The rhetoric was sharp enough to cut down Amazonian hardwoods. Yesterday, Sunday June 7th, after a number of ministers had been paraded out Saturday and the day before, Peru’s el Señor Presidente, Alan Garcia decided to make it personal. After a joint police-military operation aimed at stopping an Indigenous protest had gone awry, leaving many dead on both sides, Garcia declared the Indigenous elements to be standing in the way of progress, in the path of national development, wrenches in the gears of modernity, and part of an international conspiracy to keep Peru down. In a troubling statement on the resemblance of the Indigenous protesters to the infamous Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) armed insurrection, Garcia seemed to imply the Natives were a band of terrorists as he stood in front of hundreds of military officers in a nationally televised speech. He continued to decry the Indian barbarity and savagery, and called for all police and military to stand against savagery.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous protesters confront the police on the highway outside Bagua PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen
Clearly, the battle lines were being drawn. Garcia demonstrated he is not about to allow anything to get in the way of “our development” of the oil and mineral resources the Amazon has to offer. Especially by a bunch of confused savages (his words) who are pawns to the international market and to Indian elites and therefore have no real reason to be resisting. At this point, it was obvious he thought nothing of the Indigenous cause, and what they actually stood for. There is too much money to be extracted from oil, from minerals, from logging, and from possible agriculture in the Amazon region, the 2nd largest stretch outside of Brazil. All on land with less than 200,000 Indigenous people. All now supposed to be open for business, as a result of a series of laws passed under the auspices of Free Trade Agreements signed with both Canada and the United States.
All those who lost their lives – certainly more than the 30 or so officially cited – have in the end given their lives for these free trade agreements and their domestic implementation. After wresting a concession from Congress – a la Bush – Garcia was able to push through 99 changes to the law of Peru. A number of these were ruled unconstitutional later, one dealing with property law standing out. Indigenous groups disputed from the beginning that these laws threatened the integrity of the Amazon, its cultural and biological diversity. Since the beginning, they were ignored. Living up to their Amazonian warrior mythology, they decided to take action.
Police clearly seen with automatic submachine guns, not fit for use against civilians PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen
Protests have lasted now over 50 days, only recently erupting into bloodshed when Garcia suspended civil liberties, declared a state of emergency, and decided to send in the military to end the dispute. This was all done in the name of Garcia’s idea of ‘democracy,’ which should be farcical to anyone who has the least idea what democracy means. Indigenous groups have maintained they want to be included in this so-called democracy, meaning they have a say over what happens in their lands, and that their rights be respected. This is clearly within international law now, after the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was approved two years ago.
The Declaration lays out provisions that clearly establish the rights to free, prior and informed consent over development projects in Indigenous territories, and the right to be involved in any decision making processes that would impact on Indigenous Peoples’ lands, resources or rights. Repeated demands have called for there to be dialogue with Indigenous groups. Garcia’s response? Yes, there has been dialogue – within the government, by elected officials. Obviously, this hasn’t done enough to safeguard the rights, the lives, and the livelihoods of Amazon peoples, and a number of the new laws have been shown to be unconstitutional. Indigenous leaders quickly condemned the tragic loss of lives as the fault of the government, who was not committed to dialogue, but arms. Even the ex-president has placed the blame on Garcia for not seeking dialogue with Indigenous representatives.
Police take away identified ‘terrorist’ PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen
Lamentably, this whole situation could have easily been prevented, had the government cared enough about its own citizens’ lives and effective dialogue more than getting its own way. Instead, on Friday morning, police and military descended on an Indigenous encampment near the Amazonian towns of Bagua Chica and Bagua Grande. Reports from the ground contradict the government version, in which security forces, reluctant to use force, were ambushed and had to defend themselves with bombs, helicopters, and machine guns. Other reports establish that a private meeting was held between the military, the Indigenous leadership, and a local bishop, among others, the night before the violence. Indigenous groups were reportedly given until 10am to make a decision to leave or stay, and were guaranteed that nothing would happen until then. In response, many decided to go home. But the government apparently lied. The operation started around 6am.
Local sources instead claim they were sleeping, unarmed, when bullets were fired in their direction. When the police finally arrived to physically remove protesters, it was then that many police were disarmed, killed, or taken prisoner by the masses of protesters, probably numbering over 2,000 in days prior, now down to a few hundred. By now, the war had been declared, and wouldn’t stop well into the night as police and military continued in a violent sweep, ending up going into the towns and reportedly searching house by house in vengeance. Police entered with weapons of war against civilians. Now the military has been reported to be wearing civilian clothing to carry out what seems more and more to resemble a civil war. Families decry that they haven’t been allowed to enter the areas to search for missing family, or enter jails to visit and feed prisoners. All this done in a declared state of emergency, with many liberties and human rights withdrawn for local citizens.
Protesters re-converge near the split in the highway PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen
Then came the outrage. But not by locals or Indigenous groups, though that was palpable. By the very same government who initiated the action. Their reports came out throughout the next day – a dozen security forces murdered in cold blood, maybe 3 Indians hurt. Now 24 police and military cruelly assassinated, about 9 Indians dead (no information how). The choice of words is translated from government pronouncements, and reflects their dim view of Indigenous deaths, despite many being civilians, with a few children among those murdered.
On the other side, Indigenous groups reported at least 30 civilians and Natives were killed, but also that government officials had gone through lengths to disappear some of the bodies, a claim documented by Amazon Watch (see link below). Some AIDESEP members in the communities dispute that the number is much higher, closer to 100, including peasants and civilians. Video evidence clearly shows Natives armed only with spears against a tactical unit in one confrontation, and photos show police firing live weapons from the roofs, reportedly into crowds gathered below. A national newspaper even reported that one could clearly find pictures of more than a dozen Natives and civilians dead, online. No matter, the numbers had suddenly taken on a new importance.
