African states narrowly fail to stop U.N. gay rights envoy ...
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - African states narrowly failed on Monday for a second time to halt the work of the first U.N. independent investigator appointed to help protect gay and transgender people worldwide from violence and discrimination.
The attempt was voted down in the U.N. General Assembly 84 to 77 with 16 abstentions, a month after African states made a similar unsuccessful move in the General Assembly's third committee, which deals with human rights.
The 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, created the position in June and in September appointed Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand, who has a three-year mandate to investigate abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
Being gay is a crime in at least 73 countries, the U.N. has said. The issue of gay rights consistently sparks heated debate at the United Nations.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said the bid by the African states on Monday was "rooted in a real disagreement over whether people of a certain sexual orientation and gender identity are in fact entitled to equal rights."
"And it is being driven by a group of U.N. member states that believe it is acceptable to treat people differently because of who they are or who they love," she told the General Assembly.
Russia, several African countries and Egypt, speaking on behalf of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, said last month they would not recognize the mandate of the gay rights investigator and would not cooperate with Muntarbhorn.
Last week, Russia prevented the United Nations Security Council from thanking outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon specifically for promoting gay rights during his decade in office, diplomats said.
In 2014, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive U.N. benefits. Russia unsuccessfully tried to overturn it last year, with Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria among 43 states that supported Moscow.
In February, the African Group, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the 25-member "Group of Friends of the Family," led by Egypt, Belarus and Qatar, protested the launch of six U.N. stamps promoting LGBT equality.
Friday
Amnesty International Canada - Action re Aleppo
Amnesty International Canada
Update(December 16, 2016): Thousands of people are now trapped in freezing temperatures as evacuations have stopped.
Right now, people in East Aleppo are posting their final goodbyes online as government forces gain full control of the city. Instead of being given a safe path out, they face being trapped, tortured or executed.
In a matter of hours at least 82 civilians, including children, were shot on the spot by government and allied forces who entered their homes, or at gunpoint in the streets. A tentative ceasefire has now fallen apart again.
The lives of tens of thousands of people are in the hands of the Russian and Syrian governments.
Join our urgent call for the safe evacuation of the people trapped in Aleppo and the deployment of UN monitors to protect people from harm.
Update(December 16, 2016): Thousands of people are now trapped in freezing temperatures as evacuations have stopped.
Right now, people in East Aleppo are posting their final goodbyes online as government forces gain full control of the city. Instead of being given a safe path out, they face being trapped, tortured or executed.
In a matter of hours at least 82 civilians, including children, were shot on the spot by government and allied forces who entered their homes, or at gunpoint in the streets. A tentative ceasefire has now fallen apart again.
The lives of tens of thousands of people are in the hands of the Russian and Syrian governments.
Join our urgent call for the safe evacuation of the people trapped in Aleppo and the deployment of UN monitors to protect people from harm.
Saturday
Tweet for Write for Rights on Dec 10 Human Rights Day! | Amnesty International Canada
Tweet for Write for Rights on Human Rights Day! | Amnesty International Canada
This Human Rights Day, December 10th, people around the world will be joining Amnesty to write for rights. In this blog post, we are going to share with you how to engage the world and your country in celebrating the power of letter writing and defending human rights. If you have not yet registered with Write for Rights, visit our website and be sure to sign up. You’ll find our featured 2016 cases, and ideas on how to host your own letter-writing parties.
This year, Amnesty International will be using Twitter to create an online wave of speaking out for human rights through YOUR tweets about Write for Rights. Let’s show the world that human rights matter, by making the 2016 Write for Rights hashtag #W4R16 and #Write4Rights appear in conversations online throughout the entire day.
This Human Rights Day, December 10th, people around the world will be joining Amnesty to write for rights. In this blog post, we are going to share with you how to engage the world and your country in celebrating the power of letter writing and defending human rights. If you have not yet registered with Write for Rights, visit our website and be sure to sign up. You’ll find our featured 2016 cases, and ideas on how to host your own letter-writing parties.
This year, Amnesty International will be using Twitter to create an online wave of speaking out for human rights through YOUR tweets about Write for Rights. Let’s show the world that human rights matter, by making the 2016 Write for Rights hashtag #W4R16 and #Write4Rights appear in conversations online throughout the entire day.
Wednesday
Ontario Government vs Nestle - water as a human right, comment now
The government of Ontario, Canada has announced proposed regulations for local operations of bottled water companies like Nestlé, and is now accepting comments on their proposals.
The proposed regulations are a step in the right direction, but they're not sufficient to ensure that local communities and their resources will be prioritized. Leaders and corporations must transition to thinking about water as a human right and a finite resource that is protected, shared and enjoyed by all of us.
Right now, the Middlebrook well is under siege by Nestlé, who recently purchased it. We want Nestlé to expropriate this well and give it to the town of Centre Wellington, so the local community can utilize it for drinking water. Expropriation would prevent Nestlé from demanding an obscene price for the well. We’re demanding that this and other key revisions be added to the government's proposals.
The Ontario Government has a stated goal to “improve our understanding of the cumulative impact of water takings on groundwater and how the demands for groundwater are expected to change as Ontario’s communities grow and our climate changes.” Let’s put the pressure on and ensure that local water resources are protected, all proposals for new and expanded water-bottling facilities are rejected, and local indigenous leaders areninvolved in all decision-making concerning local water resources.
The public comment period on the proposed regulations is open now and will be until December 1st. And you don’t have to be a resident of Ontario to have your voice heard.
Onward,
Thursday
Polish parliament rejects near-total abortion ban after mass protests
Polish parliament rejects near-total abortion ban after ...
WARSAW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Poland's parliament overwhelmingly rejected plans for a near-total ban on abortion on Thursday after mass protests by tens of thousands of women, marking an embarrassing setback for the conservative government and the powerful Catholic Church.
The ruling Law and Justice party (PIS) had originally backed the draft proposals drawn up by an independent anti-abortion campaign group but was badly shaken by Monday's protest rallies across Poland attended by up to 100,000 women dressed in black.
Poland already has one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws but the new proposals would have limited it only to cases where the mother's life was in direct danger - a step too far even for many women who helped vote PiS into power a year ago.
Under the rejected plan, women and doctors would have faced up to five years in jail for performing an abortion.
"PiS continues to back the protection of life," party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a devout Catholic, told parliament. "And it will continue to take action in this respect but it will be considered action."
In the vote 352 lawmakers rejected the proposals against 58 in favour, but liberal opposition deputies warned of possible further attempts to tighten the law by the PiS government, which has a big parliamentary majority.
"We have to remain vigilant because we don't know what the future holds for abortion rules in Poland. We can't be sure that PiS won't come up with a new proposal," said Joanna Schmidt, a lawmaker with the new liberal Modern party.
Under current rules, enshrined in a 1993 law that ended the liberal approach of communist times, abortion is allowed in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's health or when prenatal tests show serious, irreversible damage to the foetus.
But activists say women are sometimes denied an abortion in such cases when a doctor invokes moral or religious objections.
Poland remains one of Europe's most staunchly Catholic nations, although the clergy has seen its influence steadily eroded by more than two decades of democratisation and market reforms since the 1989 fall of communism.
WARSAW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Poland's parliament overwhelmingly rejected plans for a near-total ban on abortion on Thursday after mass protests by tens of thousands of women, marking an embarrassing setback for the conservative government and the powerful Catholic Church.
The ruling Law and Justice party (PIS) had originally backed the draft proposals drawn up by an independent anti-abortion campaign group but was badly shaken by Monday's protest rallies across Poland attended by up to 100,000 women dressed in black.
Poland already has one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws but the new proposals would have limited it only to cases where the mother's life was in direct danger - a step too far even for many women who helped vote PiS into power a year ago.
Under the rejected plan, women and doctors would have faced up to five years in jail for performing an abortion.
"PiS continues to back the protection of life," party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a devout Catholic, told parliament. "And it will continue to take action in this respect but it will be considered action."
In the vote 352 lawmakers rejected the proposals against 58 in favour, but liberal opposition deputies warned of possible further attempts to tighten the law by the PiS government, which has a big parliamentary majority.
"We have to remain vigilant because we don't know what the future holds for abortion rules in Poland. We can't be sure that PiS won't come up with a new proposal," said Joanna Schmidt, a lawmaker with the new liberal Modern party.
Under current rules, enshrined in a 1993 law that ended the liberal approach of communist times, abortion is allowed in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's health or when prenatal tests show serious, irreversible damage to the foetus.
But activists say women are sometimes denied an abortion in such cases when a doctor invokes moral or religious objections.
Poland remains one of Europe's most staunchly Catholic nations, although the clergy has seen its influence steadily eroded by more than two decades of democratisation and market reforms since the 1989 fall of communism.
U.N. Security Council nominates Portugal's Guterres as U.N. Sec General
U.N. Security Council nominates Portugal's Guterres as U.N. ...
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next Secretary-General, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for five years from Jan. 1, 2017.
The General Assembly is likely to meet next week to approve the appointment of Guterres, 67, who would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea. Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.
Ban, speaking during a visit to Rome, described Guterres as a "super choice" as his successor.
"I am sure he will carry the torch on the full range of key challenges, from strengthening peace operations to achieving sustainable development, upholding human rights and easing humanitarian suffering," Ban told reporters.
Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. Guterres is due to speak to reporters in Lisbon later on Thursday.
"He has great United Nations credentials ... and being High Commissioner for Refugees means traveling the world and seeing some of the most gruesome conflicts we have to deal with and then of course he is a high-level politician," said Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, president of the council for October.
