Exiled Honduran Teacher Thanks Canadian Supporters

In late October 2019, Honduran teacher activist Jaime Rodriguez was abducted, tortured, thrown off a bridge and left for dead. He survived, and when well enough to travel, went into exile in Mexico just before the Covid 19 pandemic began. CoDevelopment Canada called on supporters to help Jaime through these difficult months of exile. As organizations and as individuals you responded with an outpouring of solidarity. On November 26 2020, Jaime will take his chances and return to his country. This is his message to you:

Message of Thanks

On my first day of pedagogy class when I began my primary school teacher studies at the Western Normal School in La Esperanza, Intibucá, my teacher Marco Tulio, congratulated us all for choosing a profession that involves so much social commitment. At the time I did not grasp the significance of his statement, but little by little this noble profession taught me the realities of our children and youth, and they become a reflection of my own reality. This makes it easier to understand the commitment of teachers all over the world to defending the rights of the people; the right to health, water, land, the rights of women and, of course, the right to education.

There are consequences for struggling for a better future for our peoples and against policies of privatization and the looting of public resources. Various colleagues have given their lives for this in Honduras, and in almost every country of the Americas.  In my case, it brought exile. But with exile came a wonderful experience of great learning.

Today I want to thank my fellow teachers, and others, in the republic of Canada, the teachers of Mexico, and educators from many countries of the Americas who supported and sheltered me with their solidarity. You, compañeros and compañeras, have shown me the true value of that word.

I want to give special thanks to CoDevelopment and the IDEA Network, to the BC Teachers' Federation and the Surrey Teachers' Association, to Steve, Maria Ramos and the teacher Dilcia Díaz – and to so many compañeros and compañeras who I have never met, and to whom I beg forgiveness for not naming, because that list would be very long.

I am returning to my country.

My commitment to free my homeland is today even stronger than before. I return bringing more experiences and the knowledge that, with your solidarity compañeros and compañeras, they will never break us.

But the repression will surely continue in Honduras, so I ask of you to simply follow the song of our resistance that says, “Promise me you will continue to fight.”

Gracias maestras y maestros

Jaime Rodríguez México City, November 25, 2020 

Americas Policy Group Concerned About OAS Meddling in Human Rights Commission Appointment

Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretary Luis Almagro has increasingly sought to control what are traditionally arms-length institutions of the organization. Most recently, Almagro has meddled in the appointment of the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an independent body of the OAS charged with investigating complaints of human rights violations committed by member states. The OAS Secretary General recently refused to ratify the Commission's recommendation to appoint Executive Secretary Dr. Paulo Abrão to a new term.

The Americas Policy Group (APG), a Canadian coalition of 27 organizations promoting human rights and equitable development in the Americas, is concerned that Almargo's interference in the appointment of the Commission's director undermines the ability of the IACHR to independently investigate human rights violations in the Americas. CoDevelopment Canada worked with other APG members to draft a letter of concern sent by the coalition to Canadian Foreign Minister François-Phillippe Champagne.

Please follow these links to read the APG's letter to Minister Champagne: IHRC Letter English

CoDevelopment Canada and Communities Resisting Racism

CoDevelopment Canada stands with and supports the black community and all racialized communities; every day, everywhere to end racism in all forms.

Recent deaths of members of the black community in the US and indigenous communities in Canada at the hands of law enforcement leave us heartbroken. Their lives, and the lives of black, indigenous and all peoples taken by violence, matter.

CoDevelopment Canada is founded on principles of social justice and global solidarity. We know that expressions of racism in the Americas are a result of colonization, and structural violence is prevalent throughout the Americas. Our partners in Latin America also fight these forces of oppression in their governments, institutions and societies.

We stand with black, indigenous, and all communities facing injustice. We pledge to continue to work to enforce international human rights and basic human dignity everywhere, especially in our own backyard.

Show your solidarity by supporting Canadian organizations working for Black and Indigenous communities.

https://blacklivesmattervancouver.comhttps://blacklivesmatter.ca/

https://www.hogansalleysociety.org/https://www.crrf-fcrr.ca/en/http://www.idlenomore.ca/

https://www.nwac.ca/https://www.ubcic.bc.ca/https://stopracism.ca/

CUPE Delegation to Cuba - Reflections

During the week of November 10-16, 2019, CoDev Executive Director, Steve Stewart traveled to Cuba with delegates from CUPE National and CUPE BC. What follows are a series of "reflections" written by the delegates shedding light on their experiences and thoughts as they met with their brothers and sisters in Cuba.

