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Peter Showler, former head of the Immigration and Refugee Board, currently director the Refugee Forum, a human rights education centre at the University of Ottawa, wrote an open letter to CIC Minister Jason Kenney. It was published in Embassy magazine . * * * * The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. Citizenship and Immigration Canada Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1 September 19, 2010 Dear Minister, On July 22 of this year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sent a directive to all Immigration Officers in Canada that sets a basic principle of refugee law on its head. The directive, Operational Bulletin 202, concerns the processing of military deserters who claim refugee status in Canada. The first paragraph of the directive sets out the following line of logic: Military deserters from other countries have sought refugee protection in Canada. Desertion from the Canadian military is a serious criminal offence. Therefore these deserters may also be serious criminals and therefore inadmissi

See below for more information. CANADIANS CONTINUE CAMPAIGN TO GET STATUS FOR IRAQ WAR RESISTERS Federal Court of Appeal ruling in Hinzman case stands as government chooses not to appeal Wednesday, September 29, 2010 OTTAWA--Despite support by the majority of Canadians for US Iraq War resisters, Bill C-440 An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (war resisters)­ failed to pass at second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening. While the bill received strong support from a large majority of opposition members of parliament, it needed 7 more votes to pass. "This is a setback for Iraq War resisters seeking permanent resident status in Canada, but our campaign to make the government respect the will of the majority of Canadians on this issue is far from over," said Michelle Robidoux, a spokesperson for the War Resisters Support Campaign. "These courageous men and women have the support of two-thirds of Canadians across the country, and they ar

The Globe and Mail headline put it best: "‘I'm coming to get you,’ George Galloway tells Jason Kenney" . Galloway arrives in Toronto Saturday, and will speak at Trinity St Paul's United Church the following day, Sunday, October 3, at 3:00 p.m. It will be quite a triumphant scene! We sure could use that right now .

We lost. 143-136. More when I can.

Twelve hours from now, we'll know whether Bill C-440 lives or dies. The vote in the House of Commons is today at 5:45 pm. Core campaigners have been very busy - contacting opposition MPs, reaching out to our network of supporters all across Canada to encourage specific Members, working closely with Gerard Kennedy's office, and in general leaving as little to chance as possible. It's been nerve-wracking, but it's also been beautiful to witness. If we win this fight, it will because so many good people worked together to make it happen. If we lose, it will be a great injustice, and we will continue to fight. I fully expect we will win this vote and the Bill will go to committee. But until it happens, we're all holding our breath and biting our fingernails.

In case you didn't hear elsewhere, the FBI raided and vandalized the home of peace activists in Minnesota, claiming they had links to terrorist organizations. This wouldn't be big news if not for the current so-called anti-terrorism laws - under which these peace activists could be imprisoned indefinitely without charges. Local coverage: The homes of six Twin Cities activists, including three prominent leaders of the Twin Cities antiwar movement, were raided Friday by the FBI in what an agency spokesman described as an investigation into activities concerning the material support of terrorism." An FBI spokesman Steve Warfield confirmed that six Minneapolis homes were raided this morning. Among the homes raided were the apartments of Jessica Sundin, who was a principal leader of the mass antiwar march of 10,000 on the opening day of the Republican National Convention two years ago, and Mick Kelly, who was prominent in that protest and among those who announced plans to mar

See update below. The media is trying to sell this as a defeat for Galloway and his supporters. It is anything but. Subject: Federal Court slams government interference in Galloway ban FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, September 27, 2010 Federal Court slams government interference in Galloway ban Former British MP to announce plans to return to Canada Toronto – Federal Court Judge Richard Mosley issued a 60-page ruling today that slams the federal government for attempting to ban former British MP George Galloway from entering Canada. The ruling vindicates Galloway and his Canadian supporters who argued that Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney made a political decision to try to keep Galloway out of Canada, not one based on national security claims. According to Justice Mosley, “the main reason why the respondents [the Federal government] sought to prevent Mr. Galloway from entering Canada was that they disagreed with his political views.” The ruling also refutes governm

Last week, there were actions in more than 20 cities in support of accused whistleblower Bradley Manning. You can read about them at the Bradley Manning Support Network . Here's a video of the small but spirited vigil held in Toronto. To help support Manning, you can write to him, get updates on his case, donate towards his legal defense - and support military resistance to endless, for-profit war.

Today at 11:00, the House of Commons will have a second hour of debate on Bill C-440 , the private member's bill that would allow US Iraq War resisters to apply for permanent residence in Canada. If you don't get CPAC on TV, you can watch it online here . The second-reading vote is scheduled for Wednesday, September 29 at 5:45 p.m. Canadian readers, I hope you've all called your opposition MPs. If you haven't yet, it's not too late: call today.

