Our Land, Our Rights, Our Peace: Philippine Leaders visit Canada, March 20-April 5

Our Land, Our Rights, Our Peace: Philippine Leaders visit Canada, March 20-April 5

By Joyce Valbuena

The Open for Justice campaign, organized by a faith-based social justice organization, KAIROS, is bringing to Canada five delegates from the Philippines, including political, faith and indigenous leaders. The delegates will visit six cities from March 20 to April 5 to ask the Canadian government to address the issues on human rights violations and resources extraction projects in the Philippines by Canadian mining companies. The group also aims to generate diplomatic support for the ongoing peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front.

The delegation will visit the cities of Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto.

Delegation members include:

• Bishop Antonio Ablon, Philippine Independent Church (Anglican), Zamboanga del Sur

• Carlos Zarate, Member of Philippine Congress (Bayan Muna PartyList); Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources; Vice-Chair, House Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity

• Anie Bautista, National Coordinator, Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human Rights in the Philippines (EcuVoice)

• Eufemia Campos Cullamat, Indigenous leader from Mindanao

• Nenita Condez, Subanen (Indigenous)  woman leader from Mindanao

In Ottawa, the delegates and representatives fromKAIROS and the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability will meet with a number of Parliamentarians to demand the Government of Canada to appoint an extractive-sector Ombudsperson to monitor Canadian mining operations overseas, and to facilitate access to the Canadian courts for non-nationals who have been harmed by the international operation of Canadian companies. The members of the Parliaments whom they will meet include:

Gary Anandasangaree, MP/Liberal
– Member, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
– Member, Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Kyle Peterson, MP/Liberal
-Member, Standing Committee on International Trade

Celina Caesar Chavannes, MP/Liberal
-Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development (Dr. Anie Bautista, EcuVoice)

Michael Levitt, MP/Liberal
– Chair, SubCommittee on International Human Rights

Cheryl HardCastle, MP/NDP

John MacKay, MP/Lib

Public events and forum in each city are scheduled where the delegates will share first-hand accounts of human rights violations in the context of mining projects in the Philippines, including violations of Canadian-owned companies. The delegates will also be meeting with Parliamentarians, Church representatives and community leaders in these six cities.

Ottawa

Mass at Christ Church and Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, with sermon given by Bishop Antonio Ablon
The mass will be followed by a Q&A with the congregation
Sunday, March 19, 10am
101 rue Symmes Gatineau (Alymer) Quebec

Roundtable: War on Indigenous peoples in the Philippines
Examining the struggles of the Lumad People of the Philippines against mining and development aggression
Monday, March 20, 3-5 pm
083 Tabaret (Senate Chambers University of Ottawa)

Meet & Greet Luncheon
Tuesday, March 21, 12:00 – 2:30 pm
Great Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, 439 Queen Street

Filipino Indigenous Peoples Speak Out: Our Land, Our Right and Our Peace
Wednesday, March 22, 6-9pm
Public Service Alliance of Canada, 233 Gilmour Street

Press Conference
Thursday, March 23, 9-10:30 am
Charles Lynch Press Gallery, Room 350-N, Centre Block

Calgary/Edmonton

Building Peace in the Philippines
Saturday, March 25, 5-8pm
FCJ Centre, Auditorium, 219 19^th Avenue SW, Calgary

Public Forum: For a Just and Lasting Peace
Saturday, March 25
University of Calgary, Professional Faculties Building Room 3257

Public Forum: For a Just and Lasting Peace
Sunday, March 26, 1-3pm
University of Alberta, Education Building, ED129
11210 87th Avenue, Edmonton (University LRT)

Montreal

Community Dinner and Short Presentation of the tour
Friday, March 24, 6pm
Immigrant Workers’ Centre, 4775 Van Horne Avenue, Suite 110

Bishop Ablon to Join in Leading Worship
Sunday, March 26, 10am
Beaconsfield United Church, 202 Woodside Road, Beaconsfield, Quebec

Community Dinner and Public Forum with Philippine Solidarity Friends
Sunday, March 26, 5pm
St. Columba House,  2365 Grand Trunk St

KAIROS Montreal Ecumenical Gathering
Sunday, March 26, 6-8pm
Christ Church Cathedral, 635 Saint-Catherine Street West, at McGill Metro

Winnipeg

Impacts of Mining and Conflict on Indigenous Women and Communities in Mindanao
Wednesday, March 29, 7-9 pm
Sir William Stephenson Library, 765 Keewatin St., (Bus # 30717 and/or 30810)

KAIROS Cambrian Agassiz – MEET and GREET
Building a Just and Lasting Peace in mining affected Indigenous communities in Mindanao
Sam’s Place, 159 Henderson Hwy (Bus #41 Henderson Express)

Toronto

Brown Bag Lunch: Mining and the Peace Situation in the Philippines
Friday, March 31 1-1pm
Presbyterian Church in Canada, 40 Wynford

Public Forum: Organized by Migrante and Anakbayan
Saturday, April 1, 2-5 pm
OISE Room 5-620 Bloor St.

Ecumenical /Solidarity Gathering, Reception and Presentation
Tuesday, April 4, 7-9 pm
Mary Ward Center, 70 St. Mary Street

For more information about the Open Justice campaign and the Philippine delegation itineraries, visit Kairos website at http://www.kairoscanada.org/