Idle No More and the Bigot Voices
As Chief Theresa Spence enters the 16th day of her hunger strike, with Stephen Harper still refusing to meet her, I see his inaction is causing some old Canadian demons…
human rights
Amnesty International Urges Harper to meet with hunger striker Chief Spence
by Amnesty International Canada: Editor’s Intro: In the letter bellow, issued yesterday, Amnesty International urges Prime Minister Stephen Harper to meet with hunger-striker Chief Theresa Spence as her peaceful protest…
Idle No More and the Con Denial of History
When I woke up today and saw that it had snowed, for the first time this winter, I felt like I was back in Canada eh?Because I can't imagine winter…
follow-up memo to children’s aid: we told you so. happy christmas.
Back in May, I blogged about a family in my area who faced a nightmare: social services had threated to remove their child from their home. Both parents have disabilities,…
Chief Spence, Harper, and the Attawapiskat Christmas
I didn't want to blog tonight. I just wanted to enjoy Christmas.But I couldn't get these two contrasting images out of my mind. Chief Theresa Spence slowly starving to death.While…
tell stephen harper you support chief theresa spence and idle no more
As Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence enters her twelfth day without food, solidarity actions with the IdleNoMore aboriginal movement are growing throughout Canada and around the globe. In Winnipeg, demonstrators blocked…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Thomas Walkom discusses the meaning of the Ontario Libs’ attempt to take collective bargaining rights away from teachers in the context of…
Chief Spence Hunger Strike: Solidarity letter from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers
by Canadian Union of Postal Workers: Chief Theresa Spence, The Canadian Union of Postal Workers honour Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat for her courageous stand in defense of the land…
happy birthday, bradley manning
Today is the third birthday that courageous military whistleblower Bradley Manning has spent in prison. By the time his court martial begins in March, he will have been imprisoned almost…
Idle No More: A Drumbeat Is Heard Across The Nation
There are a lot of things I could write about on this crisp winter morning; NOAA’s updated 2012 Arctic Report Card, for example (hint: it ain’t lookin’ good) or the…
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…
Canada’s new refugee system unfair to refugees
by Canadian Council for Refugees AND Amnesty International Canada: On the eve of the introduction of important changes to Canada’s refugee determination system, the Canadian Council for Refugees and Amnesty…
Amnesty International goes Gangnam Style for Chinese dissidents
I’m tired of Gangnam Style. Especially so since Psy denounced his past anti-war performances in South Korea — presumably because criticizing the US military doesn’t jive with his newfound pop…
Toronto solidarity fast in support of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence
The details, from the organizers: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence has begun her hunger strike in Ottawa today and she has pledged to continue until Prime Minister Stephen Harper (and the…
Obert Madondo’s Canada crime Bill C-10 hunger strike: Response from the Minister of Justice
On June 6, I ended my 85-day hunger strike against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s New Jim Crow-style crime Bill C-10, the deceptively christened “Safe Streets and Communities Act”. Two of…
U.S.: Cutting through the indefinite detention and NDAA controversy
by Cora Currier | ProPublica: Last Tuesday, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, a yearly military spending bill. Last year, the bill affirmed the U.S.’s authority…
international human rights day: write a letter, save a life
Join the biggest human rights event of the year. Write a letter. Save a life. Write For Rights FAQ People you can write for. Don’t: – be intimidated by the…
ten years too many: stop secret trials in canada
Today, International Human Rights Day, marks ten years since Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a so-called Security Certificate. Security Certificates allow for arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonments outside the rule of…