Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Notes for the North American Summit Hemispheria 2006 (May 31st to June 2) Research Team

The event will bring together governors, premiers, mayors and business leaders from across Mexico, the United States and Canada to consider key issues related to the competitiveness of the North American economy. The summit will also bring together North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO) which promotes trade and transportation connections along the mid-continent trade and transportation route.[1]

A transportation corridor is nearly a quarter-mile wide. It serves vehicles, trains, and incorporates oil, gas, electric, and water lines. Networks of toll roads will function primarily to connect U.S. roads to networks in Mexico, Central and South America, and Canada.
[2]

NASC a. k. a. NASCO
(but not the NASCO which runs the MTS Centre here in Winnipeg!)

North America's Supercorridor Coalition "focuses on the needs of the highways it represents, but also on the multimodal corridor as a whole – highways, rail, aviation, inland port intermodal facilities and technology. NASCO’s goal is to make the corridors it represents the world’s first fully international, integrated, intermodal trade and transportation corridor in North America.”
[3]
NASCO describes itself as a public/private, non-profit corporation seeking to create an international trade corridor system throughout North America, secure funding for certain projects, and promote the development of International Trade Processing Centers. A lobbying group, linked to other lobbying groups, it is partnered with the North America’s Supercorridor Caucus in Congress and working with Senate committees on a Multi-State International Corridor Development Program. Tim Brown, a Bell County, Texas Commissioner is President.
[4]
“NORTH AMERICA'S SUPERCORRIDOR COALITION” is currently a lobby registrant (number 30352189) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
[5]
The US Senate website, indicates a registrant/client relationship for which a filing was received by the SOPR. In any case, many registrants have since terminated the lobbying activity with respect to clients listed. The number does not indicate "ACTIVE" or "CURRENT" status, merely that a filing had been received pursuant to the LDA:
[6] The registrant is OCONNOR & HANNAN (and the client is NASCO).
NASCO’s brand image was developed by a company called Project Partners
[7]. "Project Partners was my ’right arm’ for the International Transportation Forum at AllianceTexas. We could not have done it without them." Said Paula Baucum, Director of Marketing North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition[8].

NAITCP
The NAITCP (
http://www.naitcp.org/) is a ‘partnership of cities of Mexico, the United States and Canada linked by a trade corridor that works to promote economic and social development in our region.’ NAITCP just held its 11th annual summit in San Pedro, Mexico, May 11-13. That meeting was called ‘Hemispheria, the North American Convergence Summit,’ and featured working groups on ‘Trade and Transportation Corridors in North America, Smart Borders, and Cultural Integration.’[9]

CNATCA
The CNATCA (
http://www.cnatca.org/) aims to encourage ‘continued economic integration between the three North American countries and to foster greater collective involvement in the emerging global economy.’ CNATCA’s project, the Central North American Trade Corridor, extends from Alaska through the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, and Texas, and then south of the U.S. border to Mexico City.[10]
“Lawsuits based on environmental issues have delayed implementation of these provisions, but in June 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that environmental reviews were not required. The latest holdup is an agreement on safety standards, UPI reporting in March 2005, that Mexico would not allow U.S. safety inspectors to check trucks on its side of the border.”
[11]
As of June 10th, 2005, President Bush was continuing to demand Congressional approval of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Many legislators (even those who express outrage over present U.S. border problems) had caved, as of June 10th.
[12]

morsels
There are only a few reports available on internet with respect to NASC,
http://www.copvcia.com/free/ww3/061605_world_stories.shtml, for example.
Resistance in Texas is well organized, check out
http://www.corridorwatch.org/.
There is also racist opposition,
http://sixthcolumn.blogspot.com/, for example.

