Public Forum March 20th

Colombia's Crisis Beyond the Reports
Impacts for Andean Region & Canada

Thursday, March 20 @ 6:30p.m.
Bahen Centre @ 40 St. George Street
(just north of College St), RM# 1180

Speakers:
LUIS MATTA (writer/exiled human rights activists, CASA) JUSTIN PODUR (writer/activist, Znet & Pueblos en Camino) RUSA JEREMIC (Global Economic Justice Program Coordinator, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives-KAIROS)


Background;

Despite decades of armed violence and repression, on March 6, 2008, Colombian civil society marched peacefully and in masse demanding truth, justice and reparation for state and paramilitary crimes. These mobilizations were supported by similar actions in numerous cities throughout the world, including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Quebec City and Vancouver; a welcome sign of much needed international attention and solidarity.

The significance of March 6TH mobilizations, however, was eclipsed by Uribe's deliberate and illegal armed incursion into Ecuador to assassinate FARC guerillas, including 2nd-in-command Raul Reyes. Although the resulting border crisis with Ecuador and Venezuela has been resolved for now, it is evident that the U.S.-allied Uribe government is willing to risk peaceful relations with its neighbours to fight its "war against terror".

In Canada, the extent of Colombia's humanitarian crisis, including four million internally displaced persons and persistent right-wing paramilitary threats, receives scant attention. Meanwhile, the Harper government continues behind-the-scenes negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with Uribe, the worst violator of human and labour rights in the hemisphere.

Organized by: Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance (CASA) & Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA)-Toronto Group.

Endorsers: OPIRG Toronto and CUPE Ontario International Solidarity Committee.

For more information: mailto: pda.toronto@gmail.com