This had been the worst episode of violence since the 90’s, so one might think the government might want to cut its losses and signal a shift towards more productive measures. Indeed, both sides could claim that they lost a number of lives, impetus to stop the bloodshed. Except that the war had already been declared, and may only be heating up. Hence the president’s fiery rhetoric, about how dare the savage Indians hurt our humble police, who didn’t want to raise their weapons. With their claim of nearly 30 deaths to the Indians’ 9 pushed them to call it a massacre (matanza, masacre) and seemed to pave the ethical and emotional road towards stronger retaliation, as all news channels were flooded with pictures of the soldiers bodies being flown out. The president of the ministers’ congress today appeared before congress and on national television to decry all the foreign news reports that fail to coincide with official numbers. Not only that, of course, these Natives were getting in the way of our development, of our modernity, denying us our basic human rights. Many of these government claims are thin disguises to misrepresent the Indigenous movement and its positions.
Police seen shooting on crowds below in Bagua, after protesters re-assemble PHOTO: AIDESEP
Take the issue of development. Indigenous communities have repeatedly said they aren’t against development, but it has to be a different kind of development, one more responsible. A reasonable claim, especially considering that the loss of the Amazon rainforest is one of the top drivers of climate change. On the issue of leadership and responsibility, the government has maintained that this was a top-down movement led by Alberto Pizango, president of AIDESEP, the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest, an Indigenous organization with representation from Amazon communities. This flies in the face of the history of the protest, which has literally involved thousands of communities, and shown itself to be led by local communities in their own decision making structures. The government has instead tried to pin the blame on Pizango as the main instigator, as a political agent of other parties or perhaps other countries, and a criminal mastermind who has tricked his followers into rallying against perfectly good legislation. They have gone so far as to issue a warrant for his arrest now, with many news reports hinting he has fled to Bolivia, and the Indigenous leadership have lost contact with him.
Protesters – many clearly non-Indigenous – attend to a civilian shot dead PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen
The other easily disputed claim is that this is an Indigenous movement uniquely, the implication being that this does not apply to anyone non-Indigenous, and others should repudiate the movement. It is well known in and around the Amazonian towns, however, that there have consistently been Mestizos, those of mixed race who make a slim majority of Peruvians, as part of the movement. In recent days reportedly a number of disenfranchised army reservists also decided to join the Indigenous cause. Looking at the protests in and around Bagua, it can clearly be seen that as many as half the protesters were not Indigenous, but were there in support. Also in the past, it has been a number of labour unions and farmer groups that have participated in national strikes, concerned over the same free trade agreements as Amazon communities. The implications here are critical, though, and seem to seek a precedent in declaring the Indigenous movement to be a criminal, or even terrorist, movement and outlaw their activities, organizations, and politics.
Civilians with bullet wounds attended in Bagua hospital PHOTO: AIDESEP
What comes next? On the Indigenous side, there have been calls for a national strike on Thursday, the 11th. In this case, many labour groups have been involved from the beginning, so it remains to be seen whether this will go farther than strikes in the past, which have shut down vital transportation and oil infrastructure, as well as Machu Picchu, the main tourist destination of Peru. Indigenous leaders have said, however, their protest will continue until they are able to renegotiate the controversial laws. On the government side, we can only wait and hope for the best. If the inflamed words and rallying of the troops are any indication, however, they may be getting ready to try and strike down harder on the Indigenous movement sooner rather than later. Reports have come in that Special Forces have been seen in the area. All this may spell out more bloodshed in the name of democracy. However, they are also acutely aware they are under the international microscope right now, despite the lack of substantial media reporting about the situation here in Peru.
And that may be where hope rests. This is a critical moment, as the government plans its next steps. There needs to be a strong international focus on Peru, to let them know they cannot get away with more human rights abuses. Already, protests are planned across the United States, with more in planning in Canada. Letters have been sent to the government and to representatives at embassies around the world. AIDESEP has called for a national inquiry into the events of Bagua and the deaths. They have also issued a request for an international observer committee to come and be witnesses to the situation. A national strike is planned for this Thursday, with participation from diverse groups, calling for resolution to the situation and the resignation of Alan Garcia. AIDESEP is also collecting funds to aid in its work and support observers to get into the region.
A curfew has been imposed. Amazonian towns have been militarized. AIDESEP officials are in communication with the communities that there are many missing, many presumed dead. The government has begun persecuting and threatening jail for Indigenous leaders, while the leaders have said they are ready to go to jail to defend their rights. The fear is growing that the government is trying to build support to further repress Indigenous groups. This is not a path to peace and reconciliation.
Indigenous leaders of the Peruvian Amazon hold a press conference to talk about the whereabouts of Pizango and their reaction to the violent outbreak, Saturday June 6th. PHOTO: Ben Powless
For now, the protests will continue. If we are serious about safeguarding the human rights of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of the Amazon, we need to act now. The violent repression of Indigenous protests and the loss of civil liberties must come to an end. If we want to protect and preserve the Amazon, and its bio-cultural diversity, especially in the face of climate change, there is no better protection than keeping it under the control of those who have maintained it forever. The free trade laws that open up the Amazon to logging, mining, oil and agroindustry must be suspended. Indigenous Peoples’ rights – to self-determination, to their lands and resources, to their lives - must be protected and guaranteed. If we are to stop other atrocities and bloodshed, the battle line must be withdrawn, immediately, and there must be dialogue.
For up-to-date information and planned actions: http://peruanista.blogspot.com/
So far actions are planned in Canada, the US, Australia, India and more.
