Please visit the following link to sign an important petition to support gravely ill migrant farm worker Phillip Allen's bid to stay in Canada...

... and to stay alive.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Phillip-Allen-to-stay-in-Canada/
January 2011

We, the undersigned, write to request the Canadian government to exercise its discretion under s.25(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to permit Phillip Allen to apply for permanent residency from within Canada.

Phillip is a hardworking and dedicated husband and father who has made invaluable contributions to the migrant worker community and to Canadian society. From 2003 to 2007, he came to Canada from Jamaica each year and worked for 8 months of the year as a productive member of Canadian society as part of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program. As a legally employed worker, he contributed from his income to Canadian provincial and federal taxes and to employment insurance. He was consistently requested back by his employer.

When his kidneys failed in July 2007, Phillip became dependent on regular dialysis to survive. Without dialysis, Phillip will be dead in between 7 to 10 days. If he is forced to return to Jamaica, he will not receive dialysis. Public facilities are crippled by such long waiting lists that people die while waiting for treatment and private facilities are far too expensive for Phillip. Despite this reality, and Phillip's many contributions to Canadian society, his refugee claim has been denied. A successful humanitarian and compassionate claim is his only hope to remain in Canada.
Phillip is an important and contributing member of his community. He is a volunteer youth group leader twice a week for the youth at the Brampton Church of God, which he has been attending since 2003. Phillip is a pillar of strength for other dialysis patients; he always has words of encouragement and a positive outlook to help lift their spirits and in doing so, improve their health.

Though he can no longer work, Phillip has also remained active in the migrant farm worker community. He has donated his time, his positive outlook and his stories as a public lecturer, travelling throughout southern Ontario to share his experiences as a migrant worker with the Canadian public.

Phillip Allen is an asset to Canada and a courageous, cheerful individual. He will never receive dialysis if he is returned to Jamaica; this would be his death warrant. We ask that such a vibrant individual be allowed to stay in Canada and continue to make these contributions. If he is returned, not only will his wife and children lose a loved one, but his Canadian community will have lost a dear friend. We urge the Federal Government to accept Phillip Allen's humanitarian and compassionate claim.

To sign this petition, please visit: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Phillip-Allen-to-stay-in-Canada/

Please share widely across your networks.

G20 Defendant Alex Hundert Released from Prison, Actions of Crown Widely Condemned

January 28, 2010, Toronto - After having spent three consecutive months in jail without trial, G20 defendant Alex Hundert was released from the Toronto West Detention Centre on January 24th.

His release came after he signed a plea bargain with the Crown that he was guilty of being in breach of his “no protest condition” for being present during one portion of the panel at Ryerson University. The plea found him not guilty of breach for speaking on a panel at Laurier University, nor did the plea establish that speaking on a panel was equivalent to a public
demonstration.

On being released from jail, Hundert said, “I made this plea because I realised that I was doing no good to anyone as I sat in jail. There will be no justice in the courts because they exist to protect an unjust and hierarchical order. So I took a deal that would allow me to get back into
my community where I can continue to commit myself to issues of social and environmental justice.” Read Hundert’s statement in full here:
http://toronto.mediacoop.ca/blog/alex-hundert/5868

Initially arrested in a violent pre-emptive house raid in June on “conspiracy” charges, Hundert was re-arrested after being accused of breaching his 'no public demonstration' bail condition for speaking at panel discussions at Wilfrid Laurier and Ryerson University in September 2010. Plainclothes officers were present at both of these events.

Commented Nathalie Des Rosiers, General Counsel at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association on the entire operation, “It seems preposterous to think that public resources, policing and even corrections resources have been spent to prevent someone from attending and speaking at a University seminar. The process was unfair and the charges were exaggerated: it ought
not to have happened.”

Numerous academic bodies, unions, and civil society organizations have publicly expressed their support of Alex and have condemned the crackdown on dissent. The Canadian Association of University Teachers, Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, BC Civil Liberties Association, and Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario, have all issued statements to the Attorney General to this effect.

