Note: After last night's meeting, I know a lot more about what we're doing next week, so here's an updated, revised calendar of events.
This is a partial calendar, because how much much happens is up to you: people of peace all over Canada will make this week a success by becoming involved.
Please pledge to do one thing, every day, to support war resisters in Canada. A phone call to your MP. A letter to a local newspaper. An hour of leafletting outside a local event (Obama's inauguration might provide you with one). An email to all your contacts. One action, every day.
* * * *
As I mentioned last week, January is a critical time in our fight to secure sanctuary in Canada for people of conscience who have refused to participate in the US occupation of Iraq.
Key upcoming dates include:
Jan 20: Removal date for Chris Teske
Jan 22: Removal date for Cliff Cornell
[Jan. 26: Parliament resumes]
Jan. 27: Removal date for the Rivera family (with 3 children, including an infant)
Jan 29: Removal date for the Hart family (with a child)
Jan. 30: Removal date for Dean Walcott
Feb. 10: Judicial review in Jeremy Hinzman's case
March 13: new IRB hearing for Joshua Key
March 18: Judicial review in Matt Lowell's case
The court dates in February and March may bring good news for our cause, so it's no coincidence that the Harper Government is trying to rush war resisters out of the country before then. If deported to the US, the war resisters face court martial, prison time and dishonourable discharges, the equivalent of a felony offence.
On June 3, 2008, Parliament passed a motion calling on the Government to cease all deportation proceedings against war resisters and allow them to stay in Canada. The Harper Government continues to flout democracy by ignoring the motion.
In response to this crisis, we are launching "Let Them Stay Week", January 19-26, a national week of actions to show the broad Canadian support to let war resisters stay.
As we mobilize support across Canada, I hope you will consider what you can do to help.
1. Monday, January 19: Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper of choice. When papers get enough letters on one topic, they're likely - even obligated - to print one or more.
2. Tuesday, January 20: Leaflet a local event. See the War Resisters Support Campaign site for a leaflet, make your own, or email me. The Obama Inauguration may provide you with a local event. If not, stand in front of a subway or commuter rail stop at rush hour.
3. Wednesday, January 21: In Toronto, we'll hold a press conference featuring war resister families and many prominent Canadians, including supportive MPs.
That evening, there'll be an event in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood, home to the Rivera family, Dean Walcott, Dale Landry, Ryan Johnson and other resisters live. This is a neighbourhood event organized by the community itself - mothers from Kim's day-care, people she knows through the local health centre, her son's school - working Canadians, many of whom are also immigrants. I'll post details as I have them.
If you want to plan a small solidarity event in your community, this might be the night to do it.
4. Thursday, January 22, will be a national call-in day focusing on Immigration Minister Jason Kenney & Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
5. Friday, January 23 will be a day to call or drop by your local MP's office to ask what they are doing to support resisters.
The War Resisters Support Campaign encourages people of peace throughout Canada to use the framework of "Let them Stay Week" to be creative and organize local events in support of war resisters.
Any group you belong to - faith, peace, labour, LGBT, environment - can get involved. Please send this information to your membership and invite them to act.
Supporting resistance to war is a concrete way of supporting peace. And giving refuge to military resisters speaks to the kind of society we want Canada to be.
We are also collecting signatures of prominent Canadians for an open letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. If you have any leads in this regard, please get in touch with me.
13 comments:
Laura,
Would you please send more info re: Vietnam war resisters forum in support of IW resisters. I would be interested in attending.
Much thanks.
Bruce Beyer
Bruce, thanks very much. The plans have morphed into a different kind of event - a community show of support for the Riveras through the people of Parkdale.
However, we are always looking for Vietnam resisters to join become more involved. If you are in Toronto, come to the event on Weds night, talk to Lee or Tom.
Please: Is it possible to post direct links to Canadian government officials so we can send them our personal notes re deportation of war resisters?
Thank you,
Julius in Tucson, AZ
A lot of Vietnam resisters have been helping Iraq war resisters...
Julius in Tucson, thanks for asking. I'm not sure what you mean by direct links, but I can give you email addresses. Please click on the category "war resisters" on the bottom of this post, and then scroll down for posts that have email addresses listed.
