LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN IN THE SPOTLIGHTTranscending borders towards strengthening solidarity and changeToronto, Ontario - During the month of February 2012, over 13 grassroots organizations in Toronto collaborate to highlight the struggles towards progressive and democratic transformation processes taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean, and join efforts to organize a full month of activities aiming to engage the Canadian public on how to link theses struggles and processes to local ones and strengthen solidarity across borders.2011 has seen some significant developments in the region as nations move toward closer economic and political integration with the creation of The Community of Latin American Caribbean States (CELA). Despite the global economic crisis gripping Europe and the United States, the Latin American region has managed to bypass the worst of the economic downturn brought about by austerity measures. Instead many countries in the region have chosen to increase social spending investing in healthcare, education, and infrastructure projects that benefit the majority of its citizens.Despite some of these positive developments, many challenges still pose a threat to local and regional sustainable development in the region. These come in the form of Free Trade Agreements and Canada plays a leading role negotiating treaties that seek to boost corporate rights, weaken democratic rights and diminish public services, lower environmental standards, and foster violations to human rights.With that in mind, join the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network (LACSN) and its member organizations during this full month of solidarity activities and help us strengthen solidarity and change that transcends borders. Some of the activities include:Inaugural Event:Celebrating 13 Years of the Bolivarian Revolution in VenezuelaWhen/Where: Saturday Feb 4th @ 5pm Friends House (Quaker Meeting House)
- The struggle for free public education in Chile
- Series of movie screenings and documentaries on Latin American struggles
- Interactive discussion examining indigenous concepts of “Living Well”
- Solidarity and Social Justice Forum on Haiti
- Workshops on Bill C-23 and Canadian Environmental injustice issues
- Free Trade Agreements & resource extraction in the region
- From Occupy to Brazilian Landless Workers Movements
- Art, poetry and musical performances featuring local Latin artists
Closing Event/Party:Live musical performances by Ruben(Beny) Esguerra and Luisito Orbegoso from Esguerra’s upcoming new album “A New Tradition”. DJs eL man (Dos Mundos Radio) & no-capitalista.When/Where: Saturday Feb 25th @ 9:30 pm, Vida Lounge, 1345 St. Clair Ave. West @ Lansdowne AveFor additional information please visit the LACSN website or see attached list of events
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Friday, April 22, 2011
Toronto Forum on Cuba, Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance -CASA, and Latin American Caribbean Solidarity Network -LACSN presents...
Capitalizing on Violence:
Canadian Corporate Investment in Colombia
Speakers:
Stewart Vriesinga,
Stewart is a Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) volunteer who has been based in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena River region since 2005 doing accompaniment work with communities affected by neocolonialism, violence and displacement. As part of his CPT work, Stewart has also volunteered in Canada and Iraq and volunteered with Peace Brigades International (PBI) in El Salvador from 1990-1991.
Jasmin Hristov,
Author of "Blood and Capital: the Paramilitarization of Colombia" (Ohio University Press 2009); Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC); PhD Candidate in Sociology at York University
Friday, May 13th, 2011
OISE 252 Bloor Street West
room #5-1507:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
CASA- http://casatoronto.blogspot.
LACSN- http://lacsn.weebly.com/index.
From April 13 to May 14, 2011, Stewart Vriesinga will be doing speaking tour in Ontario endorsed by the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network (LACSN). This tour will focus on CPT’s frontline accompaniment solidarity work with Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, peasant and poor urban communities in Colombia facing ongoing paramilitary violence, mass displacement and state-sanctioned impunity. The tour will also address Canadian state and corporate interests in Colombia—such as mining or extractive industry investments and the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement—and how these capitalist interests exacerbate violence, displacement and impoverishment.
Speaking Tour Schedule in Ontario
http://stewart-in-colombia.
Toronto Forum on Cuba, Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance -CASA, and Latin American Caribbean Solidarity Network -LACSN presents...
Capitalizing on Violence:
Canadian Corporate Investment in Colombia
Speakers:
Stewart Vriesinga,
Stewart is a Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) volunteer who has been based in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena River region since 2005 doing accompaniment work with communities affected by neocolonialism, violence and displacement. As part of his CPT work, Stewart has also volunteered in Canada and Iraq and volunteered with Peace Brigades International (PBI) in El Salvador from 1990-1991.
Jasmin Hristov,
Author of "Blood and Capital: the Paramilitarization of Colombia" (Ohio University Press 2009); Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC); PhD Candidate in Sociology at York University
Friday, May 13th, 2011
OISE 252 Bloor Street West
room #5-1507:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
CASA- http://casatoronto.blogspot.
LACSN- http://lacsn.weebly.com/index.
From April 13 to May 14, 2011, Stewart Vriesinga will be doing speaking tour in Ontario endorsed by the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network (LACSN). This tour will focus on CPT’s frontline accompaniment solidarity work with Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, peasant and poor urban communities in Colombia facing ongoing paramilitary violence, mass displacement and state-sanctioned impunity. The tour will also address Canadian state and corporate interests in Colombia—such as mining or extractive industry investments and the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement—and how these capitalist interests
exacerbate violence, displacement and impoverishment.
Speaking Tour Schedule in Ontario
http://stewart-in-colombia.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
NO CANADIAN MINING IN SANTURBAN! (Colombia)
Dear Friends:
The Canadian mining company GREYSTAR should not proceed with its project to extract gold from the Páramo of Santurban (Colombia). It threatens the water supply of millions of persons and risks damaging the bio-diversity of the area. Although a new Colombian law prohibits mining at 3,200 meters above sea level, GREYSTAR is appealing the decision, hoping that it would be "grandfathered" into the new regulations. I hope you can consider to take action:
- Writing TO THE OFFICIALS OF GREYSTAR telling them that your are very seriously concerned about the environmental risks of their Angostura Project. Please insist that you oppose all mining in the Colombian paramos and believe they should not proceed with the Angostura Project.