"He is a person who talks to everybody, listens to everybody, speaks his mind, a very outgoing, open person so I think it was a great choice and I'm glad that we rallied around Mr Guterres," Churkin told reporters.
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next Secretary-General, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for five years from Jan. 1, 2017.
The General Assembly is likely to meet next week to approve the appointment of Guterres, 67, who would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea. Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.
Ban, speaking during a visit to Rome, described Guterres as a "super choice" as his successor.
"I am sure he will carry the torch on the full range of key challenges, from strengthening peace operations to achieving sustainable development, upholding human rights and easing humanitarian suffering," Ban told reporters.
Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. Guterres is due to speak to reporters in Lisbon later on Thursday.
"He has great United Nations credentials ... and being High Commissioner for Refugees means traveling the world and seeing some of the most gruesome conflicts we have to deal with and then of course he is a high-level politician," said Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, president of the council for October.
"He is a person who talks to everybody, listens to everybody, speaks his mind, a very outgoing, open person so I think it was a great choice and I'm glad that we rallied around Mr Guterres," Churkin told reporters.
Pakistan parliament passes legislation against 'honor killings'
Pakistan parliament passes legislation against 'honor killings' | Reuters
Pakistan's parliament unanimously passed legislation against "honor killings" on Thursday, three months after the murder of an outspoken social media star.
A joint session of the lower and upper houses of parliament, broadcast live on television, approved the new anti-honor killing law, removing a loophole in existing law that allows killers to walk free after being pardoned by family members.
"Laws are supposed to guide better behavior, not allow destructive behavior to continue with impunity," said former senator Sughra Imam, who initially put forward the bill.
Some 500 women are killed each year in Pakistan at the hands of family members over perceived damage to "honor" that can involve eloping, fraternizing with men or any other infraction against conservative values relating to women.
In most cases, the victim is a woman and the killer is a relative who escapes punishment by seeking forgiveness for the crime from family members.
Under the new law, relatives can forgive convicts in the case of a death sentence, but they would still have to face a mandatory life sentence.
An anti-rape law, which makes it mandatory that a perpetrator gets 25 years in jail, was also passed in the same parliamentary session.
"These bills are hugely important for Pakistani women, where rape conviction rates were almost non-existent, due in large part to various technical obstacles to accessing justice," said Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director at Equality Now.
"We hope that these new laws will help generate a cultural shift in Pakistani society and that women will be able to live their lives in safety," Hassan told Reuters.
Pakistan's parliament unanimously passed legislation against "honor killings" on Thursday, three months after the murder of an outspoken social media star.
A joint session of the lower and upper houses of parliament, broadcast live on television, approved the new anti-honor killing law, removing a loophole in existing law that allows killers to walk free after being pardoned by family members.
"Laws are supposed to guide better behavior, not allow destructive behavior to continue with impunity," said former senator Sughra Imam, who initially put forward the bill.
Some 500 women are killed each year in Pakistan at the hands of family members over perceived damage to "honor" that can involve eloping, fraternizing with men or any other infraction against conservative values relating to women.
In most cases, the victim is a woman and the killer is a relative who escapes punishment by seeking forgiveness for the crime from family members.
Under the new law, relatives can forgive convicts in the case of a death sentence, but they would still have to face a mandatory life sentence.
An anti-rape law, which makes it mandatory that a perpetrator gets 25 years in jail, was also passed in the same parliamentary session.
"These bills are hugely important for Pakistani women, where rape conviction rates were almost non-existent, due in large part to various technical obstacles to accessing justice," said Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director at Equality Now.
"We hope that these new laws will help generate a cultural shift in Pakistani society and that women will be able to live their lives in safety," Hassan told Reuters.
Wednesday
Who's Banking on the Dakota Access Pipeline? | Common Dreams
Who's Banking on the Dakota Access Pipeline? | Common Dreams
In a historic show of unity, over 188 Canadian First Nations and American Indian tribes have come together to support the Standing Rock Sioux’s effort to stop the pipeline.
the Standing Rock Sioux are not just up against the oil and gas industry and the federal government, as daunting a challenge that alone would be. They are up against the many of the most powerful financial and corporate interests on Wall Street, the profit-driven institutions that are bankrolling this pipeline plan and so many others like it throughout the country.
The pipeline company disrupted the peaceful demonstration this weekend when its security firm unleashed violence on the activists, attacking them with dogs and pepper spray. The tribes are standing strong in their unity, and won’t give up despite these frightening and horrifying developments.
In a historic show of unity, over 188 Canadian First Nations and American Indian tribes have come together to support the Standing Rock Sioux’s effort to stop the pipeline.
the Standing Rock Sioux are not just up against the oil and gas industry and the federal government, as daunting a challenge that alone would be. They are up against the many of the most powerful financial and corporate interests on Wall Street, the profit-driven institutions that are bankrolling this pipeline plan and so many others like it throughout the country.
The pipeline company disrupted the peaceful demonstration this weekend when its security firm unleashed violence on the activists, attacking them with dogs and pepper spray. The tribes are standing strong in their unity, and won’t give up despite these frightening and horrifying developments.
Tuesday
Kathleen Wynne: Stop Nestlé from sucking Ontario dry!
Kathleen Wynne: Stop Nestlé from sucking Ontario dry!
Nestlé is gunning for more of our water -- 3.6 million litres a day to be exact -- from its Aberfoyle plant near Guelph, Ontario. The Swiss-owned megacorporation is applying for a 10-year extension on its contract to suck the Grand River watershed dry. If it succeeds, it will pay just $3.71 per million litres. That’s less than $15 a day!
Unlike other regions in Southwestern Ontario, Wellington County doesn’t get its water from the Great Lakes, it relies on groundwater. This unsustainable water theft must end.
Tell Premier Kathleen Wynne to reject Nestlé’s extension to take Ontario's water.
In the last 4 years, Nestlé upped its dangerous water extraction by over 33% from the Aberfoyle well while water levels at the well dropped by a staggering 1.5 meters. But Nestlé isn’t stopping there. Right now, it is vying for an additional well near Elora in Wellington County, to pump 1.6 million litres a day. This is on top of a neighbouring site in Hillsburgh, Ontario, where it is already permitted to take over 1 million litres of water a day.
At some point -- especially as climate change wreaks havoc across Canada -- the water will run out.
That’s why we’re standing with the Wellington Water Watchers and others across the globe to demand that Nestlé be denied permission to seize our precious water supply for profit.
Nestlé is gunning for more of our water -- 3.6 million litres a day to be exact -- from its Aberfoyle plant near Guelph, Ontario. The Swiss-owned megacorporation is applying for a 10-year extension on its contract to suck the Grand River watershed dry. If it succeeds, it will pay just $3.71 per million litres. That’s less than $15 a day!
Unlike other regions in Southwestern Ontario, Wellington County doesn’t get its water from the Great Lakes, it relies on groundwater. This unsustainable water theft must end.
Tell Premier Kathleen Wynne to reject Nestlé’s extension to take Ontario's water.
In the last 4 years, Nestlé upped its dangerous water extraction by over 33% from the Aberfoyle well while water levels at the well dropped by a staggering 1.5 meters. But Nestlé isn’t stopping there. Right now, it is vying for an additional well near Elora in Wellington County, to pump 1.6 million litres a day. This is on top of a neighbouring site in Hillsburgh, Ontario, where it is already permitted to take over 1 million litres of water a day.
At some point -- especially as climate change wreaks havoc across Canada -- the water will run out.
That’s why we’re standing with the Wellington Water Watchers and others across the globe to demand that Nestlé be denied permission to seize our precious water supply for profit.
Friday
Protect every lake, every river | Sign by July 20
Protect every lake, every river | The Council of Canadians
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just announced the start of a major review of our water laws.
Four years ago, the Harper government removed protections from 99% of the lakes and rivers in Canada. Harper gutted the laws that protect freshwater in Canada, including the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and more.
This paved the way for industrial projects that could threaten water. Water sources for municipalities and Indigenous communities are vulnerable to dams, mining, pipelines, logging, fish farms, liquefied fracked gas terminals and more.
Lakes and rivers in Canada must be protected under federal legislation. But Big Oil, which lobbied the Harper government to exempt mega-pipelines from regulation under the Navigable Waters Protection Act, doesn’t want these protections restored. So right now they are using their deep pockets and political connections to lobby our new government to keep things as they were under Harper.
That’s why it’s critical that you speak up now. The federal government is asking for your input on its review of two key pieces of legislation by July 20, 2016.
Here are talking points for the letter:
The Harper omnibus budget bills made changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that resulted in the cancellation of nearly 3,000 environmental assessments. The scope of environmental assessments was also narrowed.
Comprehensive environmental studies no longer need to include information such as:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just announced the start of a major review of our water laws.
Four years ago, the Harper government removed protections from 99% of the lakes and rivers in Canada. Harper gutted the laws that protect freshwater in Canada, including the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and more.
This paved the way for industrial projects that could threaten water. Water sources for municipalities and Indigenous communities are vulnerable to dams, mining, pipelines, logging, fish farms, liquefied fracked gas terminals and more.
Lakes and rivers in Canada must be protected under federal legislation. But Big Oil, which lobbied the Harper government to exempt mega-pipelines from regulation under the Navigable Waters Protection Act, doesn’t want these protections restored. So right now they are using their deep pockets and political connections to lobby our new government to keep things as they were under Harper.
That’s why it’s critical that you speak up now. The federal government is asking for your input on its review of two key pieces of legislation by July 20, 2016.