Website of AIDESEP: Aidesep, pueblos indígenas amazónicos del Peru | Portada
Donations can be made under "SOLIDARIDAD AIDESEP”, at
Bank Name: Banco de Crédito del Perú
Account number: 193-1070011-1-01
Account name: AIDESEP-VARIOS
Swift Code: BCPLPEPL
Address: Jr. Lampa 499, Cercado de Lima, Peru
Members of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Paris and London went hungry this World Press Freedom Day - in support of jailed U.S.-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, who herself started a hunger strike on 21 April.
Thankfully, Saberi, who was protesting an eight-year jail sentence for spying for the U.S., has since started eating again. But the international campaigning for her release goes on. Next week, an Iranian appeals court will hear her case, and a verdict is expected shortly thereafter.
As World Press Freedom Day was commemorated on 3 May, Saberi is just one of about 125 journalists jailed worldwide because of their work - and an example of the threats hundreds of thousands of journalists and others face for exercising their right to free expression.
Of this figure, nearly 700 journalists have been killed since 3 May was first celebrated in 1993, according to U.S. President Barack Obama, who acknowledged World Press Freedom Day in an official statement (see: ) Tragically, the latest fatality to be added to the list was gunned down on World Press Freedom Day: Mexican journalist Carlos Ortega Samper, who just a day before his death wrote that he had been threatened by local government officials.
The numbers are grim, no matter where you are. A global survey published by Freedom House last week shows media freedom has declined for the seventh straight year - with journalists facing more obstacles to their work in every region of the world.
"Restrictions can happen in any type of environment, including democracies," says Karen Karlekar, managing editor of the annual "Freedom of the Press" report. (See the report here: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=470 )
"We found that only 17 percent of the world's population live in countries that enjoy a fully free press," she added.
World Press Freedom Day serves as an occasion to pay tribute to Saberi, as well as journalists such as Ortega who risked their lives to give us the news. They understand better than anyone that media contributes significantly to processes of dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation, the theme of this year's World Press Freedom Day.
It is also a time to remind the world of the countless other press freedom violations across the globe, while also developing initiatives that defend and promote journalists and the right to press freedom. Continuing on from last week, here's an update on how other IFEX members and partners did just that (for the full listing, see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/archivefeatures/242/ ):
Here's an inspiring article on how young people in Northern Canada are demanding that more concrete action be taken on climate change.
Whitehorse students petition federal, Yukon governments to act on climate change
CBC News
February 16, 2009
Students at a Whitehorse high school are asking two levels of government to do more to combat climate change, as environment ministers from across Canada converge on the Yukon capital this week.
Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice will be in Whitehorse on Tuesday and Wednesday to meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts at the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment meeting.
Climate change will be one of the key topics the ministers will discuss, as well as the issue of municipal wastewater.
Climate change is also a key issue being raised by the social justice club at F.H. Collins Secondary School, where students have been circulating a petition calling for stronger government policies that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are asking the Canadian government to agree to a target that can be approved by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change," Malcolm Boothroyd, a Grade 11 student and a club member, told CBC News in an interview Monday.
"We are asking the Yukon government to, likewise, to start by setting a target."
About 150 people at the high school have signed the petition to date, but Boothroyd said the club plans to circulate it out into the community, with the hope of acquiring 1,000 or so signatures.
"The people who will be dealing with the effects of climate change will be youth such as myself, not the policy makers who are coming up with policies that will do nothing to curb it," Boothroyd said.
There are already examples in the Yukon of how climate change is affecting people, he said, citing the concerns of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow about changes to wildlife populations.
Boothroyd said he has contacted Prentice and Yukon Environment Minister Elaine Taylor about the club's petition but has received no response so far.
"I was assured that she is very concerned about climate change," he said of Taylor.
"I would hope that she will understand that the youth deserve something done about climate change, so that we don't have to live in far worse of a world."
After 14 days of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli Defense Force, 820 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have reportedly died. What outrages me is that the Security Council has put out a call for a ceasefire, but has no power to actually enforce a ceasefire. In other words, there is no real repercussion for Israel of not responding to the international community. It is incredibly scary that we have no global governance in place that has the authority to put a stop to the blatant killing of innocent civilians. I dream of a day when the voices of global civil society actually have political worth but we have a long way to go when even the UN is powerless. It deeply saddens me to think of all the hundreds of Gazan families that are now broken and traumatized for life, only amplifying the psychological suffering of Palestine. To all Palestinian TIG members, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
I felt the urge to write about my holiday experience so far being surrounded by technology. Working for TakingITGlobal and being Canadian, I am very aware of the role of new technologies in the lives of children and youth but I haven't really understood the extend to which "play" is so linked to electronic adventures for this generation. At this moment, my niece, nephew and cousin (6, 8, and 13) are all playing games: A gameboy, a Bratz "laptop" full of brain teezers and fun games for girls, and of course the best Christmas gift of all: Nintendo Wii...which I have to say is lots of fun! The rest of us are sitting around watching the kids play and marvelling at how the video games we grew up with would be considered so ancient and archaic only 10-15 years later. I'm fascinated by the level of complexity of these games each different and geared towards a different audience. And I'm also fascinated by the level of work gone into these games to make them personal, interactive, and as close to real human activities as possible - especially the Wii. Our family has bowled, played tennis and baseball, boxed, danced, and much more in a matter of a few hours. And I think most of us feel the satisfaction we would feel in really playing these sports and sharing an experience with our loved ones.
So I am catching a glipse of how family time will soon revolve around some sort of technology facilitating our fun. How do I feel about that? I'm not sure to be honest. I am the sort of person who relishes in spending time in the natural environment and doing things the traditional way. But on a cold, windy day like today, what could be more fun then playing every sport in the book and laughing with my beautiful niece and nephew? Is it time to stop resisting and accept the technological revolution that will inevitably transform the lives of future generations including my own?
