DEFENSORA
“Defensora is a deeply moving testimony to incredible courage in the face
of wanton brutality and a shining tribute to the human search for justice.”
(Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians)
Followed by a discussion with:
Murray Klippenstein, lawyer for the Mayan Plaintiffs
Craig Scott, Member of Parliament for Toronto Danforth
Saturday, Jan. 31st – 7:30pm
Walter Stewart Public Library
170 Memorial Park Avenue (1 block north of Mortimer Ave., 2 blocks west of Coxwell Ave)
Closest major intersection Coxwell Ave. and Mortimer Ave.
Public Transit – TTC O’Connor bus northbound from Coxwell subway station.
Hosted by Craig Scott, Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth
Sponsored by:
CINEMA POLITICA DANFORTH
RIGHTS ACTION www.facebook.com/rightsaction
MINING INJUSTICE SOLIDARITY NETWORK To be confirmed
MINING WATCH CANADA To be confirmed
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE To be confirmed
OXFAM CANADA To be confirmed
PROTEST BARRICK To be confirmed
BROADBENT INSTITUTE To be confirmed
COUNCIL OF CANADIANS – TORONTO To be confirmed
LAW UNION OF ONTARIO
CUPE ONTARIO To be confirmed
Screening is FREE but donations will be gratefully accepted.
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About the Film
DEFENSORA –
Canada / USA / Guatemala — Spanish / Mayan w/ English subtitles 2013 41
Director Rachel Schmidt
Defensora is a documentary about a Mayan Q’eqchi’ resistance against mining in Guatemala. The story is set along the shores of Lake Izabal in the community of El Estor where a nickel mining company has operated for over 50 years. Tensions run high against a backdrop of pro and anti-mining camps, violence and forced evictions. The film takes audiences into the lives of defenders in the resistance who struggle to reclaim their ancestral lands and seek justice in Canadian courts for alleged human rights violations.
Watch Defensora’s preview trailer: https://vimeo.com/41162423
www.defensorathefilm.com
Defensora on facebook: www.facebook.com/Defensora
DEFENSORA documents the historic and on-going land and community defense struggles of Mayan Q’eqchi communities in eastern Guatemala, and their struggle for justice and remedy in Canadian courts against the nickel mining company Hudbay Minerals.
Defensora follows the story of sisters Maria and Angelica Choc, who lead a
Mayan Q’eqchi resistance in Guatemala to reclaim ancestral lands and seek justice
in Canada for the murder of Angelica’s husband, the shooting-paralyzing of
German Choc Chub and the gang rapes of 11 Mayan women.
Set along the shores of Lake Izabal, where tensions run high against a backdrop
and history of violence, intimidation and forced evictions, the stakes are high for the
Mayan Q’eqchi people who risk their lives to protect their lands, speak the truth and
seek justice in Canadian courts, and for Hudbay Minerals that continues to deny their allegations.
“Defensora is a timely documentary that provides candid insights into the
brave struggles of Angélica, German and other Maya Q’eqchi’ women and men
in El Estor, Guatemala who, faced with the grave harm that Canadian
mining operations have brought about, are on the frontline of the battle
for justice in Canadian courts.” (Jen Moore, MiningWatch Canada)
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For more information:
Visit http://www.cinemapolitica.org/danforth
or http://www.torontodanforthndp.com
Check out ‘Cinema Politica (Toronto-Danforth)’ on Facebook.
Call David Langille – langille@yorku.ca or 647 280 7747
Click here to read the Law Union of Ontario’s written submissions to the TPSB responding to and commenting on the CAPP Report.
In November, 2014 Logical Outcomes released its Community Assessment of Police Practices (CAPP) report titled Community-Based Assessment of Police Contact Carding in 31 Division. The report was commissioned by the Toronto Police Services Board to evaluate the implementation of the TPSB’s “Community Contacts” policy enacted to respond to concerns respecting the practice of “carding” and its disproportionate impact on racialized youth.
At its public meeting of December 15, 2014, the TPSB considered oral deputations and written submissions responding to and commenting on the CAPP report. The Law Union of Ontario’s submission to to the TPSB can be viewed here.
The Law Union of Ontario strongly opposes the proposed new legislation known as the “Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act”, or Bill C-10. This new bill would amend the Criminal Code to criminalize the possession for the purpose of trafficking of contraband tobacco (any tobacco product for which taxes have not been paid to various levels of the Canadian government), and includes mandatory minimum jail sentences for repeat offenders. The new law would effectively criminalize much of the First Nations tobacco industry, and further impoverish peoples impacted by colonialism and dispossession.
This new law violates principles of international, domestic, and treaty law. As sovereign nations, First Nations assert their rights to economic self-determination and deny Canada has the right to tax their economies, making C-10 amount to illegal economic sanctions. C-10 will disproportionately impact Indigenous people and make jail the only available sanction, violating Supreme Court of Canada decisions in R. v. Gladue, R. v. Ipeelee and R. v. LadueC-10 LUO statement
C-10 LUO statement, which call for a different approach. Further, many mandatory minimum sentences have been ruled unconstitutional, as they violate the Charter of Rights. The tobacco trade is viewed as an Aboriginal right, respect for which is mandated by section 35 of the Constitution. As a violation of the Two Row Wampum treaty and its principle of non-interference in the affairs of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), the law seems destined to cause conflict.
Bill C-10 will impact communities, families and workers. By attacking the fledgling First Nation tobacco trade, many people will lose their livelihood, contributing to further destitution and dislocation. Such effects will hurt Indigenous families, especially women, forcing them from decent jobs onto the street, where the crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women is already at epidemic proportions. Such outcomes are unconscionable.
Bill C-10 is not about health, as there is no evidence Indigenous tobacco is linked to worse health effects than conventional cigarettes. No credible evidence of links between organized crime and Indigenous tobacco has been shown. Instead, government and big business seek to profit by taxing or suffocating First Nations economic development, and seek to criminalize those who stand for self-determination.
The new law will undoubtedly be resisted in and out of the courts. Indigenous people and their allies will stand firm against further government oppression and criminalization. The Law Union of Ontario stands in solidarity against this unjust bill.
C-10 LUO statement.pdf
C-10 LUO statement.docx
The Law Union of Ontario held its Annual Conference this past weekend at Victoria College in Toronto. In case you missed it, we were able to record two of the panels that took place over the weekend. Below, find videos for the panels Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: What Can Law do?, and Victory at the Supreme Court: What’s next for Sex Work with Terri-Jean Bedford.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: What Can Law do?
Victory at the Supreme Court: What’s next for Sex Work with Terri-Jean Bedford
Aboriginal Elder: Laureen “Blu” Waters
Terri-Jean Bedford
Karin Galldin
Chanelle Gallant
Audience Questions