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Fires in Nigeria Camp Leave 7,200 Displaced People Without Shelter

Details: Published on Friday, 06 November 2020 04:36; Written by editor

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Fires in Nigeria Camp Leave 7,200 Displaced People Without Shelter

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iPhones

Details: Published on Friday, 06 November 2020 04:36; Written by editor

Children in the Congo are dying mining cobalt for Apple and Google’s phones. But these tech giants just claim that’s not their problem.

The kids’ desperate families have taken the fight to court -- can you chip in to get these families justice and hold Big Tech accountable?

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It’s terrifying work.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, children as young as 10 climb into holes barely wider than their bodies. They spend hours there, digging out tiny chunks of cobalt to be used in cell phone batteries. All for $2 a day.

Dozens have died or suffered catastrophic injuries but Apple, Google, and other tech giants just say it’s not their problem.

The families of these children say otherwise and are suing Big Tech for damages. But these billion-dollar companies have the most expensive lawyers working around the clock...

On Rioting and State Violence

Details: Published on Friday, 06 November 2020 02:28; Written by editor

On ‘Rioting’ and State Violence

Clare O'Connor interviews AK Thompson

The uprising that emerged following the murder of George Floyd reignited debates about violence both in the media and among activists and scholars of social movements. Under pressure to distinguish the violence sometimes used by protestors from the state violence they oppose, activists have alternated between emphasizing the strategic or moral value of nonviolence and analyzing the causes and effects of violent action. As in the past, the former, “normative” approach has enjoyed broad social traction; however, as critical theorist AK Thompson has pointed out, movement participants who advance such conceptions have often ended up implicitly defending the state’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force. In contrast, Thompson has argued that developing an analytic approach to the question of violence has allowed...

That 49th parallel is not a stopping point

Details: Published on Thursday, 05 November 2020 15:18; Written by editor

‘That 49th parallel is not a stopping point’ r1 ...

Need a break from US election coverage?

Details: Published on Thursday, 05 November 2020 11:30; Written by editor

Paov,

The last few days have been a real emotional rollercoaster for all of us here at 350.org. I’m sure you can relate. It’s undeniable that with less than a decade left to tackle the climate crisis, the outcome of the United States election will have a massive impact on the entire world. But right now, as our neighbours down south diligently continue their efforts to count every vote, I want to bring the focus back to Canada.

As I write this, the Trans Mountain Crown corporation is using taxpayer money to bulldoze ahead with construction on the TMX pipeline.1

This is a project that would transport 890,000 barrels of tar sands oil to BC’s coast every single day. And, it’s moving forward with the support of the entire federal cabinet.2

Canadian politicians are simply not meeting the crises we’re facing at the scale we need -- in fact, they are actively compromising our shot at a livable climate and spending billions of taxpayer dollars doing so. It’s up to us to wake them up to the climate emergency.

That’s why, on November 17th, people across...

Count every vote!

Details: Published on Thursday, 05 November 2020 11:02; Written by editor

and then join us in the streets! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

We’ve all been braced for this, and here it is: an incredibly close U.S. presidential race that didn't end on election night. And as expected, the right is moving swiftly to shut down the vote in the courts -- and inciting supporters to do the same.

That's why social movements are seizing the reins, determined to defend democracy -- whether Party leadership finds its courage to fight or not.

This wasn't the election outcome many were hoping for. But a popular mobilization is still within our power to launch -- first for the vote count, then for pressure on the new administration.

Our U.S. movement allies like Sunrise Movement, Dream Defenders, People’s Action, 350.org and many others are mobilizing to protect the vote -- follow the hashtag #CountEveryVote on your favourite social media platform to see the latest, and how to get involved.

What do you remember about August 7, 2010?

Details: Published on Thursday, 05 November 2020 10:14; Written by editor

This is a test r1

Dear Friend,

Al Wright will never forget August 7, 2010. That was the day his 22-year old son, Alvin, was shot and killed by the Langley RCMP.

For 10 years, Al Wright has been seeking justice. As the ten-year anniversary of his son’s death approached, I spoke with him on the phone.

“I am angered and horrified that police killings are still rampant and nothing is being done about it,” he said. “Nothing has changed.”

When I hear stories like Al’s I feel so enraged that this is still the nature of the relationship between police forces and many people.

Hundreds of other families across Canada are also seeking justice for their family members who have been victims of violence, often fatal, at the hands of police forces. In particular, Black, Indigenous, and low-income people encounter grave injustices every day in their dealings with police. And, more often than not, they don’t find the justice they are looking for.

The BCCLA is committed to...