Here are talking points for the letter:
The Harper omnibus budget bills made changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that resulted in the cancellation of nearly 3,000 environmental assessments. The scope of environmental assessments was also narrowed.
Comprehensive environmental studies no longer need to include information such as:
- The impact on navigable waters or any unique or special resources.
- The “components of the environment that are likely to be affected by the project and a summary of potential environmental effects” and information relating to the terrain, water bodies, air and vegetation that would give federal authorities a more accurate picture of the environment that may be impacted by the activity.
- The name, width and depth of any waterway affected by the project and a description of how the waterway is likely to be affected.
- Environmental studies must assess the impacts of projects on all waterways.
- Pipelines were completely exempted from regulation under the Navigable Waters Protection Act. The Energy East pipeline is an example of a project that is moving forward without scrutiny of how it will impact navigation and waterways. The 4,600-kilometre pipeline would cross and endanger 2,963 identified waterways and countless smaller streams and wetlands along the way.
- Restore and enhance water legislation so that waterways are fully protected.
- Restore the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to include the impact of projects on waterways. Restore protections for all lakes, rivers and waterways under the Navigable Waters Protection Act, which was renamed the Navigation Protection Act by the Harper government.
- Hold public consultations and independent expert panels, and incorporate feedback to strengthen freshwater laws.
- Consult with Indigenous communities on a nation-to-nation basis and incorporate the obligation to obtain free, prior and consent into water legislation so that Indigenous treaty and water rights are respected.
- Implement strict safeguards for waterways within the framework of the United Nations-recognized human right to water.
- Establish a community consultation process that fosters true collaboration between communities and government so regulatory agencies implement community recommendations on an ongoing basis.
Monday
World Refugee Day, 20 June, petition
World Refugee Day, 20 June
In a world where violence forces hundreds of families to flee each day, the UN Refugee Agency believes now is the time to show world leaders that the global public stands with refugees, and it will launch its #WithRefugees petition on June 20th to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees.
The #WithRefugees petition will be delivered to UN headquarters in New York ahead of the UN High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants, scheduled for the 19th September. The petition
asks governments to:
In a world where violence forces hundreds of families to flee each day, the UN Refugee Agency believes now is the time to show world leaders that the global public stands with refugees, and it will launch its #WithRefugees petition on June 20th to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees.
The #WithRefugees petition will be delivered to UN headquarters in New York ahead of the UN High Level Meeting on Refugees and Migrants, scheduled for the 19th September. The petition
asks governments to:
- Ensure every refugee child gets an education.
- Ensure every refugee family has somewhere safe to live.
- Ensure every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community.
Friday
Tell CPP to explain why you own a fracking oil company
The Canada Pension Plan, our pension plan, spent $900 million of our money to
bail out the struggling Canadian oil company Encana by buying its Colorado
fracking operation. We own an oil company that fracks in Colorado’s Denver
Julesberg (DJ) Basin. Where local communities have been fighting to impose
moratoriums on plans to drill 15,000 wells.
It may not end there. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board former CEO, Mark Wiseman said “I don’t think we’d go buy Exxon, but we might buy a piece of Exxon if it were for sale.” A company that not only contributes to climate change directly but has also been accused of funding climate change deniers.
This is the climate cavalier attitude of Canada’s largest public investor.
An attitude that is costing us and one that we must change. Sign the petition to tell Finance Ministers to climate risk proof your pension.
Friends of the Earth Canada asked Corporate Knights to look into investments of the five biggest public sector pension funds. Turns out they are foregoing $20 billion profit every year by not fully incorporating climate risks into investment decisions. The Canada Pension Plan likely missed out on US$6.5 billion in profits by sticking with climate polluting industries.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has also investigated pension funds and found the CPP is more heavily invested in fossil fuels than other funds. This means the CPP is more exposed to climate risk. Fossil fuel producers or pipeline companies make up about 22% of the CPP’s Canadian investments and about 6% of its foreign investments. In these same investments, CPP owns 34 companies involved in the worst climate polluting industries – coal mining and coal burning utilities.
It may not end there. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board former CEO, Mark Wiseman said “I don’t think we’d go buy Exxon, but we might buy a piece of Exxon if it were for sale.” A company that not only contributes to climate change directly but has also been accused of funding climate change deniers.
This is the climate cavalier attitude of Canada’s largest public investor.
An attitude that is costing us and one that we must change. Sign the petition to tell Finance Ministers to climate risk proof your pension.
Friends of the Earth Canada asked Corporate Knights to look into investments of the five biggest public sector pension funds. Turns out they are foregoing $20 billion profit every year by not fully incorporating climate risks into investment decisions. The Canada Pension Plan likely missed out on US$6.5 billion in profits by sticking with climate polluting industries.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has also investigated pension funds and found the CPP is more heavily invested in fossil fuels than other funds. This means the CPP is more exposed to climate risk. Fossil fuel producers or pipeline companies make up about 22% of the CPP’s Canadian investments and about 6% of its foreign investments. In these same investments, CPP owns 34 companies involved in the worst climate polluting industries – coal mining and coal burning utilities.
Thursday
Drones and Killer Robots: Canada's Policy: Free, University College, June 15
Science for Peace Discussion: Drones and Killer Robots: Canada's Policy
"Military operations have increasingly included precision guided munitions and unmanned aircraft known as drones. Under development are unmanned fully autonomous armaments, or ”killer robots’’ that destroy or kill without a human in the decision loop. Now is the time to debate what Canada plans to do about this."
Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 7 pm
Room 261, University College,
15 Kings College Circle, University of Toronto.
All are welcome. No charge.
Speakers:
Michel Duguay, Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University and chair, Science for Peace Working Group on Drones
Walter Dorn, Professor of Defence Studies, Royal Military College and Canadian Forces College
Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project Ploughshare
"Military operations have increasingly included precision guided munitions and unmanned aircraft known as drones. Under development are unmanned fully autonomous armaments, or ”killer robots’’ that destroy or kill without a human in the decision loop. Now is the time to debate what Canada plans to do about this."
Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 7 pm
Room 261, University College,
15 Kings College Circle, University of Toronto.
All are welcome. No charge.
Speakers:
Michel Duguay, Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Laval University and chair, Science for Peace Working Group on Drones
Walter Dorn, Professor of Defence Studies, Royal Military College and Canadian Forces College
Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project Ploughshare
‘Human Suffering Has Reached Staggering Levels’
‘Human Suffering Has Reached Staggering Levels’ | Inter Press Service
ROME, May 17 2016 (IPS) - “Human suffering from the impacts of armed conflicts and disasters has reached staggering levels.”
With these one dozen or few words, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, briefly but sharply portrayed the current humanitarian drama, explaining why the UN has decided to hold the first ever World Humanitarian Summit on May 23-24 this year in Istanbul, Turkey.
Secretary General Ban documented his statement with specific figures: nearly 60 million people, half of them children, have been forced from their homes due to conflict and violence.
“Every humanitarian crisis is inherently unique and context-specific,” O’Brien responded to IPS in an interview. “However, taken together, there are 125 million people in need of aid in the world today as a result of conflicts and natural disasters and over 60 million people have been forcibly displaced. These are the highest numbers we have on record since WWII.”
According to O’Brien, it is clear that the landscape of humanitarian action has changed significantly over the past years and “collectively we have not been able to adequately keep up with and respond to contemporary challenges.”
The UN Under Secretary General then explains to IPS that it is not about one humanitarian crisis, but multiple crises happening at the same time, from the crisis in Syria and the region to the impact of El Niño, which currently affects 60 million people in the world.
And that the humanitarian needs have grown exponentially while the resources have not been able to follow suit which has created an ever-widening gap.
“A core aim of the summit is the reinvigoration of political will and commitment to take forward the Agenda for Humanity.” And adds “The Summit is a launch pad at the highest level: but what is even more important will be a commitment to follow up and make these actions a reality.”
He also says that UN member States and other stakeholders making commitments during the Summit will be asked to update on progress against their implementation. “Follow-up at the inter-governmental level will begin with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment.
O’Brien adds that the UN Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly will address how each of the core responsibilities will be carried forward and will define the vehicles for assessing progress.
ROME, May 17 2016 (IPS) - “Human suffering from the impacts of armed conflicts and disasters has reached staggering levels.”
With these one dozen or few words, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, briefly but sharply portrayed the current humanitarian drama, explaining why the UN has decided to hold the first ever World Humanitarian Summit on May 23-24 this year in Istanbul, Turkey.
Secretary General Ban documented his statement with specific figures: nearly 60 million people, half of them children, have been forced from their homes due to conflict and violence.
“Every humanitarian crisis is inherently unique and context-specific,” O’Brien responded to IPS in an interview. “However, taken together, there are 125 million people in need of aid in the world today as a result of conflicts and natural disasters and over 60 million people have been forcibly displaced. These are the highest numbers we have on record since WWII.”
According to O’Brien, it is clear that the landscape of humanitarian action has changed significantly over the past years and “collectively we have not been able to adequately keep up with and respond to contemporary challenges.”
The UN Under Secretary General then explains to IPS that it is not about one humanitarian crisis, but multiple crises happening at the same time, from the crisis in Syria and the region to the impact of El Niño, which currently affects 60 million people in the world.
And that the humanitarian needs have grown exponentially while the resources have not been able to follow suit which has created an ever-widening gap.
“A core aim of the summit is the reinvigoration of political will and commitment to take forward the Agenda for Humanity.” And adds “The Summit is a launch pad at the highest level: but what is even more important will be a commitment to follow up and make these actions a reality.”
He also says that UN member States and other stakeholders making commitments during the Summit will be asked to update on progress against their implementation. “Follow-up at the inter-governmental level will begin with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment.