Since 1998, CoDev has coordinated the partnership between the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Havana province section of the National Union of Public Administration Workers (SNTAP-Havana). With the most recent 5-year CUPE-supported project wrapping up this year – a shop steward training program that included the renovation and equipping of training classrooms at the union’s offices in different Havana municipalities – CoDev organized a delegation of CUPE representatives to meet their Havana partners. The project with SNTAP is supported by both CUPE National and CUPE BC, and representatives of both made-up the five-person delegation.

Delegates sought to evaluate the work of the 2014-19 training centres project, learn about the Cuban labour movement and the new challenges it faces with the recent tightening of the US trade embargo of the island, and to begin discussions with SNTAP representatives regarding future cooperation between the two unions.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Debra Merrier, Diversity Vice-President for Indigneous Workers, CUPE National

My first day as a member of the CUPE delegation in Havana, Cuba has been both amazing and overwhelming.

We had a meeting with SNTAP representatives of the province of Havana. They told us that this week the city of Havana would be celebrating its 500th anniversary, and talked a little about the history of the Havana province division’s partnership with CUPE, as well as the structure of the Cuban union movement.

There are 19 national unions in Cuba, all of whom belong to the Cuban Labour Federation, the CTC. With 249,000 members, SNTAP is among the four largest unions in Cuba. The education and health unions are the largest. The union representatives shared with us two great sayings for understanding life in Cuba: “It’s not easy,” but, “it can be done.”

Later, we visited the CTC building in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolution, one of several in Havana province. The unions belonging to the CTC have 15,616 members in this municipality, with most coming from the health-care, education, culture and public administration unions. We visited a training classroom that had been renovated and equipped with the support of CUPE and then met with the municipal SNTAP executive committee at their office there – Local 26. There were six executive officers who spoke with us – all women. They told us that union executive officers were elected at congresses for a five-year term. A representative cannot serve more than two terms - for a total of 10 years on the executive. They told us that in recent years, new policies have been developed by the Cuban unions to encourage more participation by youth. So now, if you are over 50, you can no longer run for an executive committee position. They also told us about a partnership the unions had developed with the University to enable union members to specialize in labour studies by attending courses on Saturdays from 9 AM - 4 PM.

Something that surprised me is that there is no automatic check-off of union dues in Cuban unions. Instead, every member comes to the municipal CTC building each month to pay their dues to the union they belong to. We asked the SNTAP representatives what happens if a member doesn’t pay. They said it is the responsibility of the stewards to remind members if they are overdue with paying their dues, but if a member doesn’t come in and make their payments for three months in a row, they could lose their affiliation to the union.

This first day of our delegation in Havana has been an emotional and very educational experience. As an indigenous person, I feel it is important for me to be a witness to all I see here and have learned.

Tuesday, November 12

Monique Menard-Kilrane, Senior Officer, CUPE National

The heat has not risen yet, and we are back on the road, this morning with Pepe and Mercedes. We drive to Barrio Nuevo Vedado, where we enter what is called a policlínico, a polyclinic. There are numerous of these community-based clinics throughout the province of Havana, 82 to be more precise.

The policlinic offers services that range from x-rays to pediatric, physiotherapy to traditional medicine.

After a fascinating presentation from the chief of the polyclinic, we are taken around the establishment to visit different consultation rooms, doctors, nurses, technical assistants and many more. Conchita and Jorge, both experienced doctors, are our guides through the hallways of this impressive system. A young physiotherapist reminds us of the ingenuity of the Cuban people: “Despite the embargo, we will make it work”, she says, as she shows us how they fill empty water bottles with sand to make weights for rehabilitation exercises.

The whole health care system is built around 4 principles: promotion, prevention, curing and rehabilitation. Health is seen as a holistic practice. Each policlinic is affiliated to local health clinics, 16 per neighbourhood. Conchita and Jorge guide us to the closest clinic where Marta and Leticia work respectively as doctor and nurse. Three medical students are also in residence at the clinic, including an international student from South Africa. In order to best promote, prevent, cure and rehabilitate, Maria tells us that the clinic studies the demographic and needs of the people in their neighbourhood. Home visits are carried out in a formal fashion and everything is noted, including injuries or sicknesses, social conditions and living conditions. This helps the practitioners find the best health program for each individual patient.

