Golly. If Stephen Harper's stature on the world stage keeps shrinking we're going to have to swap that magnifying glass for a microscope eh? Yesterday we found out how low he has sunk. When the New York Times accused him of muzzling scientists in a monstrous attempt to "guarantee public ignorance."Today
Continue readingTag: United Nations
drive-by planet: Ecuador’s Ricardo Patiño on Latin American resistance to NSA spying, influence of Castro and Chavez
In this Democracy Now interview, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patiño, addresses a range of topics in discussion with Amy Goodman. In reference to NSA spying Patiño said “Edward Snowden opened the eyes of the world to an international crime. The NSA is spying on the whole world and that’s a
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Harper, The UN and Aboriginal Issues
Once again, we find The Harper Government (which, I am more and more convinced is not a Canadian government), squabbling over the UN’s initiatives to review Canada’s treatment of our Aboriginal population. Countries have their rights records reviewed every four years by the Geneva-based UN forum, but the Harper government has
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: A Q&A on Syria and the “Responsibility to Protect”
What is “Responsibility to Protect”? “Responsibility to Protect,” or R2P, is a doctrine that grew out of a 2001 report by the Canadian-established International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). Unanimously endorsed as a general principle by the UN General Assembly four years later, R2P carries a hefty moral
Continue readingCarbon49 - Sustainability for Canadian businesses: Employee Engagement Drives Sustainability Strategy
Have you considered how employee engagement can drive your sustainability strategy and how you can leverage sustainability initiatives to engage your employees and create a values-driven culture of collaboration and creativity? Let’s look into how Hewlett-Packard and Cadbury Schweppes do it, and how WWF can help. While the majority of employees
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: UN Report Highlights Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada, Says Human Rights Watch
Opportunity for Action to End Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls By: Human Rights Watch | Press Release: (Edited by Obert Madondo) TORONTO, April 30, 2013 – The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted today… The post UN Report Highlights Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada, Says Human Rights Watch appeared first on The Canadian
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Lori Theresa Waller provides her own take on the Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights’ study on labour rights and inequality: In the 1970s, all provinces used the simple card check system, whereby an employer must legally recognize a union if the majority of
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis: Sunday Roundup: Harper Picked Chinese Pandas Over Journey of Nishiyuu Aboriginal Youth
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: This week six courageous “Journey of Nishiyuu” Aboriginal youth arrived in Ottawa after walking 1 600 kilometres from Whapmagoostui on Hudson Bay in northern Quebec. They’d hoped to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. In a gesture like to further galvanize the popular view that Harper
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chief Spence takes fight against Harper government’s Bill C-45 to UN
Chief Theresa Spence, Mushkegowuk People of Attawapiskat First Nation and the International Indian Treaty Council file urgent “Action Request” with U.N. human rights body By Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive, Feb. 25, 2013: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence hasn’t given up her fight against Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s draconian omnibus Bills C-45 and C-38.
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: It Is Time For Ottawa To Become ‘Idle No More’
Richard Hughes Political Blogger The Idle No More Movement has reopened an old problem and kicked off a new discussion in Canada regarding our relationship and responsibilities towards indigenous peoples. While it is easy to pick up on PM Harper’s desperate and racist wedge attack on Chief Theresa Spence and
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Encana and Alberta Facing A Multi Million Dollar Lawsuit Over Fracking Damages
Richard Hughes PoliticalBlogger Energy Giant Encana met a woman who was not about to be pushed around by industry or compliant government regulators. Landowner Jessica Ernst has launched a Multi-million dollar lawsuit against the EnCana and Alberta government regulators over water contamination. Jessica Ernst is also telling her story to
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chief Theresa Spence Ends 43-Day Hunger Strike With Declaration “Towards Fundamental Change”
by Guest Blogger | The Canadian Progressive, Jan 25, 2013 Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence signed the First Nations declaration that ended her 43-day hunger strike at Ottawa’s Victoria Island . The 13-point declaration, entitled “First Nations: Working Towards Fundamental Change”, was signed jointly with First Nations leaders and Canada’s federal opposition parties.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Canada’s Human Rights Reputation is Fast Becoming a Myth
by Ontario Federation of Labour: This year, as the global community recognizes December 10 as International Human Rights Day, many Canadians struggle with a vanishing sense of pride in Canada’s once renowned reputation as a leader in human rights. While that reputation has always been contradicted by the lived experiences
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: The Ugly Canadian in the Canada-Israel relationship (VIDEO)
Canadian writer and commentator Yves Engler discusses the Harper Conservative government’s pro-Israel policy with The Real News. Yves’ new book, The Ugly Canadian, Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy, “sets out to provide “a small spark in lighting a fire of interest in Canadian foreign policy.” This video is available on YouTube
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Two-State Twilight
For many years, I have felt that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were an exaggeration. Yes, Israel has been unyielding in its expansion of settlements in the West Bank in clear violation of international law, effectively dividing the already-slight
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Jewish human rights group condemns Harper government’s UN vote on Palestine
by Independent Jewish Voices | December 3, 2012 A Canadian Jewish human rights group is condemning the Harper government’s opposition to giving Palestine non-member observer state status at the United Nations. In a vote taken this week by the General Assembly, 138 countries voted to grant Palestine this status. “Once again the Harper government has embarrassed […]
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: No Stevie Wonder for the Israel Defense Forces
High-impact anti-Israeli apartheid online activism by peace makers around the world forced Stevie Wonder to cancel his planned performance for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The American singer, songwriter, and activist had been scheduled to perfo…
Continue readingCanada’s shameful vote against Palestinian statehood
Yesterday marked a shameful moment in the history of this country’s foreign policy. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the UN General Assembly to recognize Palestine as an observer state … and Canada voted no. Our vote puts the lie to our claim that we believe in a two-state solution, or
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Malala Yousafzai Honoured With Global Day Of Action
A Taliban gunman shot her as she made her way home from school in Pakistan. She survived the assassination attempt and is now recovering at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital hospital in the UK. Today, Malala Yousafzai has become the symbol …
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Shame: 61 million children not in school worldwide
Globally, 61 million children, most of them girls, are denied their birthright to education. They’re discriminated against, marginalized and exploited. Please click here to add your voice to millions around the world calling on governments and…
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