Steve Kesler President CEO and Director Greystar Resources Ltd skesler@greystarresources.com
Victoria Vargas Investor Relations vvargas@greystarresources.com
- Writing TO THE SENIOR MANAGER OF THE ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE WORLD BANK expresing that you are concerned about the serious environmental risk presented by the Angostura Project of Greystar in Colombia.The World Bank through the International Finnance Corporation has facilitated millions of dollars in funding for the Angostura Project. Maybe you can ask why they approved this funding when the environmental risks are so great.
Mr, James W. Evans : wevans@worldbank.org
NO MINING IN SANTURBAN! Informative video: (sorry Spanish only..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFDMDCcopPo
Thanks!!!!
Adriana Salazar
(416) 699 4527 ext 229
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Attention: News Editors/News Desk
MEDIA CONTACT: Luis Granados Cejas
Phone: 416-417-0931
Email: Granados.ceja@gmail.com
Latin Americans in Toronto demand the rejection of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) by the Canadian Parliament
As members of the Latin America Solidarity Network (LASN), we express our deep concern about the possible approval by the Canadian Parliament of a Free Trade Agreement with the Colombian government. Our concern is based on the following considerations:
1. Canada should refrain from signing an agreement that strengthens and gives legitimacy to a corrupt and criminal government such as that of President Alvaro Uribe. Union leaders, peasants, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian farmers, unemployed youth, human rights activists and journalists are threatened, displaced or assassinated on a regular basis. Paramilitary death squads continue to carry out gross human rights violations. State security forces are directly involved in these crimes. Amnesty International found that between June 2006 and June 2007 at least 280 civilians were extra-judicially killed by the security forces. In the past eight months, 27 trade unionists and more than 77 members from Indigenous communities have been murdered.
2. The approval of a FTA between Canada and the Colombian government will mean direct political support for Uribe’s agreement on the installation of five new U.S. military bases in Colombia, aimed to destabilize Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. The installation of these military bases will unleash the militarization of Latin America at levels never seen before. By signing the FTA, Canada will be acting in direct opposition to the majority of the presidents of UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) who recently rejected the installation of the US military bases in Colombia.
3. Free trade agreements do not necessarily increase democracy or protect human rights, as clearly demonstrated by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Mexico. The CCFTA, furthermore, offers no conditions that would assure benefits for medium and small-sized producers in either Canada or Colombia, particularly for rural and indigenous people in that country, who are affected by unemployment, expulsion from the land and environment degradation.
Latin American Solidarity Network-Toronto (www.rlasn.org)
Coordinator Committee
MEDIA CONTACT: Luis Granados Cejas
Phone: 416-417-0931
Email: Granados.ceja@gmail.com
Latin Americans in Toronto demand the rejection of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) by the Canadian Parliament
As members of the Latin America Solidarity Network (LASN), we express our deep concern about the possible approval by the Canadian Parliament of a Free Trade Agreement with the Colombian government. Our concern is based on the following considerations:
1. Canada should refrain from signing an agreement that strengthens and gives legitimacy to a corrupt and criminal government such as that of President Alvaro Uribe. Union leaders, peasants, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian farmers, unemployed youth, human rights activists and journalists are threatened, displaced or assassinated on a regular basis. Paramilitary death squads continue to carry out gross human rights violations. State security forces are directly involved in these crimes. Amnesty International found that between June 2006 and June 2007 at least 280 civilians were extra-judicially killed by the security forces. In the past eight months, 27 trade unionists and more than 77 members from Indigenous communities have been murdered.
2. The approval of a FTA between Canada and the Colombian government will mean direct political support for Uribe’s agreement on the installation of five new U.S. military bases in Colombia, aimed to destabilize Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. The installation of these military bases will unleash the militarization of Latin America at levels never seen before. By signing the FTA, Canada will be acting in direct opposition to the majority of the presidents of UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) who recently rejected the installation of the US military bases in Colombia.
3. Free trade agreements do not necessarily increase democracy or protect human rights, as clearly demonstrated by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Mexico. The CCFTA, furthermore, offers no conditions that would assure benefits for medium and small-sized producers in either Canada or Colombia, particularly for rural and indigenous people in that country, who are affected by unemployment, expulsion from the land and environment degradation.
Latin American Solidarity Network-Toronto (www.rlasn.org)
Coordinator Committee
Friday, October 9, 2009
Saturday, October 10th
Join us for a caravan and rally at Liberal MP Bob Rae’s Toronto Centre office to protest the Harper-Liberal party alliance to ratify a Free Trade Agreement with
11:00 am-Car/bicycle caravan departs from south-west corner of
11:30 am-Rally @ Bob Rae's Constituency Office,
Background
The Canadian House of Commons is debating Bill-C23, to implement the CCFTA. The Harper government, with crucial Liberal party support, is committed to implementing the CCFTA and throwing right-wing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe a political lifeline, despite his corrupt, discredited regime and egregious human rights record. Two Liberal MPs in particular, Bob Rae and Scott Brisson, have shown themselves to be strong supporters of the CCFTA.
Come and tell our elected officials that we are opposed to the ratification of the CCFTA. It has no effective, binding mechanisms to safeguard labour, human rights and the environment. Like
Organized by:
For more Information: esguerra @vif.com 416.651.2409
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