As this clinic’s demographic is mostly composed of seniors, Maria also invites us to a circle of grandparents, organised by the clinic every Wednesday morning. This circle is a chance for the seniors from the neighbourhood to come together and to share with Maria and Leticia. For the staff of the clinic, this is a great opportunity to better understand the needs and adjust the care.

The visits and discussions were an inspiring experience.

Wednesday, November 13

Rebecca Reynard, General Vice-President, CUPE Local 5430

We visited the Palco Convention Centre, which opened in 1979. It was developed for the Summit of the Non-Aligned Countries Movement, serves as the flag ship for State Business Groups, but also holds many international conferences. The Centre employs 4000 workers, all union members of a special branch of SNTAP, the public administration trade union. It consists of a main hall accommodating 2000 seats with a number of smaller halls accommodating up to 200 seats. During our visit the Centre was very active with a Health and Sports Convention; AFIDE 2019. There were a number of concession stands, gift shops and beautiful courtyards. Connected to the Centre by a skywalk is a large hotel. Their workers also union members. The 4000 members are organized by 10 locals with 94 units among them.

We attended the Import Office on the grounds of the Palco Convention Centre, with the intention to discover alternatives for sending a shipping container of supplies to Cuba. We were quickly made aware that this would not be possible through their service and were advised to do what we are currently doing.

Following this, we had a working meeting with SNTAP to go over where the project is now and our goals for the future. SNTAP is required to have the program proposal by January 2020 to submit for government permissions. SNTAP expressed concern that once a program is approved, the funds received can only be used for what is in the program proposal. The previous program was approved for union training. They created classrooms with equipment and trained trainers to give workshops. They are focused on health and safety, primarily the need to use protective equipment and measures and also making management aware of the importance of health and safety. They have spent what they can on union training, however are limited by accessibility issues resulting from the blockade. The remaining funds could be reassigned as a donation and that approval would need to come from CUPE and Co-Development. SNTAP suggested that the future program focus more heavily on equipment rather than funds. We also discussed a skills exchange, where one year, reps from CUPE would visit Cuba and another year where SNTAP would visit Canada.

Thursday, November 14th, 2019 – A visit to the Viñales

Carmen Michelle Sullivan, Alternate Regional Vice-President, CUPE BC

We were joined by Mercedes – Deputy General Secretary (SNTAP-Havana) and Marcel, the son of a SNTAP member, who acted as our guides. During the two and a half-hour drive to Viñales, we learned that 94% of all Cuban workers are unionized. In the country, many of the workers are self-employed, and the union has worked to organize by reaching out through door to door visits. These independent workers join the union for the benefits of advocacy for their rights, participation, and solidarity.

The drive was beautiful. It took only twenty minutes for us to move out of the city and into the country passing tobacco, sugar cane, rice, plantain, and banana plantations. There were intermittent farmhouses, and seemingly out of nowhere, workers would step out of the fields to the side of the highway with cheese and produce for sale.

Once we arrived in Viñales, a small town and municipality in the north-central Pinar del Río province of Cuba, we stopped at the Los Jazmines Hotel. We met with René, the General Secretary of the hotels and tourism union local. As a union leader, René is the advocate for 65 employees at the hotel. His primary role is advocating for the members to make sure management is providing adequate conditions, meals, and wages. He has a seat and voice at the table for all management meetings. Once a month, all the workers meet with management, which helps to mitigate any issues. As part of the Tourism union, the 65 members pay approximately 1% in union dues. The hotel has a lifeguard, a doctor and a nurse who belong to the public health union. The cultural workers’ union provides the musicians and performers, and cleanup of the grounds and waste removal is provided by the Municipal union, affiliated with SNTAP. All the union sectors work well together and show strong solidarity. Each province has a union school where anyone interested in becoming a union leader can receive training. The unions receive the training together, another strong indication of solidarity. Under Cuban law every 5.5 months, all workers receive 15 days vacation. They have one-year paid maternity with the option of a 2nd year at a reduced wage. Sick and disability benefits continue until the doctor clears them to be back at work. In the tourism sector, all union employees pool and share their tips.

That evening we returned to Havana, where we were treated to an evening at the Tropicana with the SNTAP and Tourism union representatives, including the national SNTAP General Secretary Yaisel Osvaldo Pieter Terry. On our way back from the Tropicana, we had the opportunity to speak with Alina, the General Secretary of the Havana section of the tourism workers’ union, about women in leadership. She said, “It is not easy in Cuba (referring to the US sanctions and blockades), it is never easy, but we can do it because we are together.” She is proud to be a union leader. She continued to say, women are mothers, wives, sisters, and because of that, they are strong. Women are nurturing, focus on teamwork, and are strong communicators. It was empowering to hear her passion.

