Canadian Parliament - War Resister Safe Haven Possible

*Note: Though the particular war resister featured here appears to be a white man, we know that the majority of the people directly put at risk by the war in iraq are poor people of color.  Though the revisited underground railroad for US enlisted POC to Canada prospect seems erie…I hope folks in Canada who read this will help support and provide more options for people rejecting the occupation of Iraq.-love lex Forwarded from Gerry Condon, Soldier Say No/Project Safe Haven See also statement from Amnesty International in support of Corey Glass Refusing to Kill is Not a Crime   www.refusingtokill.net 3 June 2008 Dear Friends of War Resisters, Today the Canadian Parliament made a historic vote in favor of U.S. war resisters who are seeking a safe haven in Canada rather than fight in the illegal occupation of Iraq.  The vote in the House of Commons was 137-110, with all the opposition parties - the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party - voting for the motion, and the ruling Conservative Party voting against. The Parliament calls on the minority Conservative government to create a program that will allow war resisters to immigrate to Canada, and it also calls for a halt to all deportation proceedings. This is a VERY BIG victory for war resisters in Canada and everywhere.  It will strengthen our hand considerably. But the struggle for sanctuary in Canada is far from over. The Conservative government, a staunch ally of the Bush administration, may choose to defy the will of the Canadian people by ignoring this advisory motion. Corey Glass, an Iraq veteran and war resister, was recently ordered to leave Canada by June 12 or face deportation. So even as we celebrate this victory, we must step up the pressure on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Diane Finley. [See action alert from War Resisters Support Campaign, below, along with their press release and a news article.] Yes, it does help for the Canadian government to hear from many people in the U.S. who want them to provide sanctuary for our war resisters.  Courage To Resist (www.couragetoresist.org) has generated thousands of letters from people in the U.S. to Canadian government and political leaders and these have clearly helped, as have the vigils and delegations to the Canadian Embassy in Washington and Canadian Consulates around the U.S. Project Safe Haven, a network of Vietnam War resisters who are supporting war resisters today, is calling for people to contact Canadian representatives in the U.S. this week. * THANK the Canadian people and their Parliament for supporting our war resisters. * CALL on the Conservative government to follow the will of the Canadian people and implement this motion. * DEMAND an end to deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and other war resisters You can visit the Canadian Consulate in person. In Seattle, we will have a Celebration outside of the Canadian Consulate, 1501 4th Ave. at Pike St., on Thursday, June 5, at noon.  There will also be vigils and delegations in several other cities. And you can call them, fax them, or email them. Canadian Consular offices are in over 20 U.S. cities. Here are their addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.  http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/washington/offices/default-en.asp If you want to participate in visits to the Canadian Embassy or Consulates, please send an email to projectsafehaven@hotmail.com or call Gerry Condon at 206-499-1220. If you are a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War or Veterans For Peace, you may want to get in touch with your local chapter or national office to let them know you want to participate, and to help organize these events. U.S. war resisters and their wonderful Canadian supporters have won a historic victory.  By acting decisively at this time, we in the U.S. can participate in this victory and help to make it an even bigger one. Thank you for whatever you may be able to do at this time. for peace and justice, Gerry Condon (206) 499-1220 Soldier Say No / Project Safe Haven SoldierSayNo@yahoo.com, projectsafehaven@hotmail.com www.SoldierSayNo.blogspot.com
[The following Action Alert is from the War Resisters Support Campaign in Canada, www.resisters.ca] Canadian Parliament votes to let US war resisters stay The Canadian Parliament passed an historic motion today, June 3, 2008, that calls on the Canadian government to make a program to allow US war resisters to apply for permanent resident status in Canada and to cease all deportation and removal proceedings against US war resisters. The next step is to write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Diane Finley, and prime minister Stephen Harper to ensure that they that the will of Parliament is implemented. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley phone 613.996.4974 fax 613.996.9749 email finley.d@parl.gc.ca and finled1@parl.gc.ca Prime Minister Stephen Harper phone 613.992.4211 fax 613.941.6900 email pm@pm.gc.ca
War Resister Corey Glass Faces Deportation U.S. Iraq war resister Corey Glass was told on May 21, 2008, that his application to stay in Canada has been rejected and he now faces deportation. Glass would be the first Iraq war resister to be deported from Canada. Last December the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship & Immigration passed a motion calling on the Canadian government to “immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members […] to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and … the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions … against such individuals“. [See news articles and War Resisters' press release below]
Canada Lawmakers Ask Harper to Let War Resisters Stay (Update1) Bloomberg - USA The Toronto-based War Resisters Support Campaign estimates there are as many as 200 American Iraq war resisters in Canada. According to a May 22 report in … See all stories on this topic War resister motion passes Kootenay Western Star - Castlegar,BC,Canada By Elliot Robins - Kootenay Western Star - June 03, 2008 Members of Canada’s parliament passed a motion on Tuesday that will give foreign war resisters … See all stories on this topic MPs vote to give asylum to US deserters, Tories say No TheChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada Two generations ago, as many as 50000 American draft dodgers and war resisters came to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War. They were eventually welcomed and … See all stories on this topic
House of Commons votes to let U.S. War Resisters stay in Canada OTTAWA, June 3 /CNW/ - The Opposition parties in the House of Commons joined together today to adopt a recommendation which, if implemented, would make it possible for U.S. Iraq War resisters to obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada The recommendation was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament from the Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and New Democratic Parties. The Conservatives voted against the motion. The motion, which originated in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in December 2007, calls on the government to “immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members…to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and…the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions…against such individuals.” Corey Glass, 25, a war resister who came to Canada in 2006 and was recently told to leave Canada by June 12 or face removal to the United States, welcomed the vote. “I’m thankful that the MPs voted to let me and the other war resisters stay in Canada. I’m also thankful to all the Canadians who urged their MPs to support us.” “This is a great victory for the courageous men and women who have come to Canada because they refuse to take part in the illegal, immoral Iraq War, and for the many organizations and individuals who have supported this campaign over the past four years,” said Lee Zaslofsky, Coordinator of the War Resisters Support Campaign and a Vietnam War deserter who came to  Canada in 1970. The War Resisters Support Campaign is calling on the Conservative government to respect the democratic decision of the Canadian Parliament and immediately implement the motion and cease deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and other war resisters. For further information: Michelle Robidoux, (416) 856-5008; Lee Zaslofsky, (416) 598-1222 or (416) 369-0864