O’Brien adds that the UN Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly will address how each of the core responsibilities will be carried forward and will define the vehicles for assessing progress.
Wednesday
Muslim states block gay groups from U.N. AIDS meeting; U.S. protests
Muslim states block gay groups from U.N. AIDS meeting; U.S. protests | Reuters
A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending AIDS, sparking a protest by the United States, Canada and the European Union.
Egypt wrote to the president of the 193-member General Assembly on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to object to the participation of the 11 groups. It did not give a reason in the letter, which Reuters saw.
Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, wrote to General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and said the groups appeared to have been blocked for involvement in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy.
"Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic," Power wrote.
U.N. officials said the European Union and Canada also wrote to Lykketoft to protest the objections by the OIC group, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Sudan and Uganda.
The issues of LGBT rights and participation in events at the United Nations have long been contentious. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has advocated for LGBT equality but faced opposition from African, Arab and Muslim states as well as Russia and China.
"We are deeply concerned that at every negotiation on a new General Assembly gathering, the matter of NGO (non-governmental organization) participation is questioned and scrutinized," Power wrote."The movement to block the participation of NGOs on spurious or hidden grounds is becoming epidemic and severely damages the credibility of the U.N.," she said.
In 2014, Ban said the U.N. would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive its benefits. Russia, with the support of 43 states including Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria, unsuccessfully tried to overturn the move last year.
In February, the 54-member African Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the 25-member Group of Friends of the Family led by Belarus, Egypt and Qatar protested six new U.N. stamps promoting LGBT equality.
The Group of Friends of the Family promotes the traditional family. It launched a photo exhibit, "Uniting Nations for a Family Friendly World," at the U.N. on Tuesday, which is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender organizations from attending a high-level meeting at the United Nations next month on ending AIDS, sparking a protest by the United States, Canada and the European Union.
Egypt wrote to the president of the 193-member General Assembly on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to object to the participation of the 11 groups. It did not give a reason in the letter, which Reuters saw.
Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, wrote to General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft and said the groups appeared to have been blocked for involvement in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy.
"Given that transgender people are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population, their exclusion from the high-level meeting will only impede global progress in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic," Power wrote.
U.N. officials said the European Union and Canada also wrote to Lykketoft to protest the objections by the OIC group, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Sudan and Uganda.
The issues of LGBT rights and participation in events at the United Nations have long been contentious. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has advocated for LGBT equality but faced opposition from African, Arab and Muslim states as well as Russia and China.
"We are deeply concerned that at every negotiation on a new General Assembly gathering, the matter of NGO (non-governmental organization) participation is questioned and scrutinized," Power wrote."The movement to block the participation of NGOs on spurious or hidden grounds is becoming epidemic and severely damages the credibility of the U.N.," she said.
In 2014, Ban said the U.N. would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive its benefits. Russia, with the support of 43 states including Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria, unsuccessfully tried to overturn the move last year.
In February, the 54-member African Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the 25-member Group of Friends of the Family led by Belarus, Egypt and Qatar protested six new U.N. stamps promoting LGBT equality.
The Group of Friends of the Family promotes the traditional family. It launched a photo exhibit, "Uniting Nations for a Family Friendly World," at the U.N. on Tuesday, which is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
Monday
Canada removing objector status to UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Aboriginal - CBC
Canada removing objector status to UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Aboriginal - CBC
Canada will remove its permanent objector status to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said Monday.
The declaration — first adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 — recognizes Indigenous people's basic human rights, as well as rights to self-determination, language, equality and land, among others. "We are fully adopting this and working to implement it within the laws of Canada, which is our charter," Bennett said.
The announcement came at the UN in New York City, where Bennett and Justice Minister Jody Wilson Raybould are attending the opening session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
While Bennett offered few details on exactly how Canada would implement the declaration, she said that an official announcement would be coming on Tuesday.
The lack of specific details in Monday's announcement frustrated some. "I was so disappointed that there was nothing new or substantiveadded to the conversation," said Hayden King, director of the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.
"[The Liberal government] just repeats these platitudes and these commitments, but it has not demonstrated or indicated any concrete action."
King also had concerns about Bennett and Wilson-Raybould's comments that Indigenous peoples in Canada are already protected and that the UN declaration "breathes life" into Section 35 of the Constitution Act, which recognizes and affirms their rights.
He said previous governments have relied on Canadian courts' interpretation of Section 35, which he calls narrow and limited.
Canada will remove its permanent objector status to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said Monday.
The declaration — first adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 — recognizes Indigenous people's basic human rights, as well as rights to self-determination, language, equality and land, among others. "We are fully adopting this and working to implement it within the laws of Canada, which is our charter," Bennett said.
The announcement came at the UN in New York City, where Bennett and Justice Minister Jody Wilson Raybould are attending the opening session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
While Bennett offered few details on exactly how Canada would implement the declaration, she said that an official announcement would be coming on Tuesday.
The lack of specific details in Monday's announcement frustrated some. "I was so disappointed that there was nothing new or substantiveadded to the conversation," said Hayden King, director of the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University.
"[The Liberal government] just repeats these platitudes and these commitments, but it has not demonstrated or indicated any concrete action."
King also had concerns about Bennett and Wilson-Raybould's comments that Indigenous peoples in Canada are already protected and that the UN declaration "breathes life" into Section 35 of the Constitution Act, which recognizes and affirms their rights.
He said previous governments have relied on Canadian courts' interpretation of Section 35, which he calls narrow and limited.
Tuesday
Amnesty International Canada - the world's longest imprisoned Journalist
Amnesty International Canada
Muhammad Bekzhanov is one of the world’s longest-imprisoned journalists. Uzbek authorities seem determined to keep him behind bars and silence his voice. Persecution, harassment and intimidation forced Muhammad Bekzhanov to leave Uzbekistan In 1993 while he was editor-in-chief of Erk (Freedom), the main opposition newspaper.
In 1999, Ukrainian authorities forcibly returned Muhammad Bekzhanov to Uzbekistan. He was detained by security forces and tortured with beatings, suffocation and electric shocks. During his trial, he and his co-defendants described how they were forced to confess to fabricated charges of a bombing. The judge ignored the torture complaints and sentenced him to 15 years based entirely on the confession. Days before Muhammad Bekzhanov was due to be released, his sentence was increased by over four more years for allegedly breaking prison rules. His family are concerned about his declining health. There has been no effective investigation into the allegations of torture. Repeated calls for a fair trial have been ignored.
The international press freedom organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) awarded Muhammad Bekzhanov the International Press Freedom Prize in 2013. The award “salute[s] the exemplary courage of men and women for whom reporting the news is a daily battle.”
Call for the release of Muhammad Bekzhanov.
Muhammad Bekzhanov is one of the world’s longest-imprisoned journalists. Uzbek authorities seem determined to keep him behind bars and silence his voice. Persecution, harassment and intimidation forced Muhammad Bekzhanov to leave Uzbekistan In 1993 while he was editor-in-chief of Erk (Freedom), the main opposition newspaper.
In 1999, Ukrainian authorities forcibly returned Muhammad Bekzhanov to Uzbekistan. He was detained by security forces and tortured with beatings, suffocation and electric shocks. During his trial, he and his co-defendants described how they were forced to confess to fabricated charges of a bombing. The judge ignored the torture complaints and sentenced him to 15 years based entirely on the confession. Days before Muhammad Bekzhanov was due to be released, his sentence was increased by over four more years for allegedly breaking prison rules. His family are concerned about his declining health. There has been no effective investigation into the allegations of torture. Repeated calls for a fair trial have been ignored.
The international press freedom organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) awarded Muhammad Bekzhanov the International Press Freedom Prize in 2013. The award “salute[s] the exemplary courage of men and women for whom reporting the news is a daily battle.”
Call for the release of Muhammad Bekzhanov.
Friday
Nestle seeks 10-year water-taking permit in Aberfoyle | The Council of Canadians
Nestle seeks 10-year water-taking permit in Aberfoyle | The Council of Canadians
The Council of Canadians is opposed to Nestle securing a ten-year water-taking permit in Aberfoyle, Ontario.
CTV reports, "Within the next few months, Nestle’s permit to take water from the Aberfoyle area will expire. The bottled water giant is seeking a 10-year renewal of that permit, which currently allows them to take about 2,500 litres of water per minute from the Grand River watershed."
The article adds, "Nestle filed its application to renew its water-taking permit earlier this week."
Nestle's current water taking permit in Aberfoyle is set to expire July 31, 2016.
The Council of Canadians has previously raised concerns about Nestle's water-taking business in Aberfoyle. In 2008, the Council of Canadians Guelph chapter and Wellington Water Watchers campaigned against Nestle and succeeded in at least reducing Nestle's requested permit (from 5 years to 2 years) and requiring the company to do extensive monitoring on the impact of their water takings. In 2013, the two groups, with legal representation from Ecojustice, successfully fought against an Ontario Ministry of Environment decision to remove conditions that made it mandatory for Nestle to reduce its water takings in Hillsburgh during droughts.
Vancouver-based Council of Canadians water campaigner Emma Lui has written, "Nestlé also withdraws 265 million litres every year in Hope. The BC government kicked off a firestorm of opposition when it released new water rates that would have Nestlé paying only $2.25 per million litres starting in January 2016 when the new Water Sustainability Act comes into force."
The Council of Canadians defends the United Nations-recognized human right to water and opposes the commodification of water, including the sale of bottled water.