Friday, November 15 - Banks and Tornados

Aman Cheema, Co-Chair for International Solidarity, CUPE BC

On our final day in Havana we visited the Banco Metropolitano, the Bank of the Capital in Havana. We were joined by Avigail Perez Llanes (General Secretary SNTAP Havana), and Aciel (Secretary of Economy SNTAP Havana), Rosa who is the General Secretary for the Union in the bank, Bank Manager, and Marina Vice President of Banco Metroplitano.

There are over 4000 employees in total, and 622 tellers in Havana alone. There are 4 Regional offices for more immediate issues, 94 branches, and 26 savings branches in the remote regions. Currently the bank has 525 banking ATM’s, but unfortunately the ATM Company was purchased by an American and due to the trade embargo they can no longer receive any parts or support. An alternative is currently being looked at in China. The bank is trying to transition to a digital banking model, where the citizens would use an interact card instead of hard cash. This would help the bank in using the cash for investments. To help encourage this model, the bank offers a 10% rebate if citizens use an interact card on the 15th, 16th, or 17th of the month. Repair and construction workers are also part of the same Union, but slowly there is a shift in privatization and contracting out of those jobs. The workers are part of the Public Administration Branch Union. Once per month workers meet to discuss workplace issues such as; health and safety, hours of work, and working conditions. While they don’t have specific health and safety meetings monthly like we do, they do discuss safety concerns at the monthly meetings.

Being involved in the community is an essential part for each and every worker at the bank. As Marina (VP of Bank) said “the level of consciousness is help and support one another”. In early 2019, 4,000 homes were damaged due to a tornado, the bank management and employees worked longer shifts and days, so those in need could have access to loans or the money in their accounts. As of today, 90% of the homes have been restored. Also, workers volunteer with different programs around the region, one being assisting orphaned kids who don’t have the support of any parents or families. The employees “play” the role of mom or dad, with help from the government providing meals. Finally, workers, along with management, are encouraged to donate blood for citizens and signing petitions for issues locally and abroad such as the crisis in Venezuela. The community is an integral part of the union, and coexist together, almost becoming a community union.

International Solidarity Conference 2020

Forced Migration - Popular Education- Social Investment

• An opportunity for international solidarity activists from CoDevelopment’s Canadian partners to exchange experiences and best practises from their international solidarity work.

• Deepen understandings of the distinctions between development, charity, and international solidarity.

• Develop toolkits for solidarity action in your organization.

When: Saturday, January 25, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Who:    International Solidarity Committees of our Canadian partners and other interested members of CoDevelopment Canada and its partners.

Where:  BC Teachers’ Federation Building, 550 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver

Registration deadline is Monday, January 20. 

The conference opens with a presentation from Daysi Marquez, Coordinator of COPEMH’s (Honduran high school teachers) project on youth migration from Honduras. Daysi’s presentation is followed by panels and workshops where international solidarity committees of CoDev’s Canadian partners share strategies and tips, and participants to deepen their understanding of solidarity and internationalist action. Workshop themes include: Using Labour’s Capital for Social Justice, International Solidarity and the Climate Crisis, Forced Migration: Canada’s Role.

Registration: CoDev members or delegates from a CoDev partner: $40. Non-members: $50

Canadians across the country call for an end to killings of Colombian rights workers

In Colombia almost 700 rights defenders and over 135 former FARC members have been assassinated since January 2016. Those killed include community leaders, teachers, trade unionists, representatives of victims and survivors groups, and water and forest defenders.On July 26, 2019 CoDev and our Canadian partners joined thousands around the world to draw attention to the wave of violence against Colombian social leaders, and to call for an end to it.CoDev shares this video of some of the actions that took place across Canada to honour the invaluable work that social leaders and human rights defenders do for life and peace in Colombia.

CoDev Exec Director Testifies to Citizenship and Immigration Committee

Last December, CoDev Executive Director Steve Stewart, in his capacity of Co-Chair of the Americas Policy Group (a national coalition of organizations working for human rights and development in the Americas) testified to  the Canadian Parliament's immigration committee on the causes of forced migration from Central America. We recently discovered  an online transcript of his presentation and, since the conditions leading to forced migration from the region have only worsened since last December, we share it here.