Footnotes
[1]http://www.ndpcaucus.mb.ca/thisweek/ThisWeekArchive105.html
[2] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm

[3] http://www.catransco.org/Links/Transportation_links.htm

[4] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm
[5] http://clerk.house.gov/pd/houseID.html?reg_id=30352
[6] http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/b_three_sections_with_teasers/clientlist_page_N_O.htm
[7] http://www.yourprojectpartners.com/index.asp?page=3#top
[8] http://www.yourprojectpartners.com/index.asp?page=4

[9] http://www.cuttingedge.org/news_updates/nz1896.htm
[10] ibid.
[11] ibid.
[12] ibid.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

The Devil's Lake diversion project

If you oppose the Devil's Lake diversion project, you may want to show up on Sunday at noon at the Manitoba Legislature. There will be a rally with speakers and petition-signing starting at noon. The speakers will be followed by music and entertainment until 6 p. m.

Who: opponents of the Devil's Lake diversion project

What: a rally to protest

When: noon on Sunday, July 24th

Where: the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg

Why: to protest the Devil's Lake diversion project

Friday, July 22, 2005

Indigenous youth challenge corporate mining

by Angela Sterritt

On June 22 the second International Indigenous Youth Conference (IIYC) released several resolutions and declarations aiming to stop the destructive impacts of globalization on indigenous lands, cultures, and peoples.The six-day meeting facilitated conversation between indigenous youth from countries in Africa and Latin America, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Finland, the United States, and Canada. Over 180 delegates gathered on Coast Salish territory in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to share political struggles and to create a plan of action. In the final declaration, conference representatives called for an "end to all developmental aggression such as destructive dams, logging, and mining on or near indigenous lands and territories." Jennifer Awingan, a Kalinga-Igorots delegate from the Philippines, talked about the mining industry in her community in an interview following the conference. Open-pit mineral extraction requires clear-cutting trees and bulldozing her people's mountains, she said." Indigenous people are no longer able to plant fruits or vegetables because the resulting mercury poisoning, produced from massive logging and mining operations, inhibits the growth of any plant life," she said, her voice rising. Awingan said that displacement is another detrimental result of aggressive mining exploration and development. "People of affected communities are driven to urbanized centers to look for better living conditions and land," she explained. " Urbanization produces a number of grave social problems, such as pick-pocketing, prostitution, and drug dealing." Yvette Stephenson, a Tinggian/Ilokana youth and an IIYC Secretariat member, highlighted the fact that a number of mining companies operating in the Philippines are based out of Canada. " Canadian-based corporations such as Toronto Ventures Incorporated (TVI) need to be held accountable for the health and environmental problems related to gold and silver mining," she said in a telephone interview following the conference. A letter signed by more than 30 international indigenous rights activists and sent to Filipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier this year, pressured her to "protect Philippine citizens and to order a halt to the destructive mining operations of this Canadian company [TVI]." The letter addressed the threats and efforts of TVI personnel to evict Canatuan residents against their will. Awingan said that in 2004, four indigenous people barricading TVI trucks in Canatuan were shot by TVI armed personnel. " In the end," she said, "the government still sided with the company." While TVI's website says that the Philippines are significantly unexplored, Awingan said that more than three percent of the country's total land area is now the object of mining applications for gold and silver alone. But Awingan has not lost hope or energy in acknowledging this hard reality she faces with fellow indigenous youths. She said that the IIYC is instrumental in igniting their anti-mining campaign. "The solidarity alone that we are able to forge strengthens us on the ground so the spirit in us knows there are others who suffer like us and support us." Don Pedro, a Maya delegate from Guatemala, has protested the presence of gold and silver mining company Glamis Gold, Ltd., in his territory. In an interview following the conference, Pedro discussed the allure mining companies have at home. When Glamis first entered San Marcos two years ago, he said, they promised schools, health centers, roads, and jobs to people in the community in exchange for land. At the beginning, Pedro recalled, many in San Marcos believed the company's pledges and sold their land. But Pedro said the promised jobs never manifested, nor did the schools or the health centers. When the people of San Marcos realized that the guarantees would never materialize, they began to mobilize the community and the country to oppose corporate mining. "We have to stand up for our rights because the mountains are our life and the gold and silver is the heart of our mother," Pedro said.While many indigenous people believe that the government has little power or will to change the face of harmful mining practices, Pedro said that building connections internationally is imperative. Because one of the Glamis offices is in Vancouver, he said, "We need to work with Canadians who can pressure their government and the corporations and say, please don't come and intervene on indigenous lands and life—please do not exploit them." Dustin Johnson, Tsimshian youth and an IIYC Secretariat member, reiterated the importance of strengthening existing indigenous youth networks and establishing new ones. He said the IIYC declarations and resolutions are key instruments that should be used to pressure international and local bodies to recognize and address indigenous rights and autonomy." An important outcome of the conference was the awareness of each others' struggles and the ability to understand the power we have if we work together." Johnson said. "This is only the beginning of a new fire that will burn for generations to come."