Maybe I'll find the answer after a few more turns at Wii :)
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO was proud to work with Parks Canada and other partners in organizing the Youth component of the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee. The World Heritage Committee held its annual meeting in Québec City from July 2 – 10, 2008, coinciding with the city’s 400th anniversary celebration.
The World Heritage Youth Forum brought together 30 young people between the ages of 18 to 25--15 Canadians and 15 others invited by Canada from countries representing the five geographical regions of UNESCO--who spent more than two weeks learning about world heritage and the Convention, undertaking educational visits to Canadian World Heritage sites and attending sessions of the World Heritage Committee. The complete report of the World Heritage Youth Forum will be available shortly on the Canadian Commission’s web site at www.unesco.ca
An outcome of the event is the “Six Billion People, One Common Heritage” dossier, launched through a partnership with the National Film Board of Canada. It contains many photos and texts posted by the youth participants as well as the video they produced and presented at the opening ceremony of the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee. To view the video: http://citizen.nfb.ca/youth-and-world-heritage
Today, the Web site aims at being a platform for exchanges and discussions about World Heritage between youth from all over the globe, and all are invited to contribute.
Further information about the work of the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee can be found at https://www.canada2008.ca/en
For information about World Heritage sites in Canada, go the Parks Canada web site at http://www.pc.gc.ca
Source: Canadian Commission for UNESCO www.unesco.ca
La Commission canadienne pour l’UNESCO est fière d’avoir collaboré avec Parcs Canada et d’autres partenaires dans l’organisation du volet jeunesse de la 32e Session du Comité du patrimoine mondial, qui s’est déroulée à Québec du 2 au 10 juillet, dans le cadre de son 400e anniversaire.
Pendant plus de deux semaines, 30 jeunes, âgés de 18 à 25 ans - 15 Canadiens et 15 personnes venant de pays qui représentent les cinq régions géographiques de l’UNESCO - se sont réunis au Canada pour en apprendra davantage au sujet du patrimoine mondial et de la Convention. Ils ont visité certains sites du patrimoine mondial du Canada et ont assisté à des sessions du Comité du patrimoine mondial. Le rapport final de la composante jeunesse sera bientôt disponible sur le site Web de la Commission au www.unesco.ca
L’un des résultats de cet événement est le lancement du site « Six milliards d’êtres humains, un héritage commun » lancé grâce à un partenariat avec l’Office national du film du Canada. Le dossier contient plusieurs photos et articles publiés par les jeunes participants ainsi que la vidéo qu’ils ont produite et qui a été présentée lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture de la 32e Session du Comité du patrimoine mondial. Pour visionner la vidéo : http://citoyen.onf.ca/video-volet-jeunesse-32e-session
I just spent the morning at the Boys and Girls Club National Conference and wanted to share some highlights. Overall, it was really wonderful to meet many of the boys and girls staff from across Canada and get a better understanding of their priorities and program areas. Emily and I presented on Change That Clicks and generated a lot of interest in the program which is great! The best part of the worshop by far was the Internet Safety activity. We wanted BGCC staff to have a taste for how we are able to address some heavy topics with CTC but in a fun and dynamic manner :) The participants broke out into groups of 3 or 4 and wrote a short song about The Good and Bad one experiences in the digital world. I was super impressed with people's creativity, check it out:
There were some great ideas thrown around that could help us broaden our reach with CTC such as holding a Train The Trainer program for all interested clubs so they can lead the program singlehandedly. Our impact could be so powerful if we build the capacity of BGCC staff to provide educational programming using ICTs. Especially with the technological enhancements that will come through the CanTech Program, i feel our contribution needs to be more substantial than a one off program - we can influence the healthy institutionalization of ICTs. Beyond that, it is clear that our action-oriented approach and focus on community development are encouraged by BGCC staff who ultimately want to see their members driven to be contributors in society. I hope that we will see a greater exchange between our organizations in terms of how we enhance the leadership capacity of children and youth. I am also really interested in learning more about the training process for new BGCC staff in terms of effective ways to communication, interact and build healthy relationships with their members, how to resolve conflicts that arise and how to discipline in a non-threatening and non-oppressive manner. I have been thinking about the importance of equipping the CLC coordinators with anti-oppression and cross-cultural resolution training to build their ability to deal with difficult situations as they arise. What a perfect opportunity to exchange expertise with BGCC!
I had another inspiring experience listening to a speech by a young man who first joined the Boys and Girls Club as a member 11 years back. Currently working for the national office as the leadership program coordinator, he wanted to express his immense gratitude for the unwavering dedication of BGCC staff to raising the quality of life for the youth in their communities. His story was really touching…he felt that his life was completely turned around because of the opportunities and support of BGCC from day one. As he said, to empower youth there are two very important things: opportunity and believing. He felt that the BGCC staff always believed in him, and helped him realize his maximum potential. Today, he is coordinating a leadership program he took part in years ago and feels so honoured and privileged to shape the program that had the greatest impact on him. His speech was so genuine and it truly warmed my heart to know affecting change is as simple in believing and never losing hope in one another.
Just wanted to give you a brief update from Montreal. It's been a great trip so far. As soon as I arrived, I met with Yassir, Ilyes, and Sessi on the status of our Francophone engagement in Montreal. Though there has been definite progress in terms of outreach, partnerships, and online engagement, we are still facing certain barriers in reaching francophone youth as broadly as we would look. We decided that the best way for us to expand our networks in Montreal is to build strong partnerships with the more established francophone youth serving groups in the city. This might seem like common sense but the key is to identify groups that would benefit from the partnership as much as we would, groups that have shown interest in working with TIG or at least an interest in strengthening their programming in the ways that we could support. So we identified about 8 key groups we would like to develop partnerships with for Year 3 CLC. We also talked about the importance of networking at this stage as a way of increasing our visibility. We will be building a 3 month strategy together on Friday. It was so great to meet the three of them in person - we all share so much enthusiasm for our CLC work - i left feeling very inspired about what we can achieve in the coming year.
