CSRT

Under Rich Earth

ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL FUNDRAISING SCREENING AT THE BLOOR CINEMA:

Rye Cinema presents the acclaimed feature documentary film:

UNDER RICH EARTH

“Urgent and vital filmmaking in the spirit of Kanahsatake: 270 Years of Resistance and Manufactured Landscapes.”
- Jesse Wente, CBC

Director’s Cut!
Guest Speakers!
Director Q&A!
DVD Launch!
Fundraising!

Date: Saturday, February 13th, 2009
Time: 6:30
Where: The Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor Street, Toronto, Tel: 416-516-2331
Tickets: $10
Please Arrive Early! Tickets go on sale 1 hour before the event.
This is a fundraising event.

* Winner: Global Conscience Award – Mexico City Documentary Film Festival
* Top Ten Most Popular Canadian Films: Vancouver International Film Festival
* Nominated for Best Documentary – Hamburg International Independent Film Festival
* Nominated for Coral Award – Best Documentary – Havana Film Festival
* Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Victoria Film Festival, Sudbury International Film Festival, Watch Docs Warsaw, Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Encuentros del Otro Cine – Quito, Boulder International Film Festival and many more…

http://www.underrichearth.com

GUEST SPEAKERS!

The Honourable John McKay (To Be Confirmed) – John McKay is the Member of Parliament for Scarborough – Guildwood. His private member’s Bill C300 seeks to create a framework for transnational corporate accountability in Canadian law. The Bill has already passed second reading in the House of Commons and is not affected by Stephen Harper’s prorogation of Parliament.

Murray Klippenstein – Murray Klippenstein is a Toronto lawyer representing three Ecuadorians who are suing the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Copper Mesa Mining Corporation for violating their human rights. Under Rich Earth tells the story of the events that ultimately led to this ground breaking transnational lawsuit. Read more in the Toronto Star:http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/729148

FUNDRAISING!

Under Rich Earth was a labour of love produced on a shoestring budget over two years. Proceeds from this event will help to pay for the making of the film and to support two Ecuadorian community organizations that are featured in the film: Radio Intag (a community radio station) and Café Rio Intag, a fair trade coffee co-op located in the Intag valley.

DVD LAUNCH!

The Limited Edition Director’s Cut DVD of Under Rich Earth will be available for purchase:
$25.00 – home use
$150.00 – community organizations
$295 – Universities and Libraries.

Event Sponsors

Nathanson Centre for Transnational Human Rights Crime and Security, Osgoode Hall Law School.
Charles Street Video
Mining Awareness Coalition – Toronto

SYNOPSIS

In a remote mountain valley in Ecuador, coffee and sugarcane farmers face the dismal prospect of being forced off their land to make way for a mining project. Unprotected by the police and ignored by their government, they prepare to face down the ‘invaders’ on their own. Their resistance leads to a remarkable and dangerous stand off between farmers and a band of mysterious armed men high in the cloud forest. In a world dominated by news of massacres and terrorism, Under Rich Earth is a surprising and poignant tale of hope and determination.

HERE’S WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT UNDER RICH EARTH:

“Magnificent… a thrilling and revealing portrayal of the search for justice.”
- Alberto Ramos, Signis (Brussels)

“Gripping and disturbing…”
**** Eye Weekly

“Graceful and Uplifting”
Critic’s Pick NNNN
- NOW Magazine

“Hair-raising…”
- Playback Magazine

“A remarkably prescient cautionary tale…”
- Matthew Hays, Montréal Mirror

“An outstanding work of hard journalism…”
- Michael Sauve, Canadian Film Programmers Blog

“A startling exposé… a graceful, well made vérité doc.”
- Marc Glassman, Classical 96.3FM

“Down to earth…without any bullshit”
*** AfroToronto.com

“Powerful… remarkable… dramatic…”
- Chris Cobb, Ottawa Citizen

“It’s impossible not to be intrigued…”
- David Schmeichel, Winnipeg Sun

“Another good film about people power. Things go sideways, diagonally, and off the chart when a small Ecuadorian farming village stands up to the supremely underhanded tactics of an aggressive Canadian mining corporation.”
- Geoff Olson, Vancouver Courier