What Do Mine Tailings Dam Disasters Teach Us?

Details: Published on Thursday, 05 November 2020 02:28; Written by editor

What Do Mine Tailings Dam Disasters Teach Us?

Judith Marshall

Brazilian mining activists invited Judith Marshall to participate in their November 5th commemorations of the anniversary of the tailings dam collapse at the Vale/BHP iron mine in Mariana, Brazil. Marshall was a founding member of the International Network of People Affected by Vale (AV) formed in 2010 while she worked in the Global Affairs Department of the Steelworkers Union. After her retirement, Marshall became an Associate of CERLAC (Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies) at York University where she has continued her collaboration with AV, including comparative studies of the Mariana spill with the tailings dam collapse at Mt. Polley in British Columbia. Below is her message to the event.

So here we are, on November 5th, commemorating the anniversary of the Mariana...

PBI needs your support during the pandemic

Details: Published on Wednesday, 18 November 2020 13:22; Written by editor

Book Launch (Nov 10): The Diary of Dukesang Wong: A Voice from Gold Mountain

Details: Published on Wednesday, 04 November 2020 14:30; Written by editor

Book Launch: The Diary of Dukesang Wong: A Voice from Gold Mountain

Tuesday, November 10th / 7:00pm EST

Join us on Tuesday November 10th for the launch of The Diary of Dukesang Wong: A Voice From Gold Mountain (Talon Books, 2020), with editor and author David McIlwraith, as well as Judy Fong Bates and other guests.

The Diary of Dukesang Wong: A Voice From Gold Mountain is the only known first-person account from a Chinese worker on the famously treacherous parts of transcontinental railways that spanned the North American continent in the nineteenth century.

Dukesang Wong’s written account of life working on the Canadian Pacific Railway, a Gold Mountain life, tells of the punishing work, the comradery, the sickness and starvation, the encounters with Indigenous Peoples, and the dark and shameful...

Artists and the Front Lines of Political Resistance

Details: Published on Wednesday, 04 November 2020 02:40; Written by editor

Artists and the Front Lines of Political Resistance

April M. Short

"There’s no us versus them -- there’s just us. Everybody in the world is us."

Shepard Fairey’s voice rings out over a haunting Damned Anthem cover of the Muse song "Uprising," as images of recent protests in the US flash across the screen at the beginning of the trailer for a new feature-length documentary, "The Art of Protest." It is a montage of the scenes that have come to define American protests: police lined up in riot gear, a car that was dented after it sped toward a crowd, a woman with a bloodied face, men shouting and carrying Confederate flags, people cheering as a statue is torn down, climate activists carrying a large model of the Earth, a structure on...

Ugh! We can do this...

Details: Published on Tuesday, 03 November 2020 19:10; Written by editor

A —

It's election night in America -- where I call home. My wife just pulled herself away from the TV to bring our fast asleep daughter upstairs to bed and I'm sitting here feeling sick to my stomach.

I am so ready to be sure, to plan for a future where my family is protected, and safe. To know that communities facing four more years of racist attacks, immigration raids and violence are instead able to look forward to a tiny sliver of hope and change.

I am ready to begin campaigning for all the things that were impossible for the past four years -- a sane climate policy, trans rights, expanded immigration, police reform....

But instead we are still in it, in the muck, the fight, the scary uncertainty of a contested election. And more than ever, we need the help of the whole world to survive this moment.

This week, people from across the globe will be showing up at US embassies calling for government officials to protect the results, count every vote, and enforce the outcome. It sounds absurd, but there's a very real possibility that domestic terrorism, fake news and corruption will help Donald Trump hold on to power,...

The chance to make history

Details: Published on Tuesday, 03 November 2020 10:04; Written by editor

TAKE ACTION

Sign The Urgent Letter to End COVID-19

...

US Election: What Could it Mean for Canada and the Canadian Left?

Details: Published on Tuesday, 03 November 2020 02:48; Written by editor

US Election: What Could it Mean for Canada and the Canadian Left?

Herman Rosenfeld

United States President Donald Trump represents a danger to working people, in particular those most marginalized, and a threat to relatively impoverished but critically important liberal democratic institutions and practices. Given the role and dominance of the US as the leader of international capitalism and principal imperialist hegemon in the world, a re-elected Trump threatens any real attempt at ending wars and the nuclear arms race, struggles for economic and political liberation, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and, perhaps most ominously, efforts to address the climate emergency.

Obviously, with the close interrelationships between Canada and the US, a Trump victory would (as the current administration does) affect us economically, socially and politically. The Trump phenomena also affects and...