Mr. Steve Stewart (Co-Chair, Americas Policy Group, Canadian Council for International Co-operation) at the Citizenship and Immigration Committee

December 4th, 2018 / 3:45 p.m.

Thank you. I'll first tell you very briefly about our organization. I'm here as the co-chair of the Americas policy group. It's a national coalition of 32 Canadian organizations that work on human rights and development in the Americas.

While some of our member organizations, such as Amnesty International, work directly on migration, most of our work is done directly in the countries of Latin America. The majority of our members focus on three regions: Mexico, Central America and Colombia.

Given that we have a fairly limited time for the presentation, I'm only going to touch very briefly on Colombia and Mexico and focus primarily on the Central American countries, particularly Guatemala and Honduras, because I believe that's the area where Canadian policy can play a role.

The focus in this presentation is primarily on the conditions that lead to migration. I think the speaker who preceded me did an excellent job of covering that, so I may jump over some of my points.

Colombia has the highest number of internally displaced people in the world after Syria, with 6.5 million people who are displaced. Despite the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia last year and an end to that part of the war, violence and displacement continue. In 2017, violence in the country generated another 139,000 displacements, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Although sometimes we have the impression that there is peace in Colombia, violence is still generating large numbers of internally displaced people.

There are a number of factors behind these displacements. They're common through all of the countries I'm referring to here. They are the impacts of free trade, extractivism, the drug trade, corruption and organized crime. It's exacerbated, as the previous speaker mentioned, by climate change. In Mexico—and I think you've probably heard these statistics before—large numbers of displacement and violence coincided with the launching of the drug war in 2006, with a total of some 250,000 people believed to have been killed between the launching of the war and last year, while another 37,000 people have been forcibly disappeared.

In Colombia and Mexico, it's not uncommon for local government and security forces to act in collusion with organized crime, but it's in the Central American countries, in particular Guatemala and Honduras, where these networks have also deeply penetrated the national state. Organized crime operates on a number of levels in Honduras and Guatemala, ranging up from the street gangs that you've heard about in earlier testimonies, such as the Mara 18 and the Salvatruchas, who control both urban neighbourhoods and also a number of rural areas in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, often serving as the foot soldiers for more sophisticated criminal networks involved with drug trafficking, but also involved with graft in a large scale at the state level, and sometimes providing security to transnational corporations operating in these countries.

I'm not going to go in depth on statistics, but some rather stark examples have come up recently with the arrest last week of the brother of the Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández on cocaine smuggling charges, and then just last year Fabio Lobo, the son of the former president, Porfirio Lobo, was sentenced to 24 years after being convicted in U.S. courts on similar charges. In both of these cases, testimony indicates that the Honduran presidents were aware of these activities and, at the very least, did nothing.

However, the Honduran government's involvement in organized crime goes beyond links to drug smuggling. De facto President Juan Orlando Hernández, in his previous term, was forced to admit that his party looted the national public health and social security system to fund his 2013 electoral campaign.

We find similar cases in neighbouring Guatemala. In 2015, the president, vice-president and most of his cabinet were forced to resign and were indicted on corruption charges after investigations by the United Nations' international commission against impunity, CICIG, revealed a vast organized crime network within the Guatemalan state.

The president that succeeded him, current president Jimmy Morales, is now also under investigation. In recent times, though, his administration has taken steps to block the effective work of the UN body by preventing its director from entering the country.

The penetration of organized crime into government and state institutions takes place in the context of economic and ecological shifts in the region that are generating significant internal displacement. There are many different factors linked to that, which I mentioned previously.

In the Colombian case, the influx of low-priced basic grains that followed the signing of free trade agreements with North America and Europe in the past 25 years has reduced local food production and made it much more difficult for rural families to earn a living growing basic foods. This is combined with new unpredictability related to climate change, and pressure on farming communities from the expanding agro-industrial frontier—primarily sugar cane and African palm, which is, ironically, often used for the creation of biofuels.

These serve to drive the farmers from the land, either to marginalized communities in surrounding urban areas, or to take the long and dangerous migrant trek.

I know I'm running out of time already—Click here for the full transcript and questions.