I then attended an Aboriginal Career Development dialogue on Monday and Tuesday. Various individuals and organizations were brought together to discuss the future of the Aboriginal work force and how greater cross-sectoral collaboration could help strengthen current efforts. We were such as diverse group, all adding a different piece to the puzzle. I realize that the work we do with the aboriginal program is such an important piece. It was expressed time and time again that empowering aboriginal youth to want to govern their lives should come before anything else, so the group had a lot of respect for the work we do and our efforts to cultivate a support network for aboriginal youth. Actually i was surprised to see how many people had already heard of TakingITGlobal! Many of them are members of the website and really like our newsletters, hehe. Anyway, being the only young person in attendance gave me many opportunities to offer a different perspective on things and share some of our best practices at TIG and other organizations we've partnered with. Everyone seemed really interested to learn of our approach, as a youth-led group, in terms of strategic planning, activity implementation, and focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
One activity that resonated with all of us what a simple question that started off the day. What would a person look like if their human resource was fully developed? We ended up filling 8 pages of flip chart paper to draw a complete picture of what such a person would look like.
Off the top of my head, this list included: critical thinker, contributer to the community, compassionate, educated, inspiring, resilient, self-actualized and confident etc. During the rest of the dialogue, we kept the image of this person in mind. Even though we all have very different priorities in our work and use different approaches we all share this common vision of a person who has reached their full potential.
Anyway, this has gotten longer than i imagined. I'll stop there for now with more to come!
This is getting ridiculous.. I don't know how much longer the Islamic government in Iran will get away with restricting people's freedom of choice and threatening those who voice dissent. Iranians are not just a bunch of cattle willing to be told how to act and how to think. They have the will to fight as they proved during the Iranian Revolution.
For those of you who might be interested, I read a fantastic book called We Are Iran, which is a compilation of Perisian blogs. Farsi is the fourth most frequently used language for keeping on-line journals, and Iran's political and social activists, prominent writers and journalists use online platforms to inform the Iranian public and the international community about the ill doings of the government, all in the name of Islam. It was an amazing read for me, and presented me with a whole segment of society in Iran who I wasn't familiar with since the political movement there is mostly underground.
Anyway, the latest on Iranian electio campaign below:
Iran bans make for flat election
By Jon Leyne
BBC News, Tehran
The election rally was a desultory affair. It was the last one as campaigning ended in Iran ahead of Friday's general election.
Leading conservative Mohammad Hassan Abutorabi Fard at a rally for the the United Front of Principalists
Conservatives are expected to cement control of the parliament
But barely 100 people gathered in the private car-parking space under a small block of flats.
The interior ministry would not let them hold the meeting in public.
Hardly any of the audience were women. They feel even more disconnected from politics than Iranian men.
And the party itself, the Islamic Iran Participation Front, has no candidates anyway.
They were all disqualified weeks ago, because of their alleged lack of Islamic credentials.
This is no fringe party. It had the single largest group of members in the Iranian parliament until just four years ago.
But this year the "reformists" - the more liberal-minded, pro-Western parties - have had their legs pulled from under them.
Many of their candidates have been disqualified, many more have not even bothered to put their names forward because they know there is no point.
Instead of howls of protest, the reformists seem to have lost the will to fight.
No talking to foreigners
When I approached one of the speakers at this rally, he said it was not "expedient" to speak to the BBC right now.
Hardly surprising when one reformist MP has been accused of treason, just for giving an interview to the Voice of America.
Another was criticised simply for speaking to the German ambassador.
Reformists hand out leaflets on a Tehran street
Reformists have not vanished but they appear defeated in advance
The reformists have not found a way to fight back against a system that now seems stacked against them.
Many of their supporters will simply not go out and vote in the parliamentary elections on Friday. In fact, here in the smart suburbs of north Tehran it's hard to find anyone who is going to vote.
Out in the more conservative provinces and in the villages it may be different. But even there, many of those who put their hopes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the presidential elections nearly three years ago are disillusioned, particularly over his handling of the economy.
Mixed meassge
State television has been broadcasting stirring music and pictures of happy voters. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been telling Iranians it is their Islamic duty to vote.
Foreign governments and international media, including the BBC, have been attacked for trying to undermine this patriotic effort.
Party worker hands out election leaflets in Teheran
Some leaflets were handed out but campaigning was half-hearted
Yet the government itself is also sending mixed messages. Most election posters have been banned. The official campaign only lasted a week - including one day which was a public holiday.
The election itself is being held less than a week before the country shuts down for the Iranian new year holiday of Norouz. At the moment, most Iranians are more interested in shopping than politics.
On the streets of Tehran, there has been almost no evidence an election is about to happen.
Conservative or conservative
The suspicion is that the authorities are in two minds about what sort of turnout they want.
They need enough voters to endorse the legitimacy of what they still insist is a democratic process.
But too high a turnout might encourage those who have given up on the government to go out and register their protest, if they can find a like-minded candidate who has not been disqualified.
Some observers mischievously suggest the turnout has already been decreed as a safe 51% - the same as last time.
Maybe that is unfair. But the result certainly seems entirely predictable.
Control of parliament is almost certain to remain with the conservatives, or "principalists" as they prefer to call themselves - how can you be a conservative and a revolutionary at the same time, after all?
Precisely which of the conservatives will win is a more complicated question - fiendishly complicated in fact.
There are five main groupings or "lists" battling for seats. But many candidates have been endorsed by two or more groups.
Some candidates are even standing for apparently opposing groupings.
How voters are expected to make their choice is not clear.
But the evidence of this parliamentary election is that that choice is increasingly limited, and increasingly unimportant.