“Rogge’s most impressive achievement here is how his story gnaws through stereotypes of people as victims of corporate and army oppression. The documentary dispels such notions, revealing the people of Junin as powerful organizers.”
- Ed Janzen, FUSE Magazine

“Unarmed and unprotected, the poor farmers in a tiny mountain community in Ecuador face down and detain armed mercenaries hired by Canadian mining company Ascendant Copper. Canadian documentary maker Malcolm Rogge caught some amazing footage to build a story about corporate malfeasance and how the undertrod overcame the superior forces of might, money and political manipulation.”
- Susan Walker, Toronto Star

Megan Cotton-Kinch (megancottonkinch@gmail.com)

Toronto, Canadá, jueves, 24 de diciembre de 2009

Alrededor de 25 personas desafiaron los fuertes vientos del distrito financiero de Toronto el viernes en una vigilia para protestar por el asesinato de tres defensores de derechos humanos que fueron asesinados por hablar contra las prácticas carentes de ética de las empresas mineras canadienses en América Latina. Mariano Abarca Robelo de México, Adolfo Ich Xaman de Guatemala, y Marcelo Rivera, de El Salvador fueron asesinados por hablar en contra de las prácticas mineras que desplazan a las personas, envenenan los ríos, y destruyen la agricultura y la salud humana. Las tres empresas que se benefician con el silenciamiento de sus críticos -HudBay y la Cuenca del Pacífico figuran en la Bolsa de Valores de Toronto. En el caso de Blackfire, tres personas vinculadas a la compañía han sido arrestadas en México en relación con el asesinato de Mariano Abarca. Las organizaciones que participaron en la protesta incluyó a Respuesta Comunitaria Solidaria de Toronto y a Amnistía Internacional de Toronto y a grupos de Derechos Humanos.

La vigilia se llevó a cabo en solidaridad con las protestas del pasado viernes en México, donde, según el Toronto Star, más de 1,500 personas marcharon en Frontera Comalapa, Chiapas. Gustavo Castro, un amigo de Mariano, fue citado diciendo: “Esto no era exclusivamente una protesta contra Blackfire, sino contra la criminalización de la protesta social y la violencia, y el caso de Mariano es un ejemplo de esto”. Mariano Abarca Roblero fue conocido en México por su labor en la promoción del desarrollo comunitario y el medio ambiente, y en oposición a los daños a la salud y ambientales y a las violaciones de los derechos humanos causados por la minería. Mariano fue asesinado el 27 de noviembre por un hombre enmascarado en una motocicleta. Tres hombres vinculados a Blackfire, incluyendo un empleado, han sido detenidos en relación con este crimen. Ahora, los informes han aparecido en la prensa dominante que Blackfire admite haber pagado sobornos (ellos lo llaman extorsión) a la alcaldía de Chicomuselo, donde Blackfire opera su mina de barita., A efecto de “prevenir el vandalismo y la protesta locales en contra la mina.”

Adolfo Ich Xamán, un maestro de escuela y líder en su comunidad maya Q’eqchi ‘, fue sacado el 27 de septiembre por los guardias de seguridad durante los desalojos ilegales cuando fue a ver si los niños se estaban retrasando. Según la información disponible, el jefe de seguridad CGN lo vio y lo llamó para hablar con él. Cuando llegó a los guardias de seguridad, fue golpeado y atacado con un machete y luego lo arrastró hacia la propiedad de la empresa, donde fue baleado y asesinado por los guardias de la CGN. Habitantes mayas locales de Ich y de Qeqchi, han resistido los daños y los desalojos forzosos provocados por las empresas mineras canadienses de níquel. La primera oleada de desalojos, asesinatos y la represión se produjo en la década de 1970, a principios de 1980 la represión de las protestas relacionadas con las concesiones INCO en la zona. Los desalojos y la represión reiniciaron en 2006 (por Skye Resources), hasta la actualidad. No se ha hecho justicia acerca de ninguna de las anteriores matanzas, ni de los abusos, ni en el caso de Adolfo. La empresa Minerales HudBay niega cualquier responsabilidad y continúa con los esfuerzos para “reubicar” potencialmente a miles de aldeanos mayas Qeqchi, que viven en estas tierras desde mucho antes de que los mineros de níquel (INCO) llegara en la década de 1960. Como en los otros países de América Central, esta lucha se enfrenta a una severa represión.