The march of privatization goes on. In a country with money for war and nothing else - where most corporations get taxpayer subsidies but pay zero taxes themselves - corporate interests profit from empty public coffers. And in some cases, they profit from public ignorance. A private company in Maryland has taken over public libraries in ailing cities in California, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas, growing into the country’s fifth-largest library system. Now the company, Library Systems & Services, has been hired for the first time to run a system in a relatively healthy city, setting off an intense and often acrimonious debate about the role of outsourcing in a ravaged economy. A $4 million deal to run the three libraries here is a chance for the company to demonstrate that a dose of private management can be good for communities, whatever their financial situation. But in an era when outsourcing is most often an act of budget desperation — with janitors, police forces and even entire

This evening I was slightly roughed up by a Toronto cop. And the first thing I thought of - unlike anything I've ever experienced before - was, "Don't talk back, don't move, don't look at her. Don't escalate." I thought of the G20, and I thought, I don't want to get hurt, I don't want to get arrested. That's how terrorism works. I got out of work early tonight, 7:00 instead of the usual 10. King Street in front of Scotia Plaza was barricaded off for a film shoot. I ignored it and stepped past some traffic cones. I could hear someone with a megaphone on the other side of the street directing people to move me. One of the production assistants asked me to leave. I said, "Sorry, I'm not missing my bus for your movie." I managed to get to the corner of King & Bay, where people were being held on all four corners, and I tried to cross the street. A production assistant told me I couldn't go. I told her my bus runs once per hour

Just before classes started, I added to my growing library of war resister literature* by reading The Taste of Metal: A Deserter's Story by Jack Todd. Todd is a sports columnist for The Montreal Gazette and a novelist . Originally from Nebraska, Todd deserted from the US military in 1970 and came to Canada, settling first in Vancouver before moving to Montreal. A Taste of Metal is an excellent read - gritty and unsparing, compassionate and keenly observed. For me it was interesting to compare this book to the deserter's story I'm most familiar with, Joshua Key's The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq , which I've written about here and here , among other posts. Josh's book focuses on why he joined the Army and his experiences in Iraq - what he witnessed and was forced to participate in. After Josh realizes he cannot return to Iraq, the book follows his desperate struggle to live underground in the US,

We have an historic opportunity to reaffirm Canada as a haven for conscientious objectors to war - and to force the Harper government to respect the will of Parliament and of the people. Please call your NDP, Liberal or Bloc MP and ask them to support Bill C-440! * * * * * From the War Resisters Support Campaign to all our supporters: URGENT ACTION ALERT – Ask your MP to vote for Bill C-440 Dear friends, We thank you for your ongoing support for Iraq war resisters. The campaign to allow these resisters to stay in Canada has reached a critical moment. Bill C-440, the Iraq war resisters bill, will go to a vote on Second Reading next week (likely on Wednesday September 29th). The Bill, which follows on two concurrence motions which were passed in the House of Commons, represents the will of Parliament and the democratic will of Canadians. IF YOUR Member of Parliament is an opposition MP (from the Liberals, NDP or Bloc) please urge them to be in the House to support Bill C-440! EVERY VOTE

Best watched on mute, in my opinion, but don't miss it. Many thanks to James.

One of the most challenging - and most important - parts of being an activist is learning how to say no. If you're an activist, you've been there. No, more than that, if you're an activist, you live there, almost all the time. Setting boundaries and limits is important in all aspects of life, and something many people find it difficult to do, whether for work or family obligations. Many of us have had painful experiences around giving too much, and have had to learn to set firmer and more explicit boundaries. You've been there, I've been there. But today I'm writing about boundary-setting in relation to grassroots activism. When you're an activist, you're working hard to achieve goals that you care deeply about. Time is always short, as everyone is juggling several pursuits, trying to squeeze unpaid activism around other non-negotiables. Hopefully - presumably - you enjoy what you're doing, and you love the people you're doing it with, so the act

From the War Resisters Support Campaign to all our supporters: URGENT ACTION ALERT – Ask your MP to vote for Bill C-440 Dear friends, We thank you for your ongoing support for Iraq war resisters. The campaign to allow these resisters to stay in Canada has reached a critical moment. Bill C-440, the Iraq war resisters bill, will go to a vote on Second Reading next week (likely on Wednesday September 29th). The Bill, which follows on two concurrence motions which were passed in the House of Commons, represents the will of Parliament and the democratic will of Canadians. IF YOUR Member of Parliament is an opposition MP (from the Liberals, NDP or Bloc) please urge them to be in the House to support Bill C-440! EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Please take a moment and phone your MP to ask that they vote in favour of the Bill. You can also use our online form to send an email to your Member of Parliament. Here are points that you can raise when you call your MP: • Say that you are a constituent and that y