Letter to Minister Freeland on the Political Crisis in Venezuela

Urgent Action: Constitutional Crisis in Guatemala

Since August 2017 when Guatemala President Jimmy Morales attempted to declare Ivan Velasquez, the head of the UN-sponsored International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) persona non grata, the Guatemalan government and economic elite have made multiple attempts to stop investigations of fraud, money laundering, and illicit campaign financing.In August 2018, the President announced that CICIG's mandate would not be renewed and Commissioner Ivan Velasquez was not permitted to enter the country. The Constitutional Court ordered immigration authorities to allow entry to Velasquez, but Morales, speaking through two ministers, said he would defy the court order. The Guatemalan government has violated legal resolutions issued by the Constitutional Court regarding CICIG’s mandate, and on January 7, 2019 illegally detained and denied entry to one of its investigators, Yilen Osorio Zuluaga and gave CICIG 24 hours to leave the country.According to Guatemalan Human Rights organizations these actions against CICIG could lead to a “Technical Coup” putting at risk the country's constitutional order, weakening specialized government investigation units, reducing the struggle against impunity on combating street gangs and empowering the old Illegal Groups and Clandestine Security Organizations.Please send our urgent action to show international solidarity with CICIG’s work in Guatemala.[formidable id="75" title="1"]

Canada should support democracy, not just condemn the government, in Venezuela

Backing a mediation effort would be a good start.

By JIM HODGSON, STEVE STEWARTPUBLISHED : Wednesday, May 10, 2017 12:00 AM“The Venezuelan people are again dying in the streets as they battle an ongoing coup d’étatbeing carried out by a group of politicians who oppose our government, and who since April 19 have been carrying out acts of violence, killing people and destroying our national patrimony, just as they did in 2002 and 2014.”These are the words of Bishop Elida Quevedo of the Evangelical Pentecostal Union of Venezuela (UEPV), but hers is not a story that you will see in major media. Instead, facts are distorted to make it appear that it is government forces who repress a “pro-democracy” movement. Bishop Quevedo goes on to describe the April 20 attack on a maternal and child hospital, and sniper shootings of pro-government demonstrators and security forces.As a coalition of Canadian civil society organizations long engaged in solidarity, social justice, and development work in the Americas, we call for a more even-handed approach to issues in Venezuela than that shown recently by Canada and several other members of the Organization of American States (OAS).Since early April, opponents of the government of President Nicolás Maduro have participated in demonstrations—some of them peaceful, but many that have included acts of vandalism, arson, and attacks on security forces. Protests began after the Supreme Court suspended some powers of the opposition-dominated National Assembly after it refused to comply with court rulings on electoral corruption and foreign investment. Even though the court decision was almost immediately rescinded, protests continued.Since then, as many as 37 people have been killed. In cases where public security forces have been linked to violence, investigations are carried out and in some cases, charges filed. The dead include trade union leader Esmin Ramírez, killed after being kidnapped April 23 in the southeastern state of Bolívar, and Jacqueline Ortega, an organizer of an alternative food distribution program in greater Caracas.Clearly, the situation in Venezuela is marked by polarization. But instead of building bridges to enable dialogue between the government and sectors of the opposition that reject violence, the government of Canada and the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights have echoed the voice of the OAS secretary general, Luis Almagro, and taken up the cause of the hardline opposition.On March 28, Almagro had pressed the OAS permanent council to expel Venezuela from the organization. When it was evident he could not rally a majority of members to apply the OAS Democratic Charter against Venezuela, the session ended without a vote.But on April 3, without the presence of either Bolivia (president of the OAS Permanent Council) or Haiti (the vice-president), just 15 of the 35 members (including Canada) approved a resolution “by consensus”—despite opposition from four other members—declared an “alteration of the constitutional order” in Venezuela and resolved to “urge action by the Venezuelan government to safeguard the separation and independence of powers.”On April 28, Venezuela served notice that it would begin a two-year process to withdraw from the OAS. With regard to Venezuela, the OAS has consistently failed to fulfill its role as a space for multilateral dialogue to resolve conflicts.In challenging Venezuela’s democracy, Canada has aligned itself with the governments of Colombia, Mexico, and Honduras—all of which face serious human rights issues themselves—plus several others, including Brazil which, after the removal last year of the democratically elected president, is also facing waves of popular protest.The government of Canada should make clear its support for constitutional government, electoral democracy, and the rule of law in Venezuela. It could support a mediation initiative led by former heads of government from Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Spain. This initiative proposed last year by the Union of South American Nations and has sparked the interest of Pope Francis.Canada should condemn foreign intervention in Venezuela’s internal affairs via the funding and training of groups and individuals seeking regime change through violence or other unconstitutional means, and support dialogue as the only appropriate means of achieving peace and reconciliation in Venezuela.Jim Hodgson is a member of Common Frontiers, a Canadian civil society coalition on trade justice issues. Steve Stewart is executive director of CoDevelopment Canada, a Vancouver-based international development agency.The Hill Timeshttps://www.hilltimes.com/2017/05/10/canada-support-democracy-not-just-condemn-governmentvenezuela/106330