En el vecino El Salvador, Marcelo Rivera fue desaparecido el 18 de junio, bajo la reminicente táctica de terror de las guerras civiles de los años 80. Su cuerpo fue encontrado en un pozo de 60 pies de profundidad y con claros signos de tortura. Marcelo Rivera había sido muy activo en el movimiento para detener la minería de metales en El Salvador, específicamente de la empresa Pacific Rim. El Salvador es un país muy pequeño con una grave escasez de agua, la minería de baja concentración de minerales usa muy intensivamente el agua y también utiliza grandes cantidades de cianuro. Después de la muerte de Marcelo los representantes del movimiento contra la minería en El Salvador visitaron Canadá para aumentar la alarma, William Castillo, uno de ellos señaló “los beneficios [de la minería] son muy pobres en comparación con los costos que todo el país vamos a tener [que pagar] … Es demasiado riesgoso tener la exploración de metales en este país. No importa lo que paguen, los riesgos son demasiado altos “. (www.sialavidatour.com).

Según un representante de Respuesta Comunitaria Solidaria de Toronto, la razón para protestar ante la Bolsa de Valores de Toronto (TSX) es que: “No hay requisitos de derechos humanos que se coticen en la Bolsa de Valores de Toronto, si hay requisitos de presentación de informes, pero las normas actuales en materia de derechos humanos no existen. La misma TSX está siendo demandada como una de las involucradas en relación con las acciones ilegales de prospección en una mina de en Ecuador, donde los guardias de seguridad dispararon contra manifestantes pacíficos, entre ellos mujeres y niños “.

Los manifestantes clamaron “Es una vergüenza el juego mortal asesino de las empresas mineras por fines de lucro”. Susana Caxaj, de CSRT, dijo: “Creo que a muchos de los canadienses se les han engañado y mentido. Queremos creer que nuestro gobierno sea algo de lo que podamos estar orgullosos, cuando en realidad nuestro gobierno y estas empresas canadienses nos hacen cómplices de las peores abusos de derechos humanos “.

Lamentablemente los asesinatos continúan. El pasado domingo a las 4PM Ramiro Rivera Gómez, otro líder de la resistencia a la empresa Pacific Rim Mining, fue asesinado en la aldea de Cabañas, El Salvador.

Versión al español de REMA

Para ver las fotos y la version original en ingles: www.mediacoop.ca/blog/megan-kinch/2390

www.flickr.com/photos/45805608@N06/

Around 25 people braved the bitter winds of the Toronto’s financial district on Friday in a vigil to protest the killings of three human rights advocates who were killed for speaking out against the unethical practices of Canadian mining companies in Latin America.  Mariano Abarca Roberlo of Mexico, Adolfo Ich Xaman of Guatemala, and Marcelo Rivera of El Salvador were all murdered for speaking out against mining practices that displace people, poison rivers, and destroy both agriculture and human health.  The three companies that benefit from the silencing of thier critics-  HudBay and Pacific Rim listed on the Toronto Stock exchange.  In the case of Blackfire, three people connected to the company have been arrested in Mexico regarding the murder of Mariano Abarca.  Organizations involved in the protest included Community Solidarity Response Toronto and Amnesty International Toronto’s Business and Human Rights group.