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations wrote in a public letter, “This criminalization of legitimate dissent represents an assault on both Mr. Hundert’s freedom of expression and the freedom of our universities to foster debate and discussion on issues of public
importance. Academic freedom – the ability to engage in controversial or challenging dialogue without fear of reprisal – is a cherished value of Ontario’s universities. Such freedom cannot exist when subjected to state surveillance or arbitrary exercise of state power.”

In a statement issued on behalf of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), David Bleakney, National Union Representative for CUPW, stated, "This travesty is about much more than just Alex however. It is about a legal and political order that promotes the erosion of rights, freedoms, and justice.” The bail condition forbidding participation in public demonstrations has itself come under scrutiny, and is the subject of a constitutional challenge put forward by G20 defendant Jaggi Singh.

Out of the over 1000 people who were arrested during the G20 in Toronto, only a handful of charges remain. Many of those arrested were never charged, and the months since have seen hundreds of those who were have their charges dropped. The abuses perpetrated by the police during and outside of the G20 summit have been gaining wide attention and condemnation in the public eye.

Adds Yogi Acharya, member of No One Is Illegal Toronto, “This on-going debacle of political targeting of activists gets more transparent to the general public every day. The Police and the Office of the Attorney General ought to be held accountable for their actions; not just during
the G20, but for the daily violence they inflict on marginalized communities.”

CKLN Licence Revoked

Thanks to everyone who has been calling in. If you want to express your support for CKLN, please send your comments to board@ckln.fm. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will send them to the CRTC.

CKLN Statement on the CRTC's Decision

The Commission's decision to revoke our license is shocking, heart-breaking and, according to CRTC Commissioner Louise Poirier, "unprecedented".

CKLN has been faithfully serving a diverse Toronto audience for more than 27 years. It is a place where anyone can get trained, learn about broadcasting and speak to their community. We have provided a place for new music, new voices and under-represented issues. We have been the Voice of the Underground.

We were not in compliance while CKLN was off-air in 2009 and in intermittent subsequent periods but this was completely unintentional and once the problems were identified, we collectively undertook in good faith to remedy them. We are responsible campus and community broadcasters and the unprecedented decision of the CRTC to revoke our license rather than issue a mandatory order took us and the broadcast community entirely by surprise.

If this decision stands it is a huge loss for Toronto and for community media across the country.

For more information, please see http://www.facebook.com/l/18763PZ4Tvy39BpC-dyj1tXPUxw;www.ckln.fm

Tea workers on the Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate in West Bengal, India have launched a new stage in their struggle for rights and justice.

When workers protested over the treatment of a tea plucker in an advanced stage of pregnancy who was denied maternity leave and forced to work, management tried to starve them into submission by denying all wages and rations for 3 months. Criminal charges carrying lengthy prison sentences have been filed against 12 workers - including the pregnant woman who collapsed in the field and was denied immediate medical care. Two workers, including her father, have been sacked from their jobs. And management continues to reject the union's longstanding demands, responding instead with more threats.

Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate is owned by Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited, a company 49% owned by Tata Global Beverages, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of India’s powerful Tata Group conglomerate.

Tata's Tetley Tea is 100% Tata-owned, and sources tea from Amalgamated - though not, it claims, from Nowera Nuddy, an argument it has employed to excuse itself from all responsibility for brutal management practices at Nowera Nuddy. Tetley is the second biggest-global tea brand, and a leading member of the UK's Ethical Tea Partnership.

You can support their struggle by sending a message to Tata/Tetley – the power behind local management – telling them to meet the workers’ demands NOW!

To send a message, click http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=551.

Ron Oswald
General Secretary, IUF

Urgent appeal: Jailed woman trade union leader in Bangladesh

It has now been more than five weeks since the illegal arrest of Moshrefa Mishu, President of the Garment Workers Unity Forum in Bangladesh (pictured).