Wellington Water Watchers is a key ally in this fight in Ontario. They are dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Guelph and Wellington County. To learn more about them, please click here.
The Council of Canadians is opposed to Nestle securing a ten-year water-taking permit in Aberfoyle, Ontario.
CTV reports, "Within the next few months, Nestle’s permit to take water from the Aberfoyle area will expire. The bottled water giant is seeking a 10-year renewal of that permit, which currently allows them to take about 2,500 litres of water per minute from the Grand River watershed."
The article adds, "Nestle filed its application to renew its water-taking permit earlier this week."
Nestle's current water taking permit in Aberfoyle is set to expire July 31, 2016.
The Council of Canadians has previously raised concerns about Nestle's water-taking business in Aberfoyle. In 2008, the Council of Canadians Guelph chapter and Wellington Water Watchers campaigned against Nestle and succeeded in at least reducing Nestle's requested permit (from 5 years to 2 years) and requiring the company to do extensive monitoring on the impact of their water takings. In 2013, the two groups, with legal representation from Ecojustice, successfully fought against an Ontario Ministry of Environment decision to remove conditions that made it mandatory for Nestle to reduce its water takings in Hillsburgh during droughts.
Vancouver-based Council of Canadians water campaigner Emma Lui has written, "Nestlé also withdraws 265 million litres every year in Hope. The BC government kicked off a firestorm of opposition when it released new water rates that would have Nestlé paying only $2.25 per million litres starting in January 2016 when the new Water Sustainability Act comes into force."
The Council of Canadians defends the United Nations-recognized human right to water and opposes the commodification of water, including the sale of bottled water.
Wellington Water Watchers is a key ally in this fight in Ontario. They are dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Guelph and Wellington County. To learn more about them, please click here.
Thursday
URGENT: Email Minister of Immigration McCallum to stop next week's litigation
URGENT: Email Minister of Immigration McCallum to stop next week's litigation
Despite our best efforts, the Canadian government is going ahead with litigation that was initiated by the Harper government against U.S. Iraq War resisters. The Federal Court hearings are scheduled for April 5 and 6.
Despite our best efforts, the Canadian government is going ahead with litigation that was initiated by the Harper government against U.S. Iraq War resisters. The Federal Court hearings are scheduled for April 5 and 6.
- We are asking every supporter to immediately email Minister of Immigration John McCallum, at minister@cic.gc.ca and john.mccallum@parl.gc.ca (model message below)
- Under your name, please include city and province
- Please cc Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
- Please also bcc the War Resisters Support Campaign at wrsctoronto@gmail.com
Here is a model email message you can copy and paste into your message (or feel free to personalize it) --
SUBJECT: U.S. Iraq War resisters – Stop litigation initiated by Harper government
Honourable John McCallum
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Dear Minister McCallum,
I am writing to ask that you immediately cease the litigation initiated by the former Conservative government against U.S. Iraq War resisters. Our new government should not defend decisions made under the previous government and re-litigate matters the Court has already found on in favour of these conscientious objectors. As you know, Canadians overwhelmingly opposed the Iraq War and the Liberal government under Jean Chrétien made a decision not to participate in it.
The cases to be heard by the Federal Court on April 5 and 6 should be settled, and the matters sent back to be re-determined by new immigration officers.
I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
cc: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
SUBJECT: U.S. Iraq War resisters – Stop litigation initiated by Harper government
Honourable John McCallum
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Dear Minister McCallum,
I am writing to ask that you immediately cease the litigation initiated by the former Conservative government against U.S. Iraq War resisters. Our new government should not defend decisions made under the previous government and re-litigate matters the Court has already found on in favour of these conscientious objectors. As you know, Canadians overwhelmingly opposed the Iraq War and the Liberal government under Jean Chrétien made a decision not to participate in it.
The cases to be heard by the Federal Court on April 5 and 6 should be settled, and the matters sent back to be re-determined by new immigration officers.
I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
cc: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Friday
CSW: World leaders accused of backtracking on gender equality commitments |
World leaders accused of backtracking on gender equality commitments
Claims that world leaders are backtracking on their commitment to end gender inequality have emerged on the final day of negotiations at the Commission on the Status of Women.
Several countries are reportedly trying to water down the progressive language on financing for gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights contained in the draft text of the outcome document.
Governments are understood to be unwilling to agree commitments on targeted funding for gender equality, getting corporations to pay their fair share of tax, and creating a better environment for women’s rights organisations to operate, which would include more funding.
The work of local women’s groups is regarded as the most likely to bring long-term change in their communities and nationally.
This year’s CSW was seen as the first major barometer of leaders’ appetite to implement the sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN general assembly in September. The SDGs are regarded as the roadmap for ending poverty and inequality, and conserving the environment over the next 15 years.
Goal five commits governments to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, with specific targets to end violence and harmful practices, recognise the unpaid care work that falls disproportionately on women, get more women into leadership positions, and ensure women can uphold their reproductive rights.
Campaigners went into the two-week annual meeting, which began on 14 March, demanding that governments demonstrate their commitment to the new 2030 agenda by agreeing an outcome document that showed how they plan to implement and finance the goals.
But Shannon Kowalski, director of advocacy and policy at the International Women’s Health Coalition, and a partner of the Women’s Major Group, which represents the views of women in UN processes, said governments “seem to be having second thoughts” on the 17 goals and 169 targets they signed up to last year.
The language surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights – always a contentious area, particularly for more conservative governments and the Holy See – is being unpicked, with Russia and the African bloc of countries purportedly leading the push back.
Kowalski said the EU, negotiating as a group this year, has been “paralysed by internal politics” as Poland and Hungary seek to water down language on these issues. In the past, the EU has opted not to negotiate as a group because of the diverse nature of its member governments.
“We are extremely disappointed. Countries coming to these negotiations are not even willing to negotiate,” added Kowalski.
“There are a huge number of issues the Africa group and Russia are saying they are not going go discuss here. It makes it almost impossible to make progress.”
On Wednesday, the Coalition of African Lesbians, a pan-African feminist organisation, said it was “deeply disturbed” by the positions being taken by the Africa group in regard to sexual and reproductive rights.
It said: “States are seeking to weaken or delete references to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Twenty years’ worth of agreements are at risk because of the Africa Group’s refusal to accept the word ‘sexuality’ in the agreed conclusions.”
The coalition called on South Africa to break ranks with the Africa group if its members continued to take this stance. The coalition said the text was inconsistent with South Africa’s constitution.
The CSW is due to end on Thursday, but negotiations are expected to continue into the early hours of Friday.
Claims that world leaders are backtracking on their commitment to end gender inequality have emerged on the final day of negotiations at the Commission on the Status of Women.
Several countries are reportedly trying to water down the progressive language on financing for gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights contained in the draft text of the outcome document.
Governments are understood to be unwilling to agree commitments on targeted funding for gender equality, getting corporations to pay their fair share of tax, and creating a better environment for women’s rights organisations to operate, which would include more funding.
The work of local women’s groups is regarded as the most likely to bring long-term change in their communities and nationally.
This year’s CSW was seen as the first major barometer of leaders’ appetite to implement the sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN general assembly in September. The SDGs are regarded as the roadmap for ending poverty and inequality, and conserving the environment over the next 15 years.
Goal five commits governments to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, with specific targets to end violence and harmful practices, recognise the unpaid care work that falls disproportionately on women, get more women into leadership positions, and ensure women can uphold their reproductive rights.
Campaigners went into the two-week annual meeting, which began on 14 March, demanding that governments demonstrate their commitment to the new 2030 agenda by agreeing an outcome document that showed how they plan to implement and finance the goals.
But Shannon Kowalski, director of advocacy and policy at the International Women’s Health Coalition, and a partner of the Women’s Major Group, which represents the views of women in UN processes, said governments “seem to be having second thoughts” on the 17 goals and 169 targets they signed up to last year.
The language surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights – always a contentious area, particularly for more conservative governments and the Holy See – is being unpicked, with Russia and the African bloc of countries purportedly leading the push back.
Kowalski said the EU, negotiating as a group this year, has been “paralysed by internal politics” as Poland and Hungary seek to water down language on these issues. In the past, the EU has opted not to negotiate as a group because of the diverse nature of its member governments.
“We are extremely disappointed. Countries coming to these negotiations are not even willing to negotiate,” added Kowalski.
“There are a huge number of issues the Africa group and Russia are saying they are not going go discuss here. It makes it almost impossible to make progress.”
On Wednesday, the Coalition of African Lesbians, a pan-African feminist organisation, said it was “deeply disturbed” by the positions being taken by the Africa group in regard to sexual and reproductive rights.
It said: “States are seeking to weaken or delete references to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Twenty years’ worth of agreements are at risk because of the Africa Group’s refusal to accept the word ‘sexuality’ in the agreed conclusions.”
The coalition called on South Africa to break ranks with the Africa group if its members continued to take this stance. The coalition said the text was inconsistent with South Africa’s constitution.
The CSW is due to end on Thursday, but negotiations are expected to continue into the early hours of Friday.
Medically Assisted Dying Panel Tickets, Sat, 14 May 2016 at 1:30 PM
Medically Assisted Dying Panel Tickets, Sat, 14 May 2016 at 1:30 PM | Eventbrite
- When:
- Where:
- Koffler House - 569 Spadina Crescent Room 108, Toronto, ON M5S 2J7, Canada - View Map
Tuesday
Global Actions Demand Fast Food Giants Get Antibiotics 'Off the Menu'
Global Actions Demand Fast Food Giants Get Antibiotics 'Off the Menu' |
In light of the public health risks associated with increasing antibiotic resistance, activists in 60 countries are celebrating World Consumer Rights Day by calling on fast-food companies to get antibiotics "off the menu."