Creating Local Connections (CLC) Canada - Edmonton Trip – Jan 29 – Feb 1st ‘08
The last few days of my trip were spent in Edmonton with the CLC’s Alberta Youth Engagement Coordinator, Jessie-Lee Langille. It was really a pleasure to see Jessie-Lee in action, and have greater insight into the time commitment that coordinators put into organizing each of their events! Jessie-Lee had organized 5 CLC-related activities in the course of one week, and I was able to attend 4 of them:
1) Address Global Challenges – Open Forum on arts-based activism, held during International Development Week (IDW) at UAlberta.
With the aim of exhibiting artwork from the global gallery, Jessie-Lee ran a global gallery contest with Laura’s help. The theme was Addressing Global Challenges (which was also the overriding theme of IDW at UAlberta), using art to showcase what young people were doing worldwide to address global challenges. She then exhibited the contest submissions along with other global gallery submissions, and results of a local MDG mural project from 2007 that TakingITGlobal partnered on (you can find this collection on the global gallery). It was really great to see the brilliance of the global gallery in print! Participants were asked to take part in a draw by selecting their favourite art which motivated people to critically look at each piece. Jessie-Lee started the open forum with a powerpoint introducing TakingITGlobal and the role of the global gallery in engaging youth in social activism.
2) Networking meeting
One of the aims of the CLC Canada program is to support existing networks by introducing the TIG tools and providing the necessary training. Furthermore, in communities where there are no existing networks, some coordinators are holding meetings to bring groups together and encourage collaboration and sharing of best practices.
Jessie-Lee held her first networking meeting, having realized that no real coalition or network exists in Edmonton. It was a great turnout with members from 8 community groups present. It was amazing to see how many groups were environmentally-focused, but were seeking opportunities to connect with other non-enviro-related groups in the social and/or youth sector.
There was even a foundation at the table (who showed up unexpectedly) wishing to identify groups who were seeking funding for their youth and eco-focused programming. All members were open to sharing resources with one another, and the representative from a government-offered anti-violence program has followed up with me regarding the LVVL program. Jessie-Lee and I spoke about the TIG tools that other networks are using to strengthen their communications and as a ongoing platform for resource sharing. They was definitely a lot of interest in finding ways to integrate local sites with TIG’s to allow for events sharing and so on. So that’s something I will follow up with mike on. Jessie-Lee did a fantastic job of facilitating the meeting, and is very keen on helping with the establishment of a permanent network in Edmonton.
3) NGO Fair – We manned a TakingITGlobal booth at a NGO fair at UAlberta, during which I was able to meet with all the other participating groups and inform them of TIG and particularly the Browse Resources section where they could promote their organization and opportunities. Furthermore, I met one young lady at our booth who had so many questions around how to connect with specific groups who were working in Kashmir, and how to become more active in her community. Turns out she is moving to Toronto at the end of February and plans to come visit us at the TakingITGlobal office!
4) !TIG Training with newly formed student coalition at UAlberta!
Jessie-Lee joined a new student coalition group that was very keen on developing a strong communications strategy. Naturally, they were very intrigued to hear about the tools offered on TIG and were committed to using our platform for their communications. So, we scheduled a training during my visit where coalition members were given a brief orientation on the site and the keys tools that were relevant to their coalition: TIG profiles, TIG groups, project pages, and organizational profiles. Though it takes quite some time to establish a network on the TIG site, let alone building a good comprehension of how to navigate TIG, the coalition members were patient and understood the long term benefits of “institutionalizing” TIG at the onset.
The important part of the trip was having a chance to sit down with Jessie-Lee and hear her reflections on both what she has been able to accomplish and gained on a professional level since joining CLC, as well as the various challenges she has faced carrying out her role. We outlined several ideas for strategic developments for year 3, as well as more immediate steps that could be taken to better support the coordinators. I am truly grateful to have such a dedicated staff on the CLC team, and I want to recognize the fact that Jessie-Lee has taken certain steps in her position that will have a broad impact on the CLC program. For example, she has developed a facilitator’s guides for the Climate Change Guide To Action that includes a powerpoint and student worksheets, all of which can be adopted by the other coordinators. involvement of university interns (working with CLC for credit) and approach to partnership his was developed with host organization, Alberta YouthVOLUNTEER!, the ED having had teaching experience. Furthermore, she has made an agreement with the Global Education Network at UAlberta to take on a few university interns who will be facilitating CLC workshops for school credit! Thank you for taking so much initiative and representing us so well You rock! Check her out at http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/jesslangille. Oh, and she was recently interviewed by the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Alberta. Click here to read the story!
Country Fun!
My three week trip ended fabulously at a cowboy-style dance club in Edmonton. I was joined by my two favorite people in town, Gus (Year 1 Alberta Coordinator) and Jessie-Lee (his successor). We had a lot of fun and I have to say, I really dig the line dancing. Woohoo!
Hey everyone, I just wanted to thank you for your insightful blogs!!
It is your stories that capture the essence of what our generation is capable of... thank you.
I wanted to reflect on something lynne said in her latest blog that put a smile on my face:.
The world is HUGE.
But with TIG,
it seems like such a small, small world.
I feel the same way...
p.s. liked this image, because it represents a moment in time when we all have to decide what kind of life we want to lead - because a memorable life doesn't come without its struggles. So kudos to each of you for choosing the road less travelled...
