Refugees seek a different port if you've visited the USA - Canada's Closed

If a refugee claimant passes through the US on the way to Canada they may be denied a right to apply for refugee status in Canada. This is because the USA is considered a "Safe third country", a country with high human rights standards that affords approximately equal protection for those fleeing persecution. But what happens if the third country is not as safe as it used to be? What if it becomes a sender of refugees?

This is a concern raised in today's Globe and Mail:

The safe-country dilemma: why offering asylum is an obligation

JANET DENCH and KAREN HAMILTON AND ALEX NEVE

Special to Globe and Mail Update

December 6, 2007 at 12:33 AM EST

Last week, Mr. Justice Michael Phelan of the Federal Court of Canada ruled that, when all of the evidence is considered, it is not reasonably possible to conclude that the United States is a safe country for refugees. As a result, he found that Canada is wrong to force refugee claimants back to the U.S. without giving them a hearing in this country. It was bound to be an unpopular decision, for all the reasons that make refugees among the most vulnerable and abused people in the world.

The Globe and Mail editorial Moving To Reject The Refugee Pact (Dec. 1) illustrates what refugee claimants are up against — in Canada and in other countries. Refugees are seen as an inconvenience: a challenge to border control and immigration management. They are also faceless non-citizens, making it easy to minimize the harsh realities of persecution they face if we disregard their right to asylum. They are frequently presented as nothing more than numbers: the numbers of claimants at the border, the numbers of claimants in the backlog.

But refugees are not just numbers: They are human beings.

Judge Phelan's decision is also doomed to be unpopular because it faces the reality that the U.S. violates human rights. Refugees often find themselves victims of the unwillingness of governments to imply criticism of other countries by acknowledging the shortcomings in their human-rights records or their refugee protection systems. This is particularly the case when the other country is large, powerful and very close by. As noted in the decision, the federal cabinet has failed to review the status of the U.S. as a safe third country, as required by law, despite significant developments, including important changes to the U.S. asylum law that cried out for review. Perhaps the cabinet held off because it knew that only one conclusion could be reached following such a review, and it didn't have the courage to declare the U.S. in violation of its human-rights obligations.

Janet Dench is executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees. Karen Hamilton is general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches. Alex Neve is secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada. The three organizations, along with John Doe, launched the legal action that resulted in Judge Phelan's decision.

Multi-Lingual Canada

Having lived for almost three years in Ottawa, I was getting used to signs and websites being in French and English. On return to Toronto, the city seems bigger and better than ever with more and more languages and communities represented.
Education that can adapt to these multi-lingual capabilities of Canadians could make us an economic power house. The question is whether we can come up with a more palatable way to teach Hindi and Mandarin than the way I was taught French in elementary school.


Canada's tenuous French connection

BRODIE FENLON

Globe and Mail Update

December 4, 2007 at 11:04 AM EST
...
• One in five Canadians – 19.8 per cent of the total population – was born outside the country, a rate not matched since 1931, when the percentage of foreign-born citizens peaked at 22.2 per cent. Only Australia has more foreign-born residents.

• More than 60 per cent of immigrants live in the large urban centres of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; only about 5 per cent live in rural parts of Canada.

• Most of the recent newcomers to Canada are from Asia – 58 per cent when those from the Middle East are included. Europeans, the dominant immigrant group for most of the 20th century, represented only 16 per cent of those who moved to Canada between 2001 and 2006.

• Canada's foreign-born population increased by 13.6 per cent, four times greater than the growth rate of 3.3 per cent for the Canadian-born population.

...
For the first time, allophones – those who speak neither English nor French as their first language – represent fully one-fifth of the population. The numbers jumped to 20.1 per cent from 18 per cent in the last census, driven primarily by immigration. Conversely, the proportion of francophones and anglophones decreased slightly after population growth is taken into account.

S.A. Miners on strike ... dance...

Costs of safety? What a surprise...but what about the benefits of safety?

Rockin out as a dancer. Yes I often find myself saying, "I think I can Dance"

Buy Nothing Day

Ironically, now that I am selling food, I find myself on the wrong side of this fantastic movement. I want to sell you stuff. I want people to eat fair trade, organic food. But, perhaps, buy nothing day can mean more than just hesitating to shop one day a year. Perhaps, on a day when the specials are so exciting, we can try to think about the gift of giving not just to our immediate friends but to our collective futures, and the futures of our great grand childen, whose voices are keeping Drew Dellinger awake at night...