The worldwide actions, organized by the London-headquartered Consumers International (CI), call specifically on McDonald's, Subway, and KFC to make "global, time bound commitments to stop serving meat from animals routinely given antibiotics that are classed as important for human medicine by the World Health Organization."
As CI director general Amanda Long wrote Monday at the Huffington Post:
A report (pdf) issued late last month by CI stated that: "Despite worldwide concern about the overuse of antibiotics, their use in agriculture is due to increase by two thirds by 2030: from 63,200 tons in 2010, to 105,600 tons in 2030."
This is cause for alarm because antibiotic resistant bacteria spreads from farms to people through air, soil, water, manure, and theconsumption of medicine-treated meat and animal products
In light of the public health risks associated with increasing antibiotic resistance, activists in 60 countries are celebrating World Consumer Rights Day by calling on fast-food companies to get antibiotics "off the menu."
The worldwide actions, organized by the London-headquartered Consumers International (CI), call specifically on McDonald's, Subway, and KFC to make "global, time bound commitments to stop serving meat from animals routinely given antibiotics that are classed as important for human medicine by the World Health Organization."
As CI director general Amanda Long wrote Monday at the Huffington Post:
McDonald's has made such a commitment on chicken in USAIn February, a coalition of more than 50 public health, environmental, and consumer rights groups issued a similar demand to In-N-Out Burger, California's hamburger restaurant chain.
and Canada. The commitment does not extend to other types of meat
however, nor to other countries outside of North America. Subway has
committed to stop serving meat from any animal given antibiotics in the
USA. KFC has made no meaningful commitments anywhere.
Of course we would like to see other restaurant chains, as well as
meat suppliers and retailers, make global time bound commitments to stop
selling meat from animals routinely given antibiotics important for
human medicine. We are focusing on these three chains because they have
over 100,000 restaurants between them. It is about more than simple
buying power however, these are global household names with the ability
to influence markets even where they have fewer outlets.
A report (pdf) issued late last month by CI stated that: "Despite worldwide concern about the overuse of antibiotics, their use in agriculture is due to increase by two thirds by 2030: from 63,200 tons in 2010, to 105,600 tons in 2030."
This is cause for alarm because antibiotic resistant bacteria spreads from farms to people through air, soil, water, manure, and theconsumption of medicine-treated meat and animal products
Top Pakistani religious body rules women's protection law 'un-Islamic' | Reuters
Top Pakistani religious body rules women's protection law 'un-Islamic' | Reuters
"This Law makes a Man insecure". sometimes you don't even have to write the analysis...
(note: the law was supported by AURAT, the women's rights group ...very interesting work)
A powerful Pakistani religious body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam on Thursday declared a new law that criminalizes violence against women to be "un-Islamic."
The Women's Protection Act, passed by Pakistan's largest province of Punjab last week, gives unprecedented legal protection to women from domestic, psychological and sexual violence. It also calls for the creation of a toll-free abuse reporting hot line and the establishment of women's shelters.
But since its passage in the Punjab assembly, many conservative clerics and religious leaders have denounced the new law as being in conflict with the Muslim holy book, the Koran, as well as Pakistan's constitution. "The whole law is wrong," Muhammad Khan Sherani, the head of the Council of Islamic Ideology said at a news conference, citing verses from the Koran to point out that the law was "un-Islamic."
The 54-year-old council is known for its controversial decisions. In the past it has ruled that DNA cannot be used as primary evidence in rape cases, and it supported a law that requires women alleging rape to get four male witnesses to testify in court before a case is heard.
The council's decision this January to block a bill to impose harsher penalties for marrying off girls as young as eight or nine has angered human rights activists.
The new law establishes district-level panels to investigate reports of abuse, and mandates the use of GPS bracelets to keep track of offenders.It also sets punishments of up to a year in jail for violators of court orders related to domestic violence, with that period rising to two years for repeat offenders.
Fazlur Rehman, the chief of one of Pakistan's largest religious parties, the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, said the law was in conflict with both Islam and the constitution of Pakistan.
"This law makes a man insecure," he told journalists. "This law is an attempt to make Pakistan a Western colony again."
In 2013, more than 5,800 cases of violence against women were reported in Punjab alone, the province where Wednesday's law was passed, according to the Aurat Foundation, a women's rights advocacy group.
"This Law makes a Man insecure". sometimes you don't even have to write the analysis...
(note: the law was supported by AURAT, the women's rights group ...very interesting work)
A powerful Pakistani religious body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam on Thursday declared a new law that criminalizes violence against women to be "un-Islamic."
The Women's Protection Act, passed by Pakistan's largest province of Punjab last week, gives unprecedented legal protection to women from domestic, psychological and sexual violence. It also calls for the creation of a toll-free abuse reporting hot line and the establishment of women's shelters.
But since its passage in the Punjab assembly, many conservative clerics and religious leaders have denounced the new law as being in conflict with the Muslim holy book, the Koran, as well as Pakistan's constitution. "The whole law is wrong," Muhammad Khan Sherani, the head of the Council of Islamic Ideology said at a news conference, citing verses from the Koran to point out that the law was "un-Islamic."
The 54-year-old council is known for its controversial decisions. In the past it has ruled that DNA cannot be used as primary evidence in rape cases, and it supported a law that requires women alleging rape to get four male witnesses to testify in court before a case is heard.
The council's decision this January to block a bill to impose harsher penalties for marrying off girls as young as eight or nine has angered human rights activists.
The new law establishes district-level panels to investigate reports of abuse, and mandates the use of GPS bracelets to keep track of offenders.It also sets punishments of up to a year in jail for violators of court orders related to domestic violence, with that period rising to two years for repeat offenders.
Fazlur Rehman, the chief of one of Pakistan's largest religious parties, the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, said the law was in conflict with both Islam and the constitution of Pakistan.
"This law makes a man insecure," he told journalists. "This law is an attempt to make Pakistan a Western colony again."
In 2013, more than 5,800 cases of violence against women were reported in Punjab alone, the province where Wednesday's law was passed, according to the Aurat Foundation, a women's rights advocacy group.
Wednesday
Female farmers in 90 nations face discriminatory land laws
Female farmers in 90 nations face discriminatory land laws
A woman picks coffee berries while holding a child at the Paradise Lost coffee farm in Kiambu, outside Kenya's capital Nairobi, November 10, 2015. REUTERS/Siegfried
TORONTO, March 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women in more than 90 countries still lack equal rights to own land, hurting food production and efforts to tackle poverty, Rwanda's former agriculture minister said. Nations in eastern and southern Africa have considerably improved their laws to grant land ownership rights to female farmers, Agnes Kalibata said.
But many states in North Africa and South Asia continue to treat women as second class citizens when it comes to land ownership, "In Africa, six out of 10 women depend on the land for their livelihoods," Kalibata told the Thomson Reuters Foundation "They must have access to the means of production - the land itself. If we are going to have development across the globe, women need equal access to the land." Up to 30 percent of women have land access in eastern and southern Africa, compared to less than 10 percent in northern and central Africa, she said.
Without formal land titles, women have a harder time feeding and educating their children.
Agricultural productivity also suffers as female farmers are less likely to invest in improving the land without formal ownership, making it harder to feed the 795 million hungry people worldwide.
During her tenure as Rwanda's agriculture minister which ended in 2014, Kalibata helped enact legal changes that give a woman ownership of half the land her family owns. In many other developing countries, land titles are kept in the husband's name. She also made it easier for widows to inherit family plots when their husbands died.
"Incredible things are going on in Rwanda when it comes to women's land rights," said Rena Singer, spokeswoman for the Washington-based rights group Landesa.
"If women can't inherit land, we see the continuation of inequality between genders. The only way most poor people get resources in their lifetime is to inherit - they don't have the money to purchase land."
Even in countries like Rwanda with good land laws, lax enforcement and patriarchal customs can make it harder for femalefarmers to control their incomes, Kalibata said.
But many states in North Africa and South Asia continue to treat women as second class citizens when it comes to land ownership, "In Africa, six out of 10 women depend on the land for their livelihoods," Kalibata told the Thomson Reuters Foundation "They must have access to the means of production - the land itself. If we are going to have development across the globe, women need equal access to the land." Up to 30 percent of women have land access in eastern and southern Africa, compared to less than 10 percent in northern and central Africa, she said.
Without formal land titles, women have a harder time feeding and educating their children.
Agricultural productivity also suffers as female farmers are less likely to invest in improving the land without formal ownership, making it harder to feed the 795 million hungry people worldwide.
During her tenure as Rwanda's agriculture minister which ended in 2014, Kalibata helped enact legal changes that give a woman ownership of half the land her family owns. In many other developing countries, land titles are kept in the husband's name. She also made it easier for widows to inherit family plots when their husbands died.
"Incredible things are going on in Rwanda when it comes to women's land rights," said Rena Singer, spokeswoman for the Washington-based rights group Landesa.
"If women can't inherit land, we see the continuation of inequality between genders. The only way most poor people get resources in their lifetime is to inherit - they don't have the money to purchase land."
Even in countries like Rwanda with good land laws, lax enforcement and patriarchal customs can make it harder for femalefarmers to control their incomes, Kalibata said.
Tuesday
International Women's Day - Canadian Nurses, MSF, and Gender Violence
International Women's Day
Today is International Women's Day, and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is using this opportunity to highlight sexual violence as an urgent health and medical issue. Here, two Canadian MSF nurses discuss how we can make a difference in the lives of women affected by sexual and gender-based violence.