Creating Local Connections (CLC) Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Jan 22-27th
By Kimia Ghomeshi and P.J. Partington
Since CLC was launched in 2006, I have been corresponding with our CLC project partner in Yellowknife (Centre for Northern Families), about various opportunities for TakingITGlobal in the Northwest Territories. Arlene Hache, the Executive Director, is convinced that the knowledge sharing and sense of community that is made possible with the internet is the answer to many of the challenges facing NWT’s youth (as described below). In a nutshell though, the geographical isolation of communities has resulted in a lack of cohesion and poor accessibility to social services. Arlene feels that the opportunities and self-directed learning that is made possible through information technology can and has created a great sense of empowerment amongst NWT’s youth. She believes that the adoption of TIGed and TakingITGlobal in general can have an unprecedented impact on isolated communities in NWT, so she has been seeking potential partners who would be interested in implementing TIG programming territory-wide.
Though some groups were incredibly responsive to the idea of partnering with TIG, many others that heard about us through the grape vine were not fully comfortable working with an organization that did not have a local presence. So P.J. and I decided to pay Yellowknife a visit in hopes of making a lasting impression. With the support of the Centre for Northern Families youth coordinators, we schedule several meetings with youth serving organizations in the city. We also held a climate change workshop with youth organizers to plan the beginnings of a climate change youth movement in the territory.
And I have to mention the cute Bed and Breakfast that we stayed at amongst tons of Japanese tourists visiting NWT to see the Northern lights (it’s a huge tourist attraction!).
We managed to make it out to Great Slave Lake for a few walks and snowshoeing fun in -50 temperatures. Unfortunately all dog sledding and snowmobiling tours were completely full so we’ll have to save that for the next trip.
Overall, we felt that our visit was incredibly necessary for giving a face to TIG and presenting in detail the various programs that we offer. We had several requests to return and do more workshops, presentations, and to develop some territory-wide initiatives as described below. We could easily book a good 10 presentations/workshops on our next trip, which is super exciting!
Furthermore, we gained much insight into the complexity of obstacles facing NGOs who have placed youth development as a priority. With a high school drop-out rate of ~50% (the majority of whom are aboriginal youth), many organizations are committed to providing services and programming targeting marginalized youth outside of the education system. But they are having extreme difficulties reaching the youth they wish to support. Practically every organization we spoke to shared similar ideas on what the ‘root’ of the problems were:
- High school curriculum – It is not culturally-sensitive to the aboriginal population (teaching mechanisms are counter-intuitive to how aboriginal youth are “taught” in their households, programs taught in English and not their native language, the lack of interaction with nature and spiritual components, etc)
- Domestic situation - Many aboriginal families are unstable, with alcoholism and other addictions being rampant especially in rural communities. Thus children are not well supported by their parents/guardians and in many cases kicked out of their homes.
- Education - Many youth are expelled from the school in their community and not permitted to return even after attending youth programs within correctional facilities. Furthermore, there are no transitional programs available to youth who have “graduated” from a correctional facility with hopes of becoming a respected member of society. They leave the correctional facility with literally nowhere to turn. So they end up back on the streets and without a healthy support network.
- Lack of motivation - Many aboriginal youth come from disenfranchised families, generations back, and have never been “told” or shown that they can have a better life than that afforded to their parents.
- Aboriginal youth are caught between two worlds – many cannot speak their native language, and language is central to feeling a part of any culture. Yet, they definitely have not conformed to the Canadian culture and many feel a great resentment toward the Canadian government and societal structure for the hundreds of years of oppression they have faced. However, many social and youth services provided are run by non-aboriginal peoples so some youth feel a reluctance in taking advantage of these services.
- Isolation – rural communities in NWT are far removed from the services (education, health, youth programming) that can be accessed in Yellowknife. It is in these communities where the majority of NWT’s aboriginal population resides.
- Intergenerational relationships – we hear time and time again that young people are lacking healthy relationships with adults and elders in their communities. For aboriginal youth in particular, these relationships could help to raise their cultural awareness and sense of belonging and pride for their heritage. (In fact, during my social change workshop in Yukon, 3 aboriginal youth said that they want to learn more about their culture from a reliable and relatable source, such as their elders, and not from high school teachers who don’t share their heritage). Anyhow, there is a huge challenge that is usually overlooked in the south when we speak about youth-adult relationships, because for northern communities it is in many cases the adults/elders who are lacking the will and mental capacity to acknowledge their invaluable role as mentors to the youth in their community. More resources need to be invested in providing services such as focus groups, reconciliation programs, and rehabilitation centres in smaller communities.
- Lack of accessible youth centres – there is only one drop-in youth centre in Yellowknife that provides a safe space and bedding for youth. However, it is funded and run by a faith-based group so several youth have expressed their discomfort with regularly using this centre because of references made to religion and a need to adopt religious values. For TakingITGlobal, it is important that we consider these many systemic barriers facing youth when designing programs for these regions. One thing that was echoed by all organizations is the success they’ve had with arts-based initiatives and so (not surprisingly) the Language as Violence, Violence as Language workshop, and the Express Yourself section of TIG were big time favorites for everyone. P.J. and I are really confident that we can have a great impact in NWT by introducing the appropriate programs, such as LVVL, TIGed, and Change That Clicks, and climate change-focused projects. There are some organizations eager to have us back in late March/early April who are currently seeking funding to have us back so our fingers are crossed! After having successfully met with the groups and schools outlined below, we look forward to connecting with youth more directly on our next trip.
*Climate Change Workshop*
Our Climate Change Workshop took place on Thursday, January 24th. Promotions were arranged by the inimitable Palesa Yaxley with the Centre for Northern Families. Posters were put up in key locations (eg. Javaroma, Frostbyte, and at the Schools) and our flyer, including the TIG link, glowed in giant neon on the YK1 District School Board’s illuminated sign on Franklin St, the main thoroughfare. Our name in lights!!
Though the promotions were very thorough, they started only 3 days prior to our arrival. This was due to staffing issues at the Centre.
Unfortunately for attendance, the timing of the workshop itself was also poor, as students were just finishing their exams. However, the consummate pioneering flexibility that has defined TIG allowed us to conduct a highly successful workshop all the same.