Prime Minister: Stephen Harper
Immigration Minister: Jason Kenney
Immigration Critics (the opposition parties): Borys W, Olivia Chow, Thierry St-Cyr
Liberal Party Leader: Michael Ignatieff
You should be able to find all their email addresses pretty easily on this blog. You can also google their names for their websites with contact info.
Thank you!
This post has email addresses.
If anyone wants to post them here, please do, I just don't have time right now. Thanks.
Laura,
Thanks for responding so quickly to my request for info. If I had your email address I would not have asked in such a public manner.
Mary and I do what we can to support Iraq war resisters from our "strategic location" in Buffalo, NY.
I've been rather disappointed at the seeming lack of major public support from Vietnam era war resisters living in Canada. Considering our numbers once exceeded 50,000, one would think that the WRSC's coffers would be overflowing and thousands would be in the streets.
I can never thank Canadians enough for their support, both past and present, of American war resisters. Vietnam era war resisters are now Canadians and it is time more got off their asses and demanded asylum for this generation of resisters. We need more people like Lee,Tom, Charlie Diamond and Bill King.
Much thanks for all you do, Laura!
Bruce Beyer
Ah, Bruce Beyer from Buffalo! Now that I put the name with the place, I know who you are. Welcome to wtmc, I'm honoured to see you here.
Although Vietnam resisters are at the core of our movement, you're right, considering how many there were, the numbers are indeed small.
It seems as though the Vietnam people are so thoroughly integrated into Canadian society that many are no longer in touch with those roots. Probably many people (sadly, unfortunately) saved their own skins without becoming politicized to a broader meaning.
Also, my email address is at the top of the blog on the right. And you're welcome to ask questions in public, too. :)
Great to have you here with us, Bruce, thanks so much! May I ask whether Buffalo is on the US or the Canadian side of the border? And where is Fort Erie? Sorry I am not that well informed about geography at times...
Apart from the Vietnam resisters already mentioned, I think Andy Berrie from the media has been supportive and Peter Prontzo from a university somewhere in Western Canada have been supportive, for example, and of course Toronto lawyer Jeff House has done a great job for the Iraq resisters. Sorry I can't think of more at the moment...
It's always very good to have people get policized and therefore interested to actively help, Laura. I think a lot of it depends on interpreting stuff the right way and assertiveness and daring to speak out and take a stand. For example, many women have become active in feminism because of the experiences of still ongoing discrimination. It would have been awful if they had said: "No chance, let's put up with patriarchy and collaborate." Or Susan B. Anthony had not been subjected to sexism and was used to be assertive and live as a free person and when she learnt that alas, back then women were deprived even of legal recognition of their human rights, she understood that this was unacceptable and decided to do something for redress in person. Or regarding, let's say, welfare, it's much better, if somebody says: "Hey, let's support people in need. For example, some ideas that I have found helpful when I was on welfare are..." and not: "Being on welfare was such an unpleasant experience for me that I prefer not to deal with the issue any longer. I have such a problem with all that so that it would be way too hard on me to..." (or even, and that's really extremely unpleasant: "I am scared of getting associated with the damn thing so I'd rather never say anything about it in public.") Do you see my point?
Buffalo is in western New York State, in the US. It shares a border with the Canadian province of Ontario - that is, it's one of the places you can cross between US and Canada.
It's very nearby. Resister Patrick Hart is from Buffalo and grew up going to Canada all the time. Likewise, many Canadians (including me!) use the airport in Buffalo because flying from the US is often cheaper than from Canada.
Ft Erie is in Canada, very near Buffalo.
Cornelia, no reason you should know this geography, it's very specific to this area!
Also, Andy Barrie of the CBC has been very supportive, but because of his position he is not free to just offer his unqualified support - he must maintain some neutrality. He hosted a great forum we did, interviewing 15 or so resisters in a panel setting. It was an excellent event and pivotal in winning us the support of the Liberal Party.
Thanks so much for all the great info, I really appreciate it, Laura!
Apart from the Vietnam resisters already mentioned, I think Andy Berrie from the media has been supportive and Peter Prontzo from a university somewhere in Western Canada have been supportive, for example, and of course Toronto lawyer Jeff House has done a great job for the Iraq resisters. Sorry I can't think of more at the moment...
Gerry Condon from Project Safe Haven / Soldier Say No has been very helpful, too of course.
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