There was no warrant for her arrest at the time that heavily-armed plainclothes officers took her off to jail, where she remains - in poor health and badly treated.

Her real crime was leading a protest campaign to demand the implementation of the legal minimum wage.

I'd like to ask you to take a moment to send off an urgent message of protest to the government of Bangladesh demanding her release.

Please click http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=846 to do so.

If you're on Facebook, please also sign up to support the cause at http://www.causes.com/causes/567255.

And also please forward this message to your fellow union members - let's mobilize thousands of trade unionists around the world to demand Mishu's release now.

Anishinabek to participate in long-form census

UOI OFFICES, NIPISSING (January 20, 2011) – The Anishinabek Nation is encouraging its citizens to participate in the 2011 Census in order to ensure adequate funding for such priorities as education, health care and economic development on and off-reserve.

“We are actively promoting collection of information from Anishinabek communities so we can gather specific data about our on-reserve and off-reserve citizens,” said Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee.

The Anishinabek Nation and Statistics Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today establishing a partnership for the complete and accurate enumeration of Anishinabek citizens in the 2011 Census and the National Household Survey.

Under terms of the MOU, each Chief and Council will need to issue a Band Council Resolution authorizing the census and promoting the active participation of community members. Statistics Canada will hire at least one person from each of the Anishinabek member communities to assist in the data collection.

The Anishinabek Nation is promoting the National Household Survey, also known as the “long-form” census.

“The short-form census is really of no use to us because it does not provide data on such things as Aboriginal status and our socio-economic situation.”

“Completion of the long-form survey is purely voluntary but this is the information that is essential for our funding requirements,” Madahbee added. “This is our chance to get accurate and up-to-date data on the socio-economic status of our communities and our Nation.”

Anishinabek citizens residing on-reserve are urged to complete the National Household Survey form when the enumerator calls upon them. Those living off-reserve will receive a letter from Statistics Canada in the mail and are urged to complete the National Household Survey online, following the instructions provided in the letter.

“Involving our citizens in initiatives like the census is in keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” the Grand Council Chief said. “For example, Article 14 says signatory states should work with indigenous peoples to have access to culturally-appropriate education. Data from census participation will contribute to that.”

The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 39 member communities across Ontario, representing approximately 55,000 people. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

Building from the Bottom Up! “Smart Settlement” in Practice Conference

Registration Now Open!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On Thursday, January 27^th, 2011, at the Ajax Community Centre, Ajax, Ontario; the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), is hosting a one-day conference called Building from the Bottom Up!: “Smart Settlement” in Practice.

Over the last three years, CASSA has connected and developed partnerships with community agencies, leaders and members in small and medium size municipalities in the province. Over this time period we have had many successes, challenges and lessons learned. We have also been observing the excellent work that our colleagues have been doing throughout the province. Thus, this conference is an opportunity for us and others pursuing community engagement for systems change to share experiences and develop skills and capacities.

Similarly, in an environment of limited resources, the settlement sector has moved towards more collaboration, partnership development and the sharing of resources. This forum provides members of the sector a venue to reflect on the political, social and economic environments, to network, and to develop a vision for the future of the sector.

Please join us for this very important event!
What: Building from the Bottom Up! – “Smart Settlement” in Practice Conference

When: Thursday, January 27, 2011

Time: 9am to 5pm

Location:

Ajax Community Centre

HMS Ajax Room

75 Centennial Rd (off Clements & Monarch)

Ajax, ON, L1S 3R3

(This location is wheelchair accessible)

Meals: A light breakfast and lunch will be provided

Admission: Agencies with a budget of over $200,000 per annum: $50.00
Agencies with a budget less than $200,000 per annum: Free
Students and unwaged, underemployed: Free

Registration is required. To register online http://www.cassaonline.com/index3/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&chronoformname=building

To register by phone, contact Ayshia Musleh at 416-932-1359, ext. 17.

Registration deadline: Monday, January 24^th, 2011

For all other inquiries, please email Ayshia Musleh: wco@cassa.on.ca