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Two things

The first thing
In Winnipeg, at approximately 10 p. m. Tuesday night, two anti-malathion activists (Glenda & Jim) were arrested as they defied the police order to clear the entrance of the city malathion fogging truck compound at 3 Grey St. About an hour later, about 25 people, residents of the Woseley neighbourhood and their supporters, made a stand on Alloway Avenue, blockading the road and standing off with police.

News and photos at Windymedia:
http://www.100megs29.com/~imcwpg/item.php?1578S

The second thing
There is an online petition calling for review of the Devil's Lake water diversion project by the International Joint Commission http://www.petitiononline.com/DevilsLk/petition.html

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Condemn the UN massacre in Haiti

Winnipeg community vigil & picket in front of SNC-Lavalin, one of the biggest Canadian corporate profiteers of the occupation of Haiti at 1600 Ness Avenue (at St. James st near Polo Park mall) at 1 p. m. on Thursday, July 21st. You are also welcome to join us for a teach-in and discussion on the occupation of Haiti, as well as to make signs and plans for the action the following day, on Wednesday, July 20th, on the 2nd floor of 91 Albert St at 7 p. m. On July 14th, shortly after midnight, six more Haitian civilians were reported killed by UN occupation forces in the Boston neighborhood of Cite Soleil, including three children, aged 9, 5, and 4. Haitian activists believe this was an attempt to intimidate people from participating in a big demonstration scheduled for later that day in Cite Soleil. The demonstration of 5,000 people was organized to protest on-going killings of civilians by UN forces since July 6th (for details, see: http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/7_13_5/7_13_5.html). For the past several weeks, UN forces have been staging nearly daily attacks in Haiti targeting the popular neighborhoods of Cite du Soleil, Bellair, etc., in an attempt to suppress democratic forces in Haiti demanding the return of elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This event is part of an international day condemning the massacre and the occupation. Participating cities include Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Miami, as well as cities in Brazil.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Campaign to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

It's crucial that the public realize that the fight to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska from oil and gas drilling is not over. With that in mind, a broad coalition of religious, conservation and other organizations recently launched "Arctic Refuge Action," a summer-long national grassroots and media campaign to save the refuge. The final vote in US Congress that will decide the fate of the refuge will likely be in September. Please visit http://www.savearcticrefuge.org/ to keep updated on the events of the campaign. In the meantime we could all send emails to our MLAs, MPs and the PM as well.

EMAIL:

To: pm@pm.gc.ca,

Dear Prime Minister Paul Martin,

I strongly urge you to make public your opposition to the drilling of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is nothing more than an unacceptable sneak attack on Arctic wildlife. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is not a path to energy independence or lower gas prices. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the Refuge has less than a single year's supply of oil that would not reach the market for at least 10 years. The harm to wildlife, and to the greatest wildlife refuges on the planet, would be irreparable. People of conscience need to band together to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, for the future, and for the traditional and environmentally-integral livelihoods of the indigenous and rural populations of the Arctic. Please take a stand on this issue, for the sake of all the living beings who depend on that land.

Sincerely,
[your name]

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Two easy emails

Email #1

To: regan.g@parl.gc.ca, Minister@cic.gc.ca

To the Honourable Ministers Joe Volpe and Geoff Regan,

Dr Salam Ismael is a young, respected Iraqi doctor who has spoken in many nations about the plight of his people. He has been refused permission to visit Canada to speak.