Concerned residents of Toronto hold photo of murdered Maya Q’eqchi’ schoolteacher Adolfo Ich Xaman in front of the stock market ticker at the Toronto stock exchange (all photos of vigil by Eric Akaoka.  Photo of Adolfo Ich by James Rodríguez).

The vigil was held in solidarity with protests Friday in Mexico, where according to the Toronto Star over 1,500 people marched in Frontera Comalapa, Chiapas. Gustavo Castro, a friend of Mariano’s, was quoted as saying “This wasn’t exclusively a protest against Blackfire but against the criminalization of social protest, and violence, and Mariano’s case is an example of this.” Mariano Abarca Roblero was known in Mexico for his work in promotion of community development and the environmental, and in opposition to health and environmental harms and human rights violations caused by mining. Mariano was shot by a masked man on a motorcycle on Nov. 27th. Three men linked to Blackfire, including an employee, have been arrested in connection with this crime. Now reports have surfaced in the mainstream press that Blackfire admits to having paid bribes (they call it extortion) to mayor of Chicomuselo, where Blackfire operates its barite mine., for the purposes of “to prevent locals from vandalizing and protesting against its mine.”

A woman holds a photo of Mariano Abarca, killed of Chiapas, Mexico.  Passers-by were angered when told of his death and of the arrest of Blackfire employees in connection with it.
Adolfo Ich Xaman, a schoolteacher and leader in his Maya Q’eqchi’ community, was taken off by security guards on Sept 27th during illegal evictions when he went to see if any children were being left behind.  According the information available, the head of CGN security saw him and called him over to talk to him. When he reached the security guards, he was beaten and attacked with a machete and afterwards dragged onto company property, where he was shot and murdered by CGN’s guards.  Ich, and local Mayan-Qeqchi villagers, have long been resisting the harms and forced evictions  caused by Canadian nickel mining companies. The first wave of evictions, killings and repression occurred in the 1970s, early 1980s- repression of protests related to the INCO concessions in the area. Evictions and repression began again in 2006 (by Skye Resources),through to today. No justice has been done for any of the earlier killings and abuses, nor in Adolfo’s case.  HudBay Minerals denies any responsibility and continues with efforts to “relocate” potentially thousands of Mayan-Qeqchi villagers, living on these lands since long before the nickel miners (INCO) arrived in the 1960s. Like in the other Central American countries, this struggle is facing severe repression.

In neighboring El Salvador, Marcelo Rivera was disappeared on June 18th, a terror tactic reminicent of the civil wars of the 80s.  His body was found in a 60-foot deep well with clear signs of torture.  Marcelo Rivera had been very active in the movement to stop metal mining in El Salvador, espeically by the company Pacific Rim.  El Salvador is a very small country with a severe shortage of water- mining low-grade ores is very water intensive and also uses large amounts of cyanide.  After the death of Marcelo representatives in the movement against mining in El Salvador visited Canada to raise awarenss here, including William Castillo, “the benefits[of mining] are very poor compared to the costs that the entire country we will bear…Its too risky, to have metal exploration in this country. It doesn’t matter what they pay the risks are too high” (www.sialavidatour.com).
According to a representative from Community Solidarity Response Toronto, the reason to protest at the Toronto stock exhange is that: “There are no human rights requirements to be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, reporting requirments yes, but actual regulations on human rights do not exist. The TSX itself is being sued as one of the plaintiffs regarding illegal actions at a prospective mine in Ecuador, where security guards shot at peaceful protesters including women and babies.”

Members of Community Solidarity Response Toronto and Amnesty International Toronto stand in front of the Toronto Stock Exchange, demanding accountability.  About 25 people braved the frigid winds of the downtown financial district.

Protesters chanted “mining companies deadly game- murder for profit that’s a shame”.    Susana Caxaj, of CSRT, said “I think a lot of Canadians have been deceived and lied to. We want to believe that our government is something we can be proud of when really our government and these Canadian companies are making us complicit in the worst human rights abuses.”
Sadly the killings continue.  Sunday at 4PM Ramiro Rivera Gomez, another leader in the resistance to Pacific Rim Mining corporation, was killed in a village in Cabanas, El Salvador.

