and Israel as may be appropriate.
d) Develop ways OSSTF can demonstrate its support of the growing international call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel.
Moved: Jason Kunin
Seconded: Hayssam Hulays
Dion! And some other stuff…
Just when I think that Canada is a bleak field of endlessly boring events, something like this happens to perk my interest.