Rome Summit: Stop the Food Crisis

from AVAAZ: http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/18.php?cl=96793896

The United Nations is convening an emergency summit of world leaders in Rome this week to address the skyrocketing world food crisis. There is a real danger that rich country leaders will push half measures and band-aid solutions – we need a huge global outcry to demand rapid, massive, coordinated action.

The head of the UN, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, will receive our petition at the summit at 9:30AM on Wednesday morning. This is a huge opportunity for our voice to reach our leaders directly, but we need half a million voices heard. Sign the petition below, and watch the video appeal at right from the Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone, one of the world’s worst hit nations.

Petition to Rome Summit leaders:
We call on you to take immediate action to address the world food crisis by mobilizing emergency funding to prevent starvation, removing perverse incentives to turn food into biofuels and managing financial speculation, and to tackle the underlying causes by ending harmful trade policies and investing massively in sustainable agricultural productivity in developing nations.

Mother’s Day & the week forward: Action Alert - No mother should lose her child to a cluster bomb

also on Cure This

Check out this moving video on cluster bombs:

And this letter from Physicians for Human Rights and several other major human rights organizations in the US and abroad.

Time for action? CIVIC (The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict) is making an urgent appeal to us to call our Senators and ask them to cosponsor the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S.594/H.R. 1755). They’ve supplied us with the tools we need, and with a list of the Senators who have cosponsored the Senate bill and have made a goal of generating six new co-sponsors in the Senate in the next two weeks.

