Canada stalling on UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights
Canada is shameful in how it has teamed up with the US and Australia to stop the UN from passing a declaration on Indigenous rights. By aligning us with Bush and Howard, PM Harper has shown, once again, his true colours in the total disregard for the rights of our First Nations Peoples and for human rights in general. With this, he has moved us closer to the ideology of the Straussian school and its neocon agenda, of which the PM is an alumnus like his good friend Bush.Canada stalling UN declaration on indigenous rights: Amnesty International
CBC News
21:35:56 EDT Jun 19, 2006
SYLVAIN LAROCQUE
MONTREAL (CP) - Canada has teamed with the United States and Australia to stop the United Nations from passing a declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, says Amnesty International.
The human rights group, along with opposition parties, accused the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday of stalling the declaration along with these other nations. It's been twenty years that the international community has been working on a declaration on aboriginal rights, said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.
"It's difficult to imagine an important issue of human rights that the governments of the world have taken more time to resolve," Neve said Monday.
"The problem of the human rights of indigenous peoples is urgent," said Angus Toulouse, president of the Assembly of First Nations.
"It's not necessary for the rights of these people to come in second place in order to please the United States, New Zealand and Australia."
Last month, representatives of those three countries sent out a joint statement calling the declaration "profoundly imperfect."
The UN declaration would guarantee "auto-determination" for indigenous peoples, giving them the right to reclaim traditional territory and refuse military activity upon traditional lands.
Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said the declaration contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, when it comes to aboriginal land claims, as well federal laws on national defence.
"The text is clearly in need of work," Prentice said.
But "we support the adoption of a declaration on the rights of aboriginal peoples and we're working on that."
The UN's new council on human rights will consider the declaration at a meeting that began Monday and will last through to June 30.
First Nations and Amnesty International hope the council adopts the declaration. If they do, the text could be put to the general assembly of the United Nations at their next meeting in September.
If Canada, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand succeed in convincing the council not to adopt the law this time around, First Nations groups said they fear it will never happen.
At the beginning of the month, a House of Commons committee adopted a Bloc Quebecois motion demanding Ottawa support the declaration.
On Monday, Liberal MP Anita Neville chided the Conservatives for abandoning the leadership shown by the Liberals, who she said supported the motion.
Prentice responded by saying that "no Canadian government ever supported" the declaration.
No excuses, Mr. Prentice. You and your neocon minority government is turning the clock back to Canada's colonial beginnings. Meanwhile, on the world stage we are increasingly perceived as a country that is emulating the U.S. (Add Kyoto, etc. to the list!)
Canadians may as well kiss their image as a progressive, peace-keeping, 'just society' good-bye! In your blind haste to get rid of Martin's Liberals, you have elected a Bush-Howard wannabe. You asked for it, you got it, and when you see your own precious rights and liberties go down the drain, you will have your just rewards.
Shame on Canada! Shame on us all!
Tags for this entry: Canada, Amnesty International, Indigenous Rights.
posted by Annamarie at
1:10 AM
5 comment(s):
There is one Canadian political party that has respect of indigenous peoples and minority cultures written directly into its articles. For example:
♦ recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to the basic means of their survival, both economic and cultural, including rights to land and to self determination; and acknowledgment of their contribution to the common heritage of national and global culture
♦ recognition of the rights of ethnic minorities to develop their culture, religion and language without discrimination, and to full legal, social and cultural participation in the democratic process.
Some parties "get it" and some don't. Why is that?
Keep up the good work.
By
Art Hornbie, at
11:14 AM
wow, love the way you can pack a punch!!! keep it up, well done!
By
scout, at
6:54 PM
Thank you Herbinator, Cheezwhiz and Scout for your comments.
Herbinator; the only party that comes to my mind with that description is my party: the NDP.
I don't know why some parties "get it" and some don't. Probably because most of them don't have a social conscience and don't give a damn about the 'average guy'. That's why Tommy Douglas is one of my heroes, and always will be, regardless of what his detractors say.
Cheezwhiz; I know what you mean. I like your description: "..peter potato patch's rat-like face..". Very apt!! Yes, the news is so hard to take especially nowadays. Like I've told Scout, I need to move away somewhere quiet, where there's solitude... I am getting too upset by all the ongoing insanities... Hard for me to stay detached, can't do it. Social justice is my core... But maybe on the next weekend, I'll take a day off and not watch TV or read my papers, or turn on pc, etc.... (Maybe I can do it, just for one day.. )
Scout; Thanks! You know me, I am overly-polite most of the time, but with all the injustice and wrongs getting increasingly worse, my anger rises.
I saw something on CBC Newsworld late last night about the Ojibwa Reserve near Sarnia. (I didn't catch the correct spelling of the Reserve's name, but maybe you know. It's a bit of a tongue-twister, Aamngiwanng, or something close to that... I was very tired by then..)
Anyway, the Natives there have all kinds of serious health problems, caused by the dangerous toxins from the huge petro-chemical plant. The St.Clair River is poisoned, and the small creeks are filled with oily sludge. It is such a tragedy that it made me cry, then see red, then get so disgusted that I couldn't write down all the info.. Maybe you can find out more & let me know, or post about it on Harper-Valley..
Cheezwhiz may know more about this too..
If any of you do, please either post about it or let me know more...
Thanks to all of you for your encouraging words! Your blogs are wonderful, and I've bookmarked them for regular reading.
~amd
By
Annamarie, at
2:06 AM
Where did you find it? Interesting read » » »
By
Anonymous, at
1:54 PM
I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you! youn teen pussy com Nude teens having sex pets vitamins nude teen xanax overall more effective than ativan Nylons on legs super sexy Botox for enlarged prostate Gay pics of yu-gi-oh's dick Philadelphia used portable dishwasher Hardcore indians Games words scrabble
By
Anonymous, at
2:45 AM
Post a comment
<< Home