Join CoDev in calling for an independent human rights Ombudsperson for Canada’s international extractive sector

Take action today to call on the Canadian government to ensure communities affected by Canadian oil, mineral and gas corporations have access to justice. Write your MP and the Minister of International Trade to let them know you want Canada to be a leader in protecting human and environmental rights by creating an independent human rights Ombudsperson.For too long Canada’s extractive industry has not been held accountable for its actions overseas. Human rights violations by Canadian mining corporations are widespread and well-documented. Canada needs an independent human rights Ombudsperson with full investigatory powers and the ability to make recommendations for remedies.Almost 10 years ago, industry and civil society leaders recommended creating an independent human rights Ombudsperson to address serious violations of human rights or environmental damage. The Canadian Network for Corporate Responsibility recently proposed draft legislation to create just such an office. During the 2015 election, most parties, including the Liberal party, committed to creating an independent ombudsperson’s office. Such an office is long overdue.As it stands, the offices in Canada responsible for overseeing corporate social responsibility (the Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor and the National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines) lack independence, investigatory powers, and are not mandated to make recommendations for remedies. Communities whose human rights have been violated by Canadian corporations operating in their territory deserve more. It’s time the Government of Canada to take action and make Canada Open for Justice.

New Video - Non Sexist & Inclusive Pedagogy

View our brand new video describing NSIP on You Tube!

Non-Sexist and Inclusive Pedagogy is aproposal which began with unionized teachers in Costa Rica, for developing liberating, democratic and inclusive educative practices. The pedagogical proposal is in constant transformation as teachers, students and communities participate in the analysis of their reality and create ways to transform it. Several teachers' unions in the Central American region have created teaching aids for elementary or secondary levels, and which today have been endorsed by Ministries of Education as official textbooks in the classroom. NSIP workshops have taken place in: Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Canada.The regional coordination for Non-Sexist and Inclusive Pedagogy Program is led by Maria Trejos Montero and Esperanza Tasies Castro.For more information visit the NSIP (PNSI) website.

Canada’s role in the struggle between human rights and corporate rights

When we think about international development and its goal of improving the standard of living of people in the global south, we really need to start at home and look at how our own country’s policies – particularly trade policies – affect human rights.Canada and the countries with which we have signed International Investment Agreements (IIAs) are also signatories to numerous human rights treaties. Yet in spite of article 103 of the United Nations Charter stating that human rights obligations shall prevail when there is a conflict between human rights treaties and other agreements, it is the trade agreements that enjoy strong enforcement mechanisms.A strong case in point is the International Investment Agreement Canada implemented with Colombia in 2011. The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CCOFTA) is just one of 57 IIAs signed by Canada as of January 1 2015. Like other agreements, the CCOFTA promotes market liberalization, privatization and deregulation, but it differs from the others in that it also requires a yearly report on the agreement’s impact on human rights.Colombia’s tarnished human rights record includes the dismal status of leading the world in killings of trade unionists. But the country also contains extensive mineral and oil deposits that Canada’s extractive industry was hungering to get a bigger slice of. Adding the annual Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) was the then-opposition Liberal’s price for endorsing the Conservative government’s treaty with Colombia.A recent report by the Canadian Council for International Cooperation’s Colombia Working Group found that the HRIA reports filed by the Canadian government annually since 2011 do not even examine the human rights impact of Canadian investment in the extractive industry.The CCOFTA provides generous investment protections for the Canadian extractive industry investment with investor-state arbitration provisions to guarantee those rights, but only voluntary and unenforceable provisions for corporate social responsibility.With the recent signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership, the new government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears to signal a continued commitment to free trade and the enshrining of corporate rights. In his mandate letter to International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Prime Minister Trudeau states that a priority of her ministry must be to “Refocus Canada’s development assistance on helping the poorest and most vulnerable…” Putting human rights before corporate rights is one way the government could achieve this mandate.Although International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has cautioned that “There is a big difference between signing and ratifying”, the Liberal Party made clear their support for free trade in their campaign platform. The Government of Canada has committed to consulting with Canadians before ratifying the agreement. If you would like to share your views on the TPP with the government, visithttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tppptp/index.aspx?lang=eng, where the government provides an email for feedback.