But hey...buy some fair trade books?

Death Penalty for Canadians

Great article by a MARLYS EDWARDH AND LORNE WALDMAN.

Canadians have a right to expect that their government will intervene on their behalf in a forceful manner whenever they are at risk of cruel and inhumane treatment. But the conduct of this government suggests that it is more concerned about politics. Devaluing the citizenship of unpopular Canadians in difficulty abroad cheapens it for everyone.

Fair Trade Toronto?

Canada the wise, liberal, nation of public healthcare and pride in Lester B. Pearson's role in creating UN Peacekeeping forces...but what have we done lately? Have we fallen behind the US in areas as easy to keep up with as Fair Trade? In an era of municipal councilors struggling to pass a budget that will only slightly cut services, it may seem unrealistic to talk about Toronto becoming a fair trade city. But if Toronto could take a long term view, embracing fair trade, we could blaze a trail for the city and for the rest of the world. Toronto the "good" could add "fair" to its claims to fame.

How would a Fair Trade Toronto look?

Fair Trade is all about improving conditions of exchange so that producers get paid a just wage. Standard setting, certifying and monitoring organizations work hard to ensure that the money paid by consumers gets back to producers. Fair trade substitutes are not available for every product so don't throw out all of your possessions. However, there will be some changes...

More fair trade options at lower prices

If Toronto banned or taxed non-fair trade products, such as coffee and chocolate, then the volumes of fair trade products sold would go up and the prices for these products would likely fall and would reflect realistic-humane-just wages. New products could also enter the market knowing that there was shelf space available for fair trade [Full disclosure, this author works with Interrupcion Fair Trade, a fair trade food company]. Expect to see fair trade olive oil, olive spreads, pasta and chimichurri vegetable and steak sauce at a store near you soon...end of plug.

Less Guilt

Parents, families, companies, churches, mosques, NGOs, unions, friends, and you will be able to buy products knowing that they are made in healthy work environments by free labour (not child or slave labour). Let's face it, you were going to have that snack or give a gift, why not make the fair trade choice?

Better Labour and Socio-Economic Conditions "Over there" and "Here"

The companies that make our food and other consumer goods will follow the money. Whether responding to consumer pressure or government incentives through taxes, if fair trade products are demanded, existing and new companies will provide fair trade.

For a more in depth analysis and some inspiration on "Fair Trade Towns" see this article by Alicia Erickson:

Fair Trade Towns USA is "a campaign organized by local and national Fair Trade advocates whose aim is to encourage and support the Fair Trade Movement

in the U.S. Following the example of the Fair Trade movement in Europe, the campaign strives to support local, grassroots groups by offering tools and resources to become a Fair Trade town or city through successful local campaigns."

This campaign makes it even easier for your town to become a Fair Trade town, following in the footsteps of Media, PA and Brattleboro, VT. This campaign has developed guidelines on how to achieve the five goals required to become one:

1. The formation of a steering committee that meets regularly.
2. Availability in local stores, cafes, and other venues of a range of Fair Trade products that are either certified by TransFair USA or sold by retailers that are members of Fair Trade Federation.
3. The use of Fair Trade products by a number of local organizations, such as places of worship, schools, hospitals and offices.
4. Attraction of media attention and visible public support of the local campaign.
5. Passage of a resolution supporting Fair Trade by the town or city council/governing body and a commitment to serve Fair
Trade products at meetings.

And just for web etiquette here is the trackback link

Better acting late than never...Green living

Blog Action Day is all about reaching the big wide world out there and raising consciousness about the environment. Being the green hipster that I am I thought I would catch the tail end of the green wave.
I hope that the wave continues and sweeps beyond the blog world.
1. Turn off computer ...

Dead blogs...query

Does anyone read the early writings or blogs of Internet 1.1?

Does anyone read all of the words on the internet?
Did anyone read this?
Vote MMP!

Mimes in Ottawa Mime and Marcel Marceau

There is a man statue-like holding a badminton racket and bent over as if about to step. You have seen him in la marche by in Ottawa, but perhaps skirted around the stubbly face.
His racket spins if you give him a tip. His white gloves will wave thanks as well.
Yesterday, he spoke. To paraphrase, the master is dead Marcel Marceau is dead.