The one-year anniversary of war resister Rodney Watson taking refuge in a Vancouver church was all over the Canadian media , especially, of course, in Vancouver. In response to this story in The Province , responses were generally unsupportive . That's not surprising, given what we know about comment sections in online media - and given that the Harper government has paid operatives trolling the internet . Here's a great letter in response to one of those misinformed comments. Comparing war resister Rodney Watson to a firefighter not wanting to go into a burning building is ridiculous. The true analogy is that Watson did not want to be a firefighter who was forced to set fire on people after he already served his contract. He signed up to defend the U.S., but saw instead the Iraq War was based on lies, so he followed the Nuremberg principles and refused to participate in war crimes. For this he has the support of the majority of Canadians and of Parliament, and would be a free

Ah well, no Red Sox baseball in October this year. I've assumed this for a long time, but we watch the season until the end, regardless of standings. I haven't suffered through 2010 as many Sox fans have. I just stayed in the moment and went along for the ride. I also missed many more games than I usually do, so at least I didn't do that in a championship season! I see last year's "movie season starts early" post was in mid-October. Ouch. So this is my annual post where I ask you what movies you saw over the past year that you highly recommend. As I mentioned here , we may concentrate this Movie Season on TV series, beginning with " Slings & Arrows ," which many people have recommended to us and which we've never seen. "Death Comes to Town" is also on the list, at least for now. Do you have another television series that you love and think we should see? We're not big sci-fi fans, although if something is really stellar, we won

The Mark asks, "What's missing from the Canadian conversation?" Gerard Kennedy answers, "War Resisters". Please watch and share.

Bill C-440, the private member's bill that would allow US Iraq War resisters to apply for permanent residency in Canada, continues second reading at the end of this month. The second hour of Parliamentary debate will take place on Monday, September 27, and we expect a vote a couple of days after that. Organizers with the War Resisters Support Campaign (myself included) have been working non-stop to mobilize our supporters, leaving no opposition MP unturned when it comes to this vote. More on that soon. Meanwhile, please watch this amazing video about the campaign and Bill C-440. It's been a long time in the making, and is finally released for to the public today. Please share with everyone you know who wants to live in a Canada that is a "refuge from militarism".

Today, September 21, is the International Day of Peace . Peace activists all over the world will take actions, practical and symbolic, large and small, to remind us that war is a choice, and peace is possible - and necessary. I hope to go to a ceremony today in Mississauga at the Peace Stone . This Saturday in Toronto, thousands of people will form a human chain , voicing their opposition to Canada's war on Afghanistan. More information here or here on Facebook .

Anyone following The People versus Fox News North story, by now knows that Toronto Sun printed a retraction of some of the more egregious lies they had published about activist-philanthropist George Soros. [I know we can't expect proper grammar from a published newspaper, but the first sentence of the second paragraph is a whopper.] Many bloggers have been chronicling the day-by-day blows of Chief Wingnut Ezra Levant and his attacks on Soros and the online activist group Avaaz, but this story by Alheli Picazo, writing on Rabble provides history and context. Excellent work, highly recommended. Ezra Levant vs. reality -- a prelude to Fox News North By Alheli Picazo The battle between supporters and opponents of Sun TV News -- the Fox News style channel headed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's former communications director Kory Teneycke -- reached new heights when members of the ‘Fox News North' team took issue with a growing online petition urging the CRTC to reject Que

You know what September 19 is, don't you??? Arrrrr! (Thanks to David and Stephanie for the reminder!)

Did you know that, earlier this month, 60 million workers in India went on strike? The walk-outs shut down the country's banking, insurance, telecommunications, power and transit industries, among other sectors. One million workers walked out in the banking sector alone! Millions of workers in India stayed away from work to protest against rising prices, job losses and state asset sales, forcing banks to shut offices in some cities and airlines to cancel flights. “Persistently high inflation has made life difficult for a common man,” said Gurudas Dasgupta, general secretary at the All India Trade Union Congress. ‘Banking and civil aviation are the worst affected sectors so far.” Today’s strike, the second in two months, affected business mainly in states ruled by communist parties. Inflation has held near ten percent this year, eroding incomes of almost three quarters of the population who live on less than $2 a day. A nationwide strike in July, called by the main opposition Bhar