CoDev 2020 Winter Appeal

Details: Published on Wednesday, 18 November 2020 13:22; Written by editor

Upcoming Event: Police Oversight and Accountability Panel

Details: Published on Monday, 02 November 2020 15:26; Written by editor

This is a test r1

Dear ,

Join us for our upcoming panel “Who’s Policing the Police? Police Oversight and Accountability in Canada”, exploring police powers, police misconduct, and the systems designed to hold police accountable, including whether or not these systems are effective.

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Time: 12 PM – 1:30 PM PST / 3 PM – 4:30 PM EST

Where: The event will be livestreamed on YouTube. This event will be recorded.

Tune in here

From the violent takedown of Chief Allan Adam to the tragic death of Abdirahman Abdi and Chantel Moore (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation), Black people, Indigenous peoples, and people experiencing mental health crises are disproportionately subject to incidents of police violence that often leads to serious bodily harm and even death. So, who holds the police accountable? Why do police officers...

Toilet paper

Details: Published on Monday, 02 November 2020 10:18; Written by editor

P&G shareholders vote to protect forests. What will P&G do now? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌

“P&G’s CEO David Taylor has been trying to convince shareholders and customers that the company is doing enough for forests. Losing this shareholder resolution by a huge margin is a slap in David Taylor’s face and a clear rebuke. The owners of the company are saying directly to the CEO, ‘You have failed and you need to do more to protect forests.”

- Todd Paglia, Executive Director at Stand.earth.

I got good news!

In a truly historic move, two-thirds of Procter & Gamble (P&G) shareholders voted YES on a proposal to protect the boreal forest of Canada and tropical forests in Southeast Asia. This is a momentous and a groundbreaking development that requires P&G management to take action. Now it’s up to the CEO and executives to do the right thing. Your support helped make this win happen – so thank you.

For years, P&G executives have refused to stop sourcing its pulp from critical caribou habitat for Charmin toilet paper. But the company’s shareholders sent a clear message that they want the company to do more to protect forests. Now that we've got the backing of investors worth billions of dollars, we are pushing P&G to make commitments to respect Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and stop working with suppliers who operate in caribou habitat.

We need to mobilize while the heat is on P&G executives. Sign now to urge P&G to make commitments and stop destroying intact forests and endangering caribou.

You're a Trans Mountain Shareholder

Details: Published on Monday, 02 November 2020 06:14; Written by editor

Paov,

I'll keep it quick. Tomorrow is the last day to submit our questions for the Trans Mountain Crown corporation's upcoming AGM on November 17th.

I wanted to make sure that you got this message so that you have a chance to submit your questions before the deadline. Click here to send in your question in less than a minute.

Thousands of people have already flooded Trans Mountain's inbox with their questions. Trudeau bought TMX with public money. That makes you, me, and every single person in this country a shareholder in this Crown corporation. Let's make sure our voices are heard.

Onwards,

Amara

Paov,

Today marks 500 days since the Trudeau government declared a climate emergency. Today also marks 499 days since they called into question the sincerity of that move when they approved the Trans Mountain pipeline.

We know the climate crisis is accelerating and we know the fossil fuel era needs to come to an end as soon as possible. That’s why we’ve been pushing so hard for the government to defund TMX.

This week we have an opportunity to raise the stakes. Trans Mountain, the Crown corporation the...

Upcoming webinars & joint statement about Mikmaw

Details: Published on Monday, 02 November 2020 05:50; Written by editor

Download this newsletter in PDF.

Webinars explore the impacts of the criminal justice system, alternatives, and ways forward

In 1981, Canadian Quakers became the first religious body to call for the abolishment of prisons. What are the alternatives to a punitive justice system? What steps can be taken to address systemic...

How Indias Modi Is Changing Laws to Help Imperialists Dominate the Countrys Agriculture

Details: Published on Monday, 02 November 2020 03:38; Written by editor

How India’s Modi Is Changing Laws to Help Imperialists Dominate the Country’s Agriculture

Prabhat Patnaik

The two bills rushed through India’s parliament on September 20 were objectionable in every conceivable sense. The very fact that they were being rammed through the Rajya Sabha, without being put to vote despite demands for a division, was grossly anti-democratic. The fact that the Center made unilateral and fundamental changes in agricultural marketing arrangements that fall within the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution was a blow against federalism. To resurrect the pre-independence arrangement under which the peasantry was exposed to the capitalist market without any support of the state, and which crushed it during the Great Depression of the 1930s, was a betrayal of the promise of independence. To pit millions of small...