A connection, a soul, an unexpected utterance, yes.


Marcel Marceau bows out

ANGELA DOLAND

Associated Press

September 23, 2007 at 8:44 AM EDT

PARIS — Marcel Marceau, who revived the art of mime and brought poetry to silence, has died, his former assistant said Sunday. He was 84.

Marceau died Saturday in Paris, French media reported. Former assistant Emmanuel Vacca announced the death on France-Info radio, but gave no details about the cause.

Wearing white face paint, soft shoes and a battered hat topped with a red flower, Marceau, notably through his famed persona Bip, played the entire range of human emotions onstage for more than 50 years, never uttering a word. Offstage, however, he was famously chatty. “Never get a mime talking. He won't stop,” he once said.

A French Jew, Marceau survived the Holocaust and also worked with the French Resistance to protect Jewish children...

Summer's Over, Fair Trade, Games

Check out what's going on in the world of too much time reading "news of fresh disasters":

Tim hears David Suzuki - Suzuki rocks and Tim realizes we are made of air and that all of that Aboriginal studies paid off!

New fair trade certifications...should Transfair Canada be scared? Excited?

Summer is over. Is there a politically correct term for Indian summer?

The Colbert Report is back and better than ever...especially for online activists.

Darfur - Nigerian NGOs call for action

Tune into the radio tomorrow at 6am-7am. Never say I don't give notice for these things!
Tune into the Dan Shield's show on ckcu 93.1 FM in Ottawa - online:http://www.ckcufm.com/programs/schedule.html

Take action on September 17th
See the poster below
Full article



Highlights:
As President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua marks his first 100 days in office, two leading Nigerian non governmental organisations, Independent Advocacy Project (IAP) and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have called on the president to publicly declare his support for efforts aimed at bringing lasting solution to the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur Sudan.

Adds SERAP's Adetokunbo Mumuni: ‘The government of Sudan has a track record of shifting under pressure only to break its promises when the international community looks elsewhere. Until the attacks on civilian's cease and the full peacekeeping force is deployed the international community must not look away.'

The two organisations reminded the federal government that this September's meeting of 192 world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York is another opportunity to address the Darfur issue. Specifically, IAP and SERAP are asking President Yar'Adua and other world leaders to:

* Demand that the Sudanese government, armed groups and Janjawid militia in Darfur and eastern Chad halt attacks against civilians and humanitarian agencies;
* Ensure and commit to the expeditious and full deployment to Darfur of the joint African Union (AU) and United Nations hybrid peacekeeping force, and ensure that the government of Sudan facilitates the swift and unimpeded deployment.

We are also asking President Yar' Adua to use Nigeria's leadership role in Africa to encourage the African Union to:

* Work expeditiously with the UN to reinforce AMIS so as to ensure that the civilian population in Darfur is effectively protected; and
* Take all steps necessary to speedily implement UN Security Council Resolution 1769

Vermin - Solution - Eat the wild cats

I am a vegetarian (kinda) so cat stew is probably off the menu.

Australians cook up wild cat stew
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

My summary: Apparently they may contain toxins. On the other hand, so may factor farmed cows.

Darfur - Action Now

Yes now, and September 17th outside Parliament, Ottawa, Canada with STAND Canada. I will be there with Bells and enthusiasm!
If you are having trouble convincing your friends to attend show them this Darfur Game review and game.

UN Secretary-General Ban-Kim is having some trouble in Sudan!

Fun Green and Fair

So looking forward to finding more ethical/green/educational online games to justify my addiction to computer gaming. Enjoy ethical games.

CERES - Investor coalitions challenging securities law

Ceres is a coalition of over 80 investor, environmental and public interest organizations united to advance corporate responsibility.