Through this flexibility the focus of the workshop shifted from being a session with youth on starting a local group to being a brainstorming and support session where we focussed on identifying the challenges of youth engagement in Yellowknife, identifying a leader (Gilly), and drawing up an action plan for the group’s development into the Spring. It was a small workshop in terms of size, but it was a representative and thoughtful group. A teacher from Sir John high school participated, as well as Jessica Simpson, founder of the Arctic Indigenous Youth Alliance, several young staff from the Centre and other interested youth, making for some great discussion and information sharing. It was also a great chance to set up a support and resource network for Gilly, and the groundwork has now been laid for future successful sessions in the high schools and community.
All in all, the workshop, despite its small size and surprise form, was a great success. Our discussions on the barriers to youth engagement will be particularly helpful to making TIG’s work in the territories effective.
We look forward to working with Gilly and Lauren as they drive their action plan forward. Judging by our other meetings, it will be a very welcome initiative.
My Yukon adventure has come and gone! Here's some highlights from my trip:
The Youth Take Over The World Conference, hosted by BYTE, served as a great opportunity to meet Yukon youth, mostly from Whitehorse but many from other communities as well. Kenny (Yukon Youth Engagement Coordinator for the CLC Canada program) and I facilitated an activism workshop called Viva La Revolution together with Sophie, a local youth who specializes in communications for social change. Considering the demographic, and the fact that almost all the youth who attended would be considered disengaged or underengaged, the workshops were a real challenge! The three of us recognized that we needed to shift our objectives for the workshops. Rather than focusing on building action plans as we had initially planned, we aimed to inspire the participants to voice their opinions about the issues they face and see their communities face, and to realize their potential in creating meaningful change. We had to learn to really present our information in a way that the youth could relate to. So much of the discussion revolved around questions, stories, and issues that were identified and shared by the participants themselves. Environmental issues and racism/discrimination were some of the key things that were raised. In each workshop, we felt that 1-2 youth left feeling that they were capable of influencing change on some level and that to us was an achievement! Kenny will be following-up with them before their initial excitement fizzles out :)
I spoke a lot with the MCs for the conference who work for Power of Hope, an international organization that aims to empower youth through the arts. Their facilitation techniques were super so I asked them if they offer any trainings. They are organizing a week long training in BC in the summer so I’m definitely looking into that opportunity to learn from the pros! Check them out at http://powerofhope.org/.
We also set up a booth which was a great way to speak to Yukon youth about TakingITGlobal, show them the site, and help some of them sign up on the spot! A really exciting part of the site for many of them was the Express Yourself section and the fact that they could connect with other youth around the world.
The conference ended on a high note with a concert featuring the Sam Roberts Band – the band’s first time in the Yukon! It’s not often that musicians book concerts up north so it was definitely exciting for the youth.
CBC Interview
Prior to the conference, Kenny, Sophie and I were interviewed by CBC radio who wanted to know more about TakingITGlobal, the youth social justice movement (locally and internationally), and our goals for the social change/activism workshop. What’s cool is that the entire interview (10-15 minutes) was aired and a handful of people at the conference approached us about it!
Be The Change group
At one of the local high schools, a social action club recently started up called Be The Change. As Kenny explained it, a group of students were so inspired by a Be The Change day that happened at their school in fall ’07, that they decided to start up a club that takes action on issues facing students in the school as well as acting in international issues. Before Christmas, as an example, they prepared and sent hampers full of school supplies to an elementary school in Afghanistan were was lacking the proper supplies (pencils, paper, binders) to learn. Kenny will be meeting with the group on an ongoing basis to support them in create action plans for future projects. I attended the Be The Change’s meeting last week and presented TakingITGlobal with Kenny. We went over the Guide To Action methodology with them and suggested doing a climate change workshop with them in the future. It was really nice to see how supportive their vice-principal is, who had some really cool ideas for upcoming projects, and is very much their mentor who helps to drive Be the Change. It was clear that the students really respect and look up to her.
Innovators program
I had an interesting meeting with Heather Dundas from the Innovators in the Schools program that aims to make science and technology fun. Heather was very keen is helping us to identify suitable schools and teachers for the workshops we offer, and she was especially interested in the climate change guide to action workshop. She also showed us a high school network that was recently created online that we could surely hook into to promote the TIG site. She also showed us some national science magazine for youth that might consider free advertising for TIG. Essentially there were many opportunities to connect, so Kenny will be following up with Heather once he does some more research.
Kenny rocks!
Finally, I have to say that Kenny really really inspired me on this trip. He is so well connected with the Whitehorse youth community and he has built relationships with many youth who clearly love his company! Everywhere we went – people knew Kenny! He even ditched me for the Boys and Girls youth on my last day in Whitehorse, hehe. He is super dedicated to his role as a mentor and friend and makes sure he is always approachable. And he listens and learns from them as much as they do from him. I really admire this in Kenny and he made me think very seriously about the importance of realizing our roles as mentors when talking about youth empowerment. It’s not as simple as giving 45 minutes of our time in a workshop, change takes persistence and dedication. It means building trust and proving your loyalty to your peers. For Kenny, this role is innate. The time spent learning and laughing with Kenny was priceless – thanks for the good times!!
Good times
On the topic of good times - On Sunday before my flight out of Whitehorse, Jessica Thiessen (Founder of Arctic Youth Network and CLC Advisor) took me down the Alaskan highway to one of Yukon’s most beautiful landscapes called Hanes Junction where a vast set of mountains are met by a UNESCO heritage site, the Kluane National Park. The mountains were so incredibly amazing that I was left speechless during most of the trip, so needless to say I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my Yukon experience - Yukon is a goldmine for nature lovers
I really look forward to spending more time exploring the territory on my next visit.
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