Learn more about their work, and how MSF helps the survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in more than 90 projects in nearly 30 countries around the world.
Thursday
Dewar: Ditch the communism memorial and honour aboriginals instead | Ottawa Citizen
Dewar: Ditch the communism memorial and honour aboriginals instead | Ottawa Citizen
Let’s stop quibbling about the monument to victims of communism and ask the real question: Should we have such a monument in our capital? I think not.
At a time when our country must focus on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, why not invest instead in the long-proposed National Aboriginal Centre on Victoria Island?
The Liberal government recently announced it will consult Canadians on the design of the controversial National Memorial to the Victims of Communism, now that it has changed the project’s location. But the government has yet to consult Canadians on a much more basic question. Should we even have this monument at all? I studied the file for the past few years and deeply believe the whole idea should be shelved.
At the beginning, the proponents of this memorial pitched a monument to commemorate the victims of totalitarianism and extremism. Then, under the Conservatives, that idea morphed into a commemoration to the victims of communism. During the planning, there was little to no public consultation on the idea, let alone on the location or the design.
As Ottawa Centre’s former MP, I had to file an access to information request to learn that the depth and breadth of consultation conducted by the former Conservative government. The process to change the original location involved then-ministers Jason Kenny and John Baird writing to their colleague Rona Ambrose, at the time minister of Public Works.
If you don’t feel yourself represented in a consultation composed of three Conservatives sending notes to each other, you’re not alone. After all, they missed the point.
Why do we build national monuments anyway? To cite The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, “any aspect of Canada’s human history may be considered for ministerial designation of national historic significance. To be considered for designation, a place, person or event must have had a nationally significant impact on Canadian history, or must illustrate a nationally important aspect of Canadian history.”
Recent examples are the plaque beside the Château Laurier dedicated to workers who built the Rideau Canal, or the Famous Five statute on Parliament Hill celebrating woman’s fight for equality in Canada.
The proposed victims of communism memorial does not reflect the basic criteria nor is it inclusive of those victims who suffered under other brutal dictators or extremists. After all, communism is an idea, not an event or a person. We should stay true to the criteria of commemorating events and people.
In Regina, there is a statue memorializing the victims of the Holodomor, the famine imposed by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin during the 1930s. That tragic event cost many innocent lives and triggered the migration of tens if thousands of Ukrainians, who found refuge in Canada. In Ottawa, we have a proposal for a Boat Peoples Museum to commemorate the refugees who fled to freedom from Southeast Asia. That event is deeply engrained in the fabric of Canada today.
It’s not like we’ve run out of events and people to memorialize. Look around our capital and ask yourself honestly if official Ottawa reflects the original people whose unceded territory we occupy.
Decades ago, we made a solemn commitment to build a National Aboriginal Centre on Victoria Island. This was Algonquin Elder William Commanda’s vision. The last time I spoke to him, he described his vision for a place where commitments to reconciliation are brought to life. A peace centre on a sacred traditional land for people around the world to come to and resolve their conflicts. A place for the preservation and rejuvenation of indigenous languages, knowledge and traditions. A living monument worthy of the capital of a G7 country that’s serious about its commitment to reconciliation.
How about it Ottawa? Instead of thinking small about a monument we don’t want, let’s finally deliver on a National Aboriginal Centre we absolutely need.
Paul Dewar was NDP MP for Ottawa Centre for nine years and is currently a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
At a time when our country must focus on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, why not invest instead in the long-proposed National Aboriginal Centre on Victoria Island?
The Liberal government recently announced it will consult Canadians on the design of the controversial National Memorial to the Victims of Communism, now that it has changed the project’s location. But the government has yet to consult Canadians on a much more basic question. Should we even have this monument at all? I studied the file for the past few years and deeply believe the whole idea should be shelved.
At the beginning, the proponents of this memorial pitched a monument to commemorate the victims of totalitarianism and extremism. Then, under the Conservatives, that idea morphed into a commemoration to the victims of communism. During the planning, there was little to no public consultation on the idea, let alone on the location or the design.
As Ottawa Centre’s former MP, I had to file an access to information request to learn that the depth and breadth of consultation conducted by the former Conservative government. The process to change the original location involved then-ministers Jason Kenny and John Baird writing to their colleague Rona Ambrose, at the time minister of Public Works.
If you don’t feel yourself represented in a consultation composed of three Conservatives sending notes to each other, you’re not alone. After all, they missed the point.
Why do we build national monuments anyway? To cite The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, “any aspect of Canada’s human history may be considered for ministerial designation of national historic significance. To be considered for designation, a place, person or event must have had a nationally significant impact on Canadian history, or must illustrate a nationally important aspect of Canadian history.”
Recent examples are the plaque beside the Château Laurier dedicated to workers who built the Rideau Canal, or the Famous Five statute on Parliament Hill celebrating woman’s fight for equality in Canada.
The proposed victims of communism memorial does not reflect the basic criteria nor is it inclusive of those victims who suffered under other brutal dictators or extremists. After all, communism is an idea, not an event or a person. We should stay true to the criteria of commemorating events and people.
In Regina, there is a statue memorializing the victims of the Holodomor, the famine imposed by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin during the 1930s. That tragic event cost many innocent lives and triggered the migration of tens if thousands of Ukrainians, who found refuge in Canada. In Ottawa, we have a proposal for a Boat Peoples Museum to commemorate the refugees who fled to freedom from Southeast Asia. That event is deeply engrained in the fabric of Canada today.
It’s not like we’ve run out of events and people to memorialize. Look around our capital and ask yourself honestly if official Ottawa reflects the original people whose unceded territory we occupy.
Decades ago, we made a solemn commitment to build a National Aboriginal Centre on Victoria Island. This was Algonquin Elder William Commanda’s vision. The last time I spoke to him, he described his vision for a place where commitments to reconciliation are brought to life. A peace centre on a sacred traditional land for people around the world to come to and resolve their conflicts. A place for the preservation and rejuvenation of indigenous languages, knowledge and traditions. A living monument worthy of the capital of a G7 country that’s serious about its commitment to reconciliation.
How about it Ottawa? Instead of thinking small about a monument we don’t want, let’s finally deliver on a National Aboriginal Centre we absolutely need.
Paul Dewar was NDP MP for Ottawa Centre for nine years and is currently a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
Tuesday
Philosophy Student Arrested in Turkey
Philosophy Student Arrested in Turkey (updated) - Daily Nous
Jülide Yazıcı, a student in the Philosophy Department in Boğaziçi University who was active on social media supporting academics threatened by the Turkish government, was arrested two days ago.
According to one source, she was charged with “being a member of an armed terrorist organisation” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.” The specifics of the accusations are unknown to her because the details of “terror cases” are kept secret. She is currently in jail and is expected to be so until her trial.
A petition calling for her release is here (in Turkish and English). Please consider signing.
Jülide Yazıcı, a student in the Philosophy Department in Boğaziçi University who was active on social media supporting academics threatened by the Turkish government, was arrested two days ago.
According to one source, she was charged with “being a member of an armed terrorist organisation” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.” The specifics of the accusations are unknown to her because the details of “terror cases” are kept secret. She is currently in jail and is expected to be so until her trial.
A petition calling for her release is here (in Turkish and English). Please consider signing.
Monday
Humanist Refugee Resettlement Project - Donations
Dear HAT members and supporters, Letter from Moses Klein: (THIS IS A STICKY POST)
I am writing this as we are all coming to
grips with the horror, the tragedy and the senselessness of the Paris attacks.
Beyond the shock of November 13th, I have been struck with the vast
range of responses, from the inspiring example of the Parisians who opened
their doors to strangers, to the disturbing hate crimes committed in many
countries around the world, including at least one instance in Toronto. Many of the victims of these hate crimes are
themselves refugees fleeing ISIS. As humanists, I hope you agree it is the
hospitable Parisians who ought to be emulated.
With that in mind, I am inviting you to
support the Humanist Association of Toronto in its latest project. We are working
in partnership with Oraynu (the Jewish secular humanist organization) and
possibly other allied organizations seeking to sponsor a Syrian refugee family
to come to Canada. This was a plan we were already discussing before this
month’s attacks, but it seems ever more important now to demonstrate that our
society is a generous and welcoming one. The success of this project depends on
your help, in two important ways.
Financial assistance: Sponsoring organizations need to raise the equivalent of one year
of welfare before the sponsorship can proceed. At our October 2015 steering
committee meeting, HAT committed to raise $9000, which would be 1/3 of the
required amount for a family of four.
Settlement assistance: After our refugee family has arrived, they may still need
assistance in other forms. Can you volunteer to help find an apartment, take
them on errands, translate for them (if their English is inadequate), etc.?
Would you have old clothes or furniture to donate? This is in the future, but
we would like to compile a list of people to call on.
If you would like to help this effort in any way, please fill out
the form on the next page and mail it to
Humanist Association of Toronto
PO Box 68559
360A Bloor St. W.
Toronto, ON M5S 1X1
You can also reply through email.
Thanks for your support,
Moses Klein (for
the HAT steering committee
I want
to help HAT settle a refugee family in Toronto
[ ] I am helping out financially. Here is
my tax-deductible cheque for ____________ payable to Humanist Association of
Toronto. (Please write “refugee” on the memo line.) You can also send an Interac transfer to HATTreasurer@gmail.com, or by
Paypal at http://tinyurl.com/oys5vgg .
[ ] I can help with settlement by ______________________________________________________.