The killings of community leaders who speak out against mining continue. To the photos of these three must now be added that of Ramiro Rivera Gomez, killed Sunday in El Salvador for his opposition to Pacific Rim. (photo: Susana Caxaj)

See more photos at www.flickr.com/photos/45805608@N06/ and visit the CSRT website at solidarityresponse.net

Saturday, October 10th
Join us for a caravan and rally at Liberal MP Bob Rae?s Toronto Centre office
to protest the Harper-Liberal party alliance to ratify a Free Trade Agreement
with Colombia.

11:00 am-Car/bicycle caravan departs from south-west corner of Allen Gardens
Park (Carlton & Sherbourne Sts.).

11:30 am-Rally @ Bob Rae’s Constituency Office, 514 Parliament Street (Carlton
& Parliament Sts.).

Background
The Canadian House of Commons is debating Bill-C23, to implement the
CCFTA. The
Harper government, with crucial Liberal party support, is committed to
implementing the CCFTA and throwing right-wing Colombian president
Alvaro Uribe
a political lifeline, despite his corrupt, discredited regime and egregious
human rights record. Two Liberal MPs in particular, Bob Rae and Scott Brisson,
have shown themselves to be strong supporters of the CCFTA.

Come and tell our elected officials that we are opposed to the ratification of
the CCFTA. It has no effective, binding mechanisms to safeguard labour, human
rights and the environment. Like Mexico’s NAFTA, it will negatively impact
small and medium-sized producers who are among the most marginalized in
Colombia. It will mainly safeguard investors’ rights, especially Canadian
energy and mining corporations that are active in conflict-zones. CAFTA will
aggravate internal displacement, which at close to 4 million people,
is already
an alarming humanitarian crisis. At minimum, the Liberal party should honour
its earlier stated commitment to a full independent human rights impact
assessment before further consideration is given to a trade agreement with
Colombia.

Organized by: Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance (CASA), Toronto Chapter
Council of Canadians & Latin American Solidarity Network (LASN)/Endorsed by:
CUPE OntarioFor more Information: esguerra @vif.com 416.651.2409

Caravan  Route:
First Loop
Departure – Allan Gardens Park @ 11am
EAST – on Carlton Street
NORTH – on Parliament Street (5 min. stop at 514 Parliament Street)
EAST – on Wellesley Street
SOUTH – on Sumach Street
WEST – on Carlton Street

Second Loop
NORTH – on Parliament Street (5 min. stop at 514 Parliament Street)
WEST – on Wellesley Street
SOUTH – on Jarvis Street
EAST – on Carlton Street
End – Allan Gardens Park

__________________________________________________
For more information about CASA please contact
esguerra@vif.com

Break the Silence

Break the Silence Congo Week, which will take place from October 18-24, 2009, is a global initiative led by students and community organizers around the world, in association with Congo Global Action and Friends of the Congo, to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the Congo. Students from the US, Canada, England, Belgium, Germany, France, Brazil, Jamaica, Norway, Korea, Ghana, Mali, South Africa, Columbia, etc. will organize events about the Congo (films, lectures, demonstrations, and more) on their respective campuses.

The purpose of the Break the Silence Congo Week is to raise awareness about the devastating situation in the Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the people of the Congo. It will take place from Sunday October 19th to Saturday October 25th.

The University of Toronto chapter of Friends of the Congo is proud to present a number of excellent speakers and films. See below for the full schedule.

The Congo is the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today where nearly 6 million people have died since 1996, half of them children under 5 yrs old and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped all as a result of the scramble for Congo’s wealth. The United Nations said it is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War Two. However, hardly anything is said about it in the media. Can you imagine 45,000 people dying each month and hardly a peep from anyone in the age of the Internet? This is literally what has happened and continue to happen in the Congo. There is a media blackout about Congo and no worldwide resolution to end the conflict and carnage there.