They say on this Mother’s Day:

No mother should lose her child to a cluster bomblet. Unfortunately, you - as a CIVIC supporter - know that children are drawn to unexploded cluster submunitions thinking they are toys. Kids between the ages of 5-15 account for almost half of the world’s cluster bomb deaths and injuries.

And here’s a short video with their Executive Director in Lebanon, talking about cluster bombs:

Alright let’s get to it. One or two phone calls. Common sense legislation.

Lastly — the author of the hit comic series Get Your War On, David Rees, wrote about the presidential candidates and cluster bombs (and about how they were the initial impetus for him to start his GYWO comic strip). He’s a huge activist in this area, and shared that Senator Clinton rejected a proposed ban on cluster bombs back in 2006 (a different proposed ban) because she didn’t want to seem soft on terror. On the other hand, Senator Obama strongly supported this ban. (on the Republican side, McCain rejected the ban).

Let’s give this gift of action to our mothers and to mothers around the world. And pass on this CIVIC action alert (remember, the goal is to get more cosponsors in the next two weeks!).

One hundred plus farm workers evicted following news coverage. Take action now.

Yesterday more than 100 migrant farm workers were living in an orchard. Tonight they have no place to go.

Why, you ask? These Washington state cherry pickers came to Shafter, California after being told by company representatives to come to Califronia for a job in the cherries. Consequently workers and their families traveled from Washington State to work at the Kyle Mathison Orchards. Kyle Mathison is part of the Wenatchee, Washington based Stemilt Growers Company—which, according to its web site, is the largest shipper of fresh-market sweet cherries in the world.

When these farm workers reached California, things were not as expected. A number of the workers were hired, but other workers were told to just wait and see if jobs were available. According to KERO 23 news, a farm worker said, “I came from Washington state. We came here to work, but they haven’t treated us like they should and we’re a little worried because we may not have enough money to go back to Washington.”

While in Washington, some of the workers were informed that housing would be available to them when they got to California. However, when they got here there was no housing. They had no choice but to sleep in the fields. Some stayed in tents, others in cars and still others slept on cardboard or simply the dirt.

Workers complained of rashes from having to bathe in irrigation water. The KERO 23 news report quoted another worker as saying, “I asked where do we shower? And he said ‘There’s the water hole.’ … and there’s ducks and fish! I asked, ‘We shower there?! Where do the women shower?!’ He said the same place.”

When workers went public about being left out in the cold, things only got worse. Last night Bakersfield area television stations showed the workers’ bleak situation. Today, Stemilt company representatives’ called the sheriffs to have the 100 plus workers and their property evicted from the orchard.

The workers who are currently working were told they would still be allowed on Monday—however they now have no place to live. The others have no place to live and no job—the company told them to still wait and see.

Stemilt says their core values include treating workers, growers and customers fairly. How is this fair?

Take action now. Tell Stemilt to provide housing for these out of state workers tonight, pay reasonable travel expenses and immediately hire the rest of the Washington workers instead of forcing them to wait and see.

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/cherryworkers/x8niwub2v77teekj

Act In Congress to Outlaw U.S.’s Intl Violence Against Women

There is a new act that has been proposed in Congress in the U.S. called the “International Violence Against Women Act”. It’s aim is to integrate the prevention of violence against women into U.S. foreign policy and assistance and to force the government to act on it.

To quote:

“In addition to being an egregious human rights violation, violence against women is a major cause of poverty and a huge barrier to economic opportunity. Violence keeps women from getting an education, working, and earning the income they need to lift their families out of poverty. And research shows that giving women in poor countries economic opportunity empowers them to escape abusive situations.

The good news is that violence against women is preventable and that there are proven solutions that work. The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), if passed, would, for the first time, comprehensively incorporate these solutions into all U.S. foreign assistance programs - solutions such as promoting women’s economic opportunity, addressing violence against girls in school, and working to change public attitudes. Among other things, the IVAWA would make ending violence against women a diplomatic priority for the first time in U.S. history. It would require the U.S. government to respond to critical outbreaks of gender-based violence in armed conflict - such as the mass rapes now occuring in the Democratic Republic of Congo - within two months.”