Action urgente après l’assassinat d’une militante écologiste au Honduras

Un témoin de l’assassinat de la militante écologiste et autochtone hondurienne Berta Cáceres est retenu au Honduras

Les autorités canadiennes et honduriennes doivent agir

CoDevelopment Canada joins the many organizations expressing condemnation of the assassination of Berta Cáceres, general coordinator and co-founder of the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH).CoDevelopment Canada joint sa voix à celles de plusieurs organisations qui condamnent ouvertement l’assassinat de Berta Cáceres, coordonnatrice générale et co-fondatrice du Conseil national des organismes populaires et autochtones du Honduras (le COPINH).Mme Cáceres a été assassinée à La Esperanza, dans le département d’Intibucá, le 3 mars. Des individus se sont introduits dans la maison qu’elle occupait et l’ont tuée par balle. Nous craignons vivement pour la sécurité de Gustavo Castro Soto, un collègue mexicain de Mme Cáceres, qui a été témoin de son assassinat et a survécu au drame. Il est actuellement détenu au Honduras.Gustavo Castro Soto, citoyen mexicain et collègue de l’organisation Otros Mundos Chiapas, a été témoin de l’assassinat de Mme Cáceres. M. Soto avait pleinement collaboré à tous les volets de l’enquête sur l’assassinat de Mme Cáceres. Le dimanche 6 mars, alors qu’il tentait de quitter le Honduras légalement avec la protection de l’ambassade du Mexique au Honduras, M. Soto a été arrêté et détenu par les autorités honduriennes à l’aéroport sous prétexte qu’il devait poursuivre son témoignage sans avis préalable. Les autorités honduriennes ont ensuite insisté pour que l’interrogatoire de M. Soto se poursuive au sein du département d’Intibucá plutôt qu’en lieu sûr à l’ambassade du Mexique à Tegucigalpa.Après avoir donné à M. Soto l’assurance verbale qu’il pourrait quitter le Honduras après avoir complété son témoignage, le procureur général hondurien a émis une alerte migratoire de 30 jours obligeant M. Soto de demeurer dans le pays, et ce, malgré qu’il avait déjà pleinement collaboré à l’enquête. Il faut savoir que le Mexique et le Honduras sont signataires d’un traité qui prévoit la coopération dans les enquêtes criminelles et en vertu duquel Gustavo aurait pu continuer de participer à l’enquête depuis le Mexique. Rien ne justifie qu’il soit retenu au Honduras, et il est urgent que les autorités honduriennes révoquent l’alerte migratoire dont il est l’objet et collaborent avec les autorités mexicaines pour assurer son retour sécuritaire au Mexique dès que possible.De plus, la famille de Berta ainsi que le COPINH dénoncent la manipulation de l’enquête menée sur l’assassinat, car, plutôt que d’interroger les personnes dont Bertha dénonçait les menaces et qui sont soupçonnées d’être des tueurs à gage, l’enquête est orientée de sorte à davantage persécuter et criminaliser le COPINH.CoDevelopment vous invite à signer les deux lettres ci-dessous. La première lettre demande au gouvernement du Canada de faire pression sur le gouvernement hondurien pour que soit révoquée l’alerte migratoire en vertu de laquelle Gustavo est retenu au Honduras et qu’il soit promptement retourné en toute sécurité au Mexique, d’insister pour que le gouvernement mexicain maintienne et renforce les mesures assurant le bien-être physique et psychologique de Gustavo au Honduras et son retour au Mexique sain et sauf, de demander la participation d’enquêteurs internationaux indépendants agissant de concert avec la Commission interaméricaine des droits de l’homme (CIDH) vu l’inefficacité du système judiciaire du Honduras et l’absence de volonté politique d’assurer une enquête complète et impartiale sur l’assassinat de Berta Cáceres.La deuxième lettre demande aux autorités honduriennes de lever l’alerte migratoire et de permettre à M. Soto de quitter le Honduras. On y demande également aux autorités mexicaines d’intensifier les pressions sur le gouvernement du Honduras pour que M. Soto soit autorisé à quitter le Honduras.[formidable id="63" title="1"][formidable id="61" title="1"]