Visit the Friends of the Congo – University of Toronto Chapter for a full schedule of events

http://friendsofthecongouoft.wordpress.com/

Visit the Congo Week website for more background information:

http://www.congoweek.org/english/

Please join Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights Group on Tues, Sept. 29 from 4-6:30pm at the Shell station at King and Spadina where we will help Shell “clean up” by sweeping and mopping, and asking drivers and pedestrians to sign postcards and petitions. Don your best overalls and bring along a mop, bucket, broom or brush!

For more info please email: business@aito.ca

Clean Up Shell

Queens Park / Sunday September 27, 2009,
2:00-4pm

Anti-uranium rally at Queen’s Park, south lawn, organized by Cottagers against Uranium Mining and Exploration. The message is clear: Stop the uranium mining industry from staking further claims, and protect all Ontarians by giving them what residents of British Columbia already enjoy—a ban on uranium mining and exploration.

Radioactive fallout and washout from uranium mining sites is carried for up to 400 kms, resulting in a significant increase of cancer fatalities in a wide area.
Kueppers 1994

“Wherever uranium is mined, it contaminates the land, air and water. Yet the province of Ontario is allowing multi-national companies to strip our local cottage-country forests and drill near our source waters in search of uranium. Most of which, is destined for export. And what they’re planning here are open-pit mines,” says Susanne Lauten, founder of Cottagers against Uranium Mining and Exploration. “British Columbia has a ban on uranium mining, Nova Scotia and Labrador have a moratorium, New Brunswick has strict regulations, but Ontario’s a free-for-all.”

Just 2 hours northeast of Toronto, south of Algonquin Park, an American mining company has bulldozed 20 hectares of mature forest, scraping the earth to bedrock. Followed by 40 test drills each 100 metres deep. All without environmental assessment. This took place in the Trent Severn watershed, source water to tens of thousands of residents.

Uranium has not been mined in Ontario since 1996, when the mines at Elliot Lake were closed, and the rich reserves in Northern Saskatchewan—the largest in the world—became Canada’s primary source. And now, just ten years later, the Ontario government is opening the door to uranium mining again. But this time, it’s open-pit mining, and it’s right on Toronto’s doorstep.

Speakers include:

Bruce Cox, Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada

Robert Lovelace, Retired Chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, and Queen’s University professor, imprisoned for 101 days for resisting uranium prospectors on aboriginal land

Terry Rees, Executive Director, Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, FOCA

Lorraine Rekmans, Author, and witness to World Uranium Congress, Salzburg

Email: cottagers.vs.mining@sympatico.ca

*There will be road closures downtown that day due to Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Word on the Street.

International Human Rights Program, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Presents

Ken Wiwa
“Creative Justice: Shell and the Ogoni in Niger Delta”

Monday September 21
12:30-2:00 pm

FLB

A light lunch will be served.

Ken Wiwa is an internationally acclaimed writer and journalist. Currently serving as a Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, he was previously a weekly columnist for the Globe and Mail. His first book “In the Shadow of a Saint” was published worldwide and won the 2002 Hurston/Wright Foundation’s Legacy Award for non-fiction. A Fellow of the University of Toronto, he was selected in 2005 as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Ken will discuss the settlement he won against Shell Oil in June. The Center for Constitutional Rights in New York brought lawsuits against Shell Oil, its Nigerian subsidiary, and the head of its Nigerian operations, charging them with complicity in human rights abuses against the Ogoni people in Nigeria. The charges include the arrest and execution of Ken’s father, along with eight other environmental activists, in 1995 for protesting the environmental practices of Shell Oil in the Niger Delta. On 8 June 2009, on the eve of trial, the parties agreed to a settlement which provides a total of $15.5 million to compensate the plaintiffs, establish a trust for the benefit of the Ogoni people, and cover some of the legal costs associated with the case.

Please RSVP by contacting Kara Norrington at kara.norrington@utoronto.ca