I had never heard of them but I find it pretty cool that there is a coalition this big of responsible investors that is focused on changing securities laws and pushing corporations towards being responsible:

The institutional/financial professional sign-on statement at www.SaveShareholderRights.org spells out specific concerns: "The SEC has issued three specific proposals which we believe would eliminate or cripple the resolution process. We cannot support the following proposals: (1) the 'opt-out' option that would allow the most unresponsive companies -- those with the worst records when it comes to good corporate conduct and governance -- to drop out of the shareholder resolution process and isolate themselves further from their shareholders; (2) the unilateral substitution of the electronic petition model or 'chat room' for the vibrant and public 14a-8 shareholder resolution process; and (3) the raising of shareholder resolution resubmission levels from the current 3%, 6% and 10% vote levels to 10%, 15% and 20% levels, thus effectively killing many important shareholder resolutions."
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The Social Investment Forum (http://www.socialinvest.org) is the national membership association for the social investment industry. It is dedicated to the concept, practice, and growth of socially responsible investing. The Forum's 500-plus members include financial planners, banks, mutual fund companies, research companies, foundations, and community investing institutions.

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (http://www.iccr.org) is a coalition of nearly 300 faith-based institutional investors, representing over $100 billion in invested capital. ICCR members bridge the divide between morality and markets by envisioning a civic economy that integrates ethical, environmental and social values. Inspired by faith, committed to action, ICCR members work to build a just and sustainable global community.

Ceres is a leading coalition of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies to address sustainability challenges such as climate change. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a network of 60 institutional investors managing $4 trillion in assets focused on the business impacts of climate change. For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org

Publicity

Let's get some readers!

I like the free aspect of this directory:

Dog Poop

Vancouver is onto something...
Instead of picking up each chunk with a plastic bag, why not compost it

Birth

Despite ongoing rumours of my pregnancy, I am not in fact pregant, rather just bloated. Thanks for well wishers on facebook and real life. Superbad this Friday at

Rideau Centre
Superbad
1hr 53min - Comedy - English - IMDb
6:50

This should position us well for half price food at the Marche / Richtree in Rideau center after the movie. Patty Boland's afterwards until a reasonable hour...

If you really love me check this out: Universities selling out? Literally/Structurally?

Maher Arar - Even more vindication

Torture, Maher Arar, inefficiency of the Canadian government - American Government...Do you feel safe?

Trust them they have access to secret information. And they will censor the information from the public to protect us:

This is just embarrassing. Why censor this? From the perspective of Canada there is no motivation. The only people that could benefit from such censorship are those who fucked up and let Maher Arar be tortured.

Globe and Mail Interactive

In September 2002, the RCMP filed an application for a Telephone Warrant. In the application, the RCMP referred to Mr. El Maati’s confession to the Syrians that he undertook pilot training at the request of his brother and that he accepted a mission to be a suicide bomber by exploding a truck bomb on Parliament Hill. After learning of his confession, the RCMP was advised that Mr. El Maati stated that any previous statements he made to the Syrians were made under extreme coercion. Regardless of this, the RCMP stated that its investigation had corroborated much of the information in the El Maati confession.
In the application, the RCMP stated that the information concerning the El Maati confession “is still accurate and continues to be true.” In regard to Mr. El Maati’s public statement to DFAIT that his confession to the Syrians was the product of torture, the RCMP affiant stated in the application that he doesn’t know about the justice system in Middle Eastern countries but he advised that much of the information in the confession was corroborated. He also would not comment on whether Mr. El Maati was tortured into giving his confession but he noted that DFAIT observed that when he was interviewed he appeared to be in good physical condition. There were no DFAIT notations made about marks, scars, bruises, etc. He stated that at this time he could only surmise that Mr. El Maati told the truth and his recantation was an attempt to now “damage control”.
The RCMP did not give the following information to the presiding judge:
(i) the human rights record of Syria;
(ii) the public record that the Syrian Military Intelligence (SMI) was known to torture detainees in order to get information while the detainees are held in communicado at the Palestine Branch. At the material time, Mr. El Maati was held in communicado at the Palestine Branch by the SMI;
(iii) when reference was made that Mr. El Maati appeared to be in good physical condition by DFAIT, DFAIT observed Mr. El Maati in August 2002 while the “confession” given to the SMI was in November 2001, nine months earlier.

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This must have been helpful to Justice O'Connor:
Note the blacked out portionsssssssss

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Thanks again to Lorne Waldman one of Maher Arar's lawyers. Here is a paper I wrote for his class with three friends on Redress for Torture

Should I switch to word press?

I don't know let's try a trackback to another site

A rant about wilderness and its meanings