To sign the petition go here: http://www.womenthrive.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=133

Education for All in North Carolina

Help Protect Higher Education for ALL Students	More Info
CALL Speaker of the House Rep. Joe Hackney and President Pro Tem Sen. Marc Basnight
On November 7th, 2007 the NC Community College System (NCCCS) Office released a memo stating that all community colleges in the state are now required to admit undocumented students. With this change in policy, NC now has uniform policies at both the NCCCS and UNC 16-campus university system to admit undocumented students. This is an amazing and hugely positive development for our students, our community, and our state! However, these policy changes have come under attack and there is reason to believe that the NC General Assembly will consider passing legislation in the 2008 short session (May-July 200 that would ban access to higher education to undocumented students at NC community colleges AND public universities. We need your help to ensure that Higher Education will be available for ALL students by: Pledging to CALL the Speaker of the House Rep. Joe Hackney (919-733-3451 - Joeh@ncleg.net) and President Pro Tem Sen. Marc Basnight (919-733-6854 - Marcb@ncleg.net) to let them know that you would like for them to support undocumented students’ access to NC community colleges and public universities, AND Committing to have 10 other community members make calls! Our goal is to generate at least 500 calls by May 1st! Following are some suggested talking points: This policy change will strengthen our future tax base. Immigrant families are pulling more than their own weight when it comes to the taxes they pay, the contribution they are making to our growing economy, and what they bring to a diverse state like North Carolina. This is a workforce development issue. North Carolina’s state and local governments, businesses, and industry are currently recruiting college graduates from outside the state, as well as outside the US, to fill shortages in the fields of business, education, and health services. A number of students who will benefit from this policy change have the potential to satisfy many of these essential job needs in NC. These are qualified North Carolina students. These are high school students who have attended elementary and secondary schools in this state for most of their lives, who are likely to remain in the state. By allowing them to pursue higher educations, the state can benefit from students who are bilingual and bicultural, and able to contribute to the state’s collective productivity and economic growth. In-state tuition and federal immigration issues are separate issues from open enrollment admission. The recent policy change only impacts enrollment to the Community Colleges; undocumented students must still pay out-of-state tuition, which is over $2,000 more than the actual cost of educating the students. This policy change does not adjust students’ documentation status, reminding us of the need for federal comprehensive immigration reform.

Responding to the Sean Bell Not Guilty Verdict

Spread the word. And if you are in the New York Area show your face.

Tuesday:

NYC COUNCILMEMBER LETITIA JAMES, THE FORT GREENE ASSOCIATION, APRIL SILVER (of AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc.)
and KEVIN POWELL

present

A TIME TO HEAL AND ACT!

A Town Hall Meeting on the Sean Bell Verdict
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Doors Open at 6:30 PM

Brown Memorial Baptist Church
484 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(at Gates Avenue; “C” train to Clinton-Washington)

All in the Community are Invited.
There Will Be Dialogue That Will Move
Beyond Words to Positive Actions.

For more info, email <kevin AT kevinpowell. net>
or call 718.756.8501

Friday:

From RJ (zapagringo.blogspot.com)

all cops in sean bell case found not guilty on all
charges rally at queens DA’s office 125-01 queens blvd 5:30 pm today (Friday, April 25th)
take f/e to union

Saturday:

SATURDAY 4/26:
9:00am
Rally at Rev Sharpton’s House of Justice
106 W. 145th Street, near Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

12:00pm
Harlem Revolutionary Club at 125 & Frederick Douglas Blvd. or in in Queens at Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave. stop on E, J, Z trains. Call 212-691-3345

AND

Monday:

” For those who are not able to make it to Sean Bell’s protest today,
we are inviting the East Harlem Community to protest the acquitting of
the officers who killed Sean Bell.
We will be gathering at Art for Change, next Monday April 28th at
6:30p
699 Lexington Ave, between 106th and 107th street.

Updates will be posted here.

Some coverage of the huge response here:
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/04/96606.shtml

And a poem: http://atthekitchentable.blogspot.com/2008/04/belldefined-for-sean-and-all-of-us.html