Human Rights International Solidarity Committee (HRISC)
Contact: Lisa David 604-527-5301 davidl@douglascollege.ca
Human Rights International Solidarity Committee (HRISC) Terms of Reference (TOR) (PDF)
Dear Douglas College Colleagues,
The speaker-panelists have just been announced for our upcoming FPSE-HRISC Speaker’s Tour 2022, sponsored by your Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC’s (FPSE-BCs) Human Rights and International Solidarity Committee (HRISC), including DC Local #4. As your Douglas College Faculty Association’s HRISC representative, I am pleased to invite you and your students to our two online Speaker’s Tour 2022 panel events coming up on Reading Week, February 22 and later on March 10. Both online webinars are open to all faculty and wider publics, however, they do require advanced online registration.
Our FPSE-HRISC Speaker’s Tour theme this year is “Human Exploitation at Home and Abroad” with online panels and a short documentary film (Kalinga/Care) focused on Migrant Workers in Canada (Feb 22, 6pm PT). On March 15th (4pm PT), the focus is on Canadian Mining-related worker and human rights issues. Here is an extract from the FPSE website and registration links for both events. NOTE: Each event requires a separate registration.
<< FPSE’s annual Human Rights Speakers’ Tour is coming up and we’re shining a spotlight on the overlap of human rights issues at home and abroad. Join us Feb 22 for a film screening and discussion about how we can honour and recognize the labour of migrant workers. Then on March 10, we’ll have an expert panel explaining the connection between Canadian mining companies and their complicity in human rights abuses abroad.
February 22 (6pm PT) Event Panelists: Kent Donguines, Aimer Films; Maria Facundo-Lilly, Featured in Kalinga; and Fuerza Migrante. Moderated by B.C. professors and union activists David Sadoway (KPU) and Eduardo Azmitia (Capilano University). Event is free and open to all. The direct link to the Migrant Workers Panel is: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fpse-human-rights-and-international-solidarity-committee-presents-kalinga-tickets-269109332257
March 10 (4pm PT) Event Panelists: Catherine Nolin, Grahame Russell, Jeffrey Webber, and Merle Alexander. Moderated by B.C. professors and union activists David Sadoway (KPU) and Lisa David (Douglas College). The direct link to the Canadian Mining Panel is: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lilDnHZ2TGKbWhZ-EBs4Lg
Event Panelists:
Catherine Nolan and Graham Russell. Will be discussing their book Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala, where they draw on their years of community-based research and direct community support work in Guatemala to expose the ruthless state machinery that benefits the Canadian mining industry. The edited volume tells the horrific story of Canadian mining in Guatemala through the voices of some of the people most affected by the impact of mining at the Community level.
Jeffrey Webber is a political economist and will be discussing his book, Blood of Extraction, Canadian imperialism in Latin America. This book examines the myriad ways Canadian based multinational corporations, backed by the Canadian state, have developed extensive economic interests in Latin America over the last two decades at the expense of Latin American people and the environment. Jeffrey illustrates the strategies used by the Canadian state to silence this resistance and advance corporate interests.
Merle Alexander a lawyer and member and hereditary chief of Kitasoo/Xai’xais is going to discuss how the current BC mining laws and industry standards fall short of emerging global standards for sustainable mining centred on respect for human rights and the protection of communities and the environment. How the business-as-usual approach in BC has been compounded by the governments continued neglect of indigenous people’s rights after passing the declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
This Speaker Panel will be moderated by B.C. professors and union activists Lisa David (Douglas College) and David Sadoway (KPU). The direct link to the Canadian Mining Panel is: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lilDnHZ2TGKbWhZ-EBs4Lg
The event is also listed on our FPSE website here: https://fpse.ca/news/meetings-events/speakers-tour-2022.