(Please describe what you can offer.) You can also reply by email to
mosesklein@gmail.com
[ ] I would like to help with the
committee coordinating the refugee project. You
can also reply by email to mosesklein@gmail.com
Name: ________________________________
Address:
___________________________________________
____________________________________________
Phone: _____________________
Email: ______________________
Thursday
Scientists Have Finally Found a Biological Process Behind Schizophrenia
Scientists Have Finally Found a Biological Process Behind Schizophrenia
“Since schizophrenia was first described over a century ago, its underlying biology has been a black box, in part because it has been virtually impossible to model the disorder in cells or animals” said Steven McCarroll, director of genetics at Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research. “The human genome is providing a powerful new way in to this disease.”
“Because the molecular origins of psychiatric diseases are little-understood, efforts by pharmaceutical companies to pursue new therapeutics are few and far between,” said Bruce Cuthbert, acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health “This study changes the game.”
Let's hope that publicly funded research stays ahead of Big Pharma -
Schizophrenia is a complex disease with elusive origins, but the mystery became much clearer today, when a landmark new study based on genetic analysis of nearly 65,000 individuals pinpointed a specific gene and biological process behind it. The discovery injects new hope into the century-old quest to treat— and perhaps even cure—the debilitating psychiatric disorder. Roughly one percent of the population suffers from schizophrenia, a disease characterized by hallucinations, emotional withdrawal, and a declining cognitive function, beginning in adolescence or early adulthood. Despite decades of research, we’ve made very little progress treating schizophrenia, in part, because it’s been so difficult to nail down the cause
“Since schizophrenia was first described over a century ago, its underlying biology has been a black box, in part because it has been virtually impossible to model the disorder in cells or animals” said Steven McCarroll, director of genetics at Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research. “The human genome is providing a powerful new way in to this disease.”
“Because the molecular origins of psychiatric diseases are little-understood, efforts by pharmaceutical companies to pursue new therapeutics are few and far between,” said Bruce Cuthbert, acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health “This study changes the game.”
Let's hope that publicly funded research stays ahead of Big Pharma -
Tuesday
Latest Urgent Actions | Amnesty International Canada
Just a reminder that you can sign up for "Urgent Action Network" to write for rights not just on Dec 10, but as the need arises.
Latest Urgent Actions | Amnesty International Canada
When an individual is in immediate danger of a human rights violation, Amnesty International mobilizes a dedicated group of letter-writers to take action quickly to protect them. Please take action as soon as possible on the cases listed on this page.
Latest Urgent Actions | Amnesty International Canada
When an individual is in immediate danger of a human rights violation, Amnesty International mobilizes a dedicated group of letter-writers to take action quickly to protect them. Please take action as soon as possible on the cases listed on this page.
Risky pesticides left on market too long, environment watchdog says
Risky pesticides left on market too long, environment watchdog says - Politics - CBC News
Gelfand's audit found the pest agency took an average of five years, and up to 11 years, to get dangerous pesticides off store shelves — and that the stalling mechanisms are built right into the law.
Gelfand's audit found the pest agency took an average of five years, and up to 11 years, to get dangerous pesticides off store shelves — and that the stalling mechanisms are built right into the law.
The federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency is taking years to remove confirmed pesticide risks from the marketplace while failing to evaluate many other products, according to a new audit.
The latest annual report from the environment commissioner's office, tabled Tuesday in Parliament, also found that conditionally registered pesticides, fungicides and herbicides which have not been properly vetted have in some cases been in use for more than a decade.
The Liberal government moved last week to stop the practice of conditionally registering the products, effective this June, but commissioner Julie Gelfand's report indicates problems in the system run much deeper.
"We've recommended to the agency that once they've decided that a pesticide has unacceptable risks for all uses, that it should remove them from the market as soon as possible," the commissioner told a news conference.
"And that if they can't remove it right away, they should give more information to the public."
Cobalt mined with child labour used by Apple, Samsung, Sony & others, Amnesty International says - Business - CBC News
Cobalt mined with child labour used by Apple, Samsung, Sony & others, Amnesty International says - Business - CBC News
Children told Amnesty International they worked for up to 12 hours a day in the mines, carrying heavy loads to earn between $1 and $2 US day. In 2014, approximately 40,000 children worked in mines across southern DRC, many of them mining cobalt, according to UNICEF.
In a report, the group documents how traders buy cobalt from areas where child labour is rife and sell it to a company called Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese mineral giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd (Huayou Cobalt). According to filings, Huayou Cobalt sold more than $235 million worth of cobalt in 2013.
Huayou and its subsidiaries then process the metals before selling them to battery component makers, who in turn sell them on to a half dozen battery-making firms who "claim to supply technology and car companies" such as the ones listed above, Amnesty said.
Amnesty said it contacted all the companies that came up in its research, and "none provided enough details to independently verify where the cobalt in their products came from," although most offered at least qualified denials.
"The glamorous shop displays and marketing of state of the art technologies are a stark contrast to the children carrying bags of rocks, and miners in narrow manmade tunnels risking permanent lung damage," Amnesty researcher Mark Dummett said.
"Millions of people enjoy the benefits of new technologies but rarely ask how they are made. It is high time the big brands took some responsibility for the mining of the raw materials that make their lucrative products."
Children told Amnesty International they worked for up to 12 hours a day in the mines, carrying heavy loads to earn between $1 and $2 US day. In 2014, approximately 40,000 children worked in mines across southern DRC, many of them mining cobalt, according to UNICEF.
In a report, the group documents how traders buy cobalt from areas where child labour is rife and sell it to a company called Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese mineral giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd (Huayou Cobalt). According to filings, Huayou Cobalt sold more than $235 million worth of cobalt in 2013.
Huayou and its subsidiaries then process the metals before selling them to battery component makers, who in turn sell them on to a half dozen battery-making firms who "claim to supply technology and car companies" such as the ones listed above, Amnesty said.
Amnesty said it contacted all the companies that came up in its research, and "none provided enough details to independently verify where the cobalt in their products came from," although most offered at least qualified denials.
"The glamorous shop displays and marketing of state of the art technologies are a stark contrast to the children carrying bags of rocks, and miners in narrow manmade tunnels risking permanent lung damage," Amnesty researcher Mark Dummett said.
"Millions of people enjoy the benefits of new technologies but rarely ask how they are made. It is high time the big brands took some responsibility for the mining of the raw materials that make their lucrative products."
Friday
Turkey Detains Academics as Chomsky Takes Aim at Erdoğan's Brutality
Turkey Detains Academics as Chomsky Takes Aim at Erdoğan's Brutality, Hypocrisy | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community
Global outcry over academic freedom and human rights has erupted following news on Friday that the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has arrested at least 18 academics and scholars for signing an open letter last week calling for the end of Turkey's brutal treatment of the country's Kurdish people.
The controversy has been elevated internationally by the involvement of Noam Chomsky and other
high-profile academics who have also expressed public contempt for Turkey's policies towards the Kurds as well as Erdoğan's double-standards on fighting "terrorism" both inside his own country and
in neighboring Syria.
On Friday, students protested the arrests under the banner "don't touch my teacher."
Global outcry over academic freedom and human rights has erupted following news on Friday that the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has arrested at least 18 academics and scholars for signing an open letter last week calling for the end of Turkey's brutal treatment of the country's Kurdish people.
The controversy has been elevated internationally by the involvement of Noam Chomsky and other
high-profile academics who have also expressed public contempt for Turkey's policies towards the Kurds as well as Erdoğan's double-standards on fighting "terrorism" both inside his own country and
in neighboring Syria.
Police have detained at least 12 academics over alleged “terror propaganda” after they signed a petition together with more than 1,400 others calling for an end to Turkey’s “deliberate massacre and deportation of Kurdish people”.Offering further details, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported that 15 academics from Kocaeli University in northwestern Turkey and three from Uludag University in the neighboring province of Bursa were among those detained for questioning. Chief Prosecutor Mustafa Kucuk accused the group of spreading terrorist propaganda and "insulting the moral integrity of the state." Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu implied the academics had chosen to "align" themselves with terrorists.
In a crackdown, condemned by the US ambassador as “chilling”, police are also still processing the paperwork of nine other academics who also face arrest.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has severely criticised the signatories, including political scientist Noam Chomsky and the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, and called on the judiciary to act against their alleged treachery.
Prosecutors launched an investigation into the academics over possible charges of insulting the state and engaging in terrorist propaganda.
Staff from 90 Turkish universities calling themselves “Academicians for Peace” signed the
petition last week calling for an end to the military campaign against the Kurds and accusing the government of breaching international law.
On Friday, students protested the arrests under the banner "don't touch my teacher."
Wednesday
Arrest of human rights defender Samar Badawi latest attempt to intimidate activists | Amnesty International Canada
Saudi Arabia: Arrest of human rights defender Samar Badawi latest attempt to intimidate activists | Amnesty International Canada
According to local activists, Samar Badawi was arrested in the morning on 12 January in Jeddah and transferred along with her two-year-old daughter Joud to a police station. After four hours of questioning, she was transferred to Dhaban prison and is due to appear before a prosecutor tomorrow. She is believed to have been arrested at least partly in connection with her alleged role in managing a Twitter account campaigning for the release of her former husband, the imprisoned human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair.
According to local activists, Samar Badawi was arrested in the morning on 12 January in Jeddah and transferred along with her two-year-old daughter Joud to a police station. After four hours of questioning, she was transferred to Dhaban prison and is due to appear before a prosecutor tomorrow. She is believed to have been arrested at least partly in connection with her alleged role in managing a Twitter account campaigning for the release of her former husband, the imprisoned human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair.
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