Please see this link:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/07/07/doctor050707.html

Given his established record as a conscientious humanitarian speaker, and knowing that his behaviour has been in accordance with the terms of his travel permits during his other foreign speaking engagements, one can only conclude that he was refused permission to speak in Canada due to his politics: he challenges the role of the US in Iraq. It is disquieting to think that a man who does not have even a whisper of an allegation against him of any improper conduct should be declined the right to speak in Canada. It seems an affront to the freedom of speech and dialogue that are at the heart of the operation of a healthy democratic state. As a sovereign nation and as a citizen-driven democracy, Canada ought to permit this man to visit and to be heard by Canadians. Salam Ismael is a doctor who has served his country in trying times, and likely has something material and concrete to contribute to our understanding of the situation in Iraq. I hope the decision to decline Dr Ismael permission to speak in Canada will be reconsidered.


Thank you,
[your name]

Email #2

To: premier@gov.bc.ca, marketing@sunpeaksresort.com
To Gordon Campbell and Darcy Alexander

I am writing in support of the Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center that has been protecting Secwepemc lands and culture that is being destroyed by Sun Peaks Resort and in support of the four Secpwemc youth who were recently jailed for their courageous defense of their land and their rights. It is clear that despite the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized Aboriginal Title, and that the Canadian Constitution of 1982 protects Aboriginal Title as an Aboriginal Right yet your political decision has been to extinguish Aboriginal Title. The recent Haida decision added a legal duty government and industry to consult and accommodate Aboriginal Title even before it has been proved. It is clear that the recent endorsement by Canada and British Columbia of the $285 million dollar expansion of Sun Peaks is a deliberate and clear effort to extinguish Aboriginal Title. Negotiations under the present extinguishment policy and process is failing (those negotiations have only been a benefit to those negotiators who get a pay check from those funds for the last 10 years); that the injunctions are not necessarily always conducive in balancing the interests between business and Aboriginal Rights; and that full blown court decision takes 10 to 14 years; and all of these remedies put Secwepemc people at a decided disadvantage when dealing with the governments that are committed to an out dated status quo of marginalizing indigenous economic and cultural rights. I reiterate the position of the Skwelkwek’welt Protection Center that wants the expansion of Sun Peaks stopped and demand a new federal policy that recognizes Aboriginal Title in line with the legal mandate to consult and accommodate Aboriginal Title.

Yours sincerely,
[your name]

Friday, July 08, 2005

To: pm@pm.gc.ca

Dear Prime Minister,

I call on the government of Canada to do its part to create effective controls on the trade of weapons by:

- Reforming Canadian law to require permits or licenses for all military and security exports from Canada to their final destination, including the United States.

- Ensuring that the assessment of permit or license applications for all countries includes a more rigourous analysis of the impact on human rights.

- Undertaking faster action towards the ratification and implementation of two key international conventions related to small arms to which it is signatory: the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials and the UN Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. Three more years is too long to wait.

- Supporting the development of a global Arms Trade Treaty in time for the 2006 United Nations conference on small arms.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Two simple actions

1.
Hassan Almrei is asking friends and supporters to contact the Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to demand that he get an hour outside of his cell every day to walk. After all, it's doctor's orders. Email Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services at mkwinter.mpp@liberal.ola.org CC correspondence to tasc@web.ca

2.
Call Kimberly-Clark’s toll-free customer service line today. Call the number below right now and let the company know that their forest crimes won’t pay, because you’re going to stop buying their products until they change their ways. Kimberly-Clark customer service numbers:
Canada and USA: 1-800-544-1847 (between 9 am and 5pm Eastern Standard Time, weekdays)
After hours Canada and USA call and leave a message at for: 1-972-281-1200
Other countries: Click here for list
Consider using the statements below for your phone call:
• I would like to comment on some of the tissue products that Kimberly-Clark is producing
• I am unhappy that Kleenex brand tissue products are made from clearcut ancient forests and have no recycled fibre in them whatsoever.
• Please consider maximizing the use of recycled fibre in the tissue products sold in local grocery stores like the one I shop at in [your city name]
• Kimberly-Clark is not practicing sustainable forestry and I will not be buying Kimberly-Clark products until such a time as they improve their business practices.
• Corporations like Kimberly-Clark should be more environmentally responsible by producing tissue products that are ancient forest friendly. Kleenex brand tissue products are not forest friendly.