One year ago today, US Iraq War resister Rodney Watson, deported from Canada by the Harper Government, accepted an offer of sanctuary from the First United Church of Vancouver. Watson served in Iraq and completed his full three-year contarct. Then the US military ordered him to return - involuntarily - through the conscription program known as stop-loss. After witnessing the war crimes and the racism of the US occupation of Iraq, Rodney knew he could no longer participate, and came to Canada. When his appeals to stay were exhausted, the Harper government ordered Watson deported. Reverend Ric Matthews and the congregation of the First United Church in Vancouver wanted to give Rodney - and Canada - another chance. We are on the cusp of an historic opportunity to affirm Rodney's sacrifice. Bill C-440, the private member's bill that would allow US war resisters to apply for permanent residency in Canada, will continue second reading at the end of this month. We'll be asking fo

Michael Moore, in conversation with filmmaker Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty, at the Toronto International Film Festival. Canadian Press story, via Winnipeg Free Press : Filmmaker Michael Moore calls Canada 'shameful' on U.S. war dodgers Renowned left-wing American documentary maker Michael Moore on Thursday blasted Canada's position on U.S. war dodgers as shameful. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Moore said Ottawa's refusal to allow U.S. soldiers opposed to the war in Iraq to find safe haven in this country betrays what the country once stood for. "It is absolutely shameful how Canada has behaved toward those who have resisted this war," Moore said. "It's not the Canada that we used to know." Moore, who has produced several acclaimed documentaries, noted Canada was sympathetic to American soldiers who refused to fight in Vietnam in the 1970s. Draft dodgers who fled the U.S. for Canada were allowed to stay here and m

Tonight, I put aside peace activism and get back to rock and roll. "Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Rolling Stones," the legendary concert film of the Stones' 1972 US Tour is coming to your town. And more importantly, it's coming to my town! This film, a document of the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World (TM) touring the Greatest Rock Album of All Time , has long been bootlegged. Most Stones fans have seen bits and pieces over the years, but not the whole thing, and not in good condition. On October 12, the movie finally will be officially released on DVD. And in advance of that, there is a one-night-only screening in theatres throughout North America - tonight . We are going and we are psyched! In a fitting coincidence, the last time Allan and I were in a movie theatre - other than for activism - was to see another Stones movie , Martin Scorcese's "Shine A Light," in IMAX. This is a real Laura-and-Allan moment. We share many things, but "Exile O

Today, September 16, kicks off the International Days of Action in support of Bradley Manning , the courageous soldier who is accused of leaking the infamous Collateral Murder video to WikiLeaks . This video, which showed the US military murdering civilians, offered hard evidence of what war resisters have been saying for so long. Manning has now spent 82 days in prison (and counting) and faces a long, grueling ordeal ahead. Our message: exposing war crimes is not a crime! The Bradley Manning Support Network has grown into an international movement. Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Michael Moore and Colonel Ann Wright are among Manning's public supporters, with peace and justice groups all over the world working to build support. On this Days of Action page, you can find an event in your area, or you can create your own . Get some materials, call two friends, and stand on a street corner, raising awareness. It's worth it. Here are some pointers to get you started. In Toronto

From the War Resisters Support Campaign : Celebrated filmmaker Ken Loach supports U.S. Iraq War resisters in Canada Loach joins screenwriter of Route Irish to endorse Bill C-440 before Canadian Parliament Award-winning filmmaker Ken Loach has joined a growing number of high-profile Canadian and international filmmakers in support of American soldiers who have come to Canada in opposition to the Iraq War. Ken Loach endorsed Bill C-440 that will debated in the Canadian Parliament later this month and would, if passed, enable U.S. Iraq War resisters to apply for permanent residence within Canada. Loach joins his long-time collaborator and screenwriter Paul Laverty to enthusiastically support the War Resisters Support Campaign and Bill C-440. The endorsement comes as their new film "Route Irish" is set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Wednesday. Route Irish is the story of a private security contractor in Iraq who rejects the official explanation

The second story that confirms my beliefs touches on something more controversial and more challenging to many people. This story in The Guardian profiles scientific evidence showing that gender-based behavioural differences are not genetic, but the result of socialization. There is almost nothing we do with our brains that is hard-wired. Every skill, attribute and personality trait is moulded by experience. The " nature vs. nurture " debate - whether human behaviour is innate or the product of environment - is centuries old. Somewhere through the decades, the terms of the debate moved from "which" to "how much". It became widely acknowledged that human behaviour is influenced by both environment and genetics, but to what degree each affects us is still the subject of much debate. When I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, the dominant trend emphasized environment. In a period of expanding civil rights and social welfare, it was seen that improving s

I have two pieces to post, both of great interest to me, both of which confirm my own point of view. I realize in some sense I'm suffering from an echo-chamber effect, reflecting and enlarging on what I already believe. But in another sense, seeing others more knowledgeable in a field use their research and experience to confirm my beliefs is not only comforting, it's illuminating. It's not as if the beliefs that are being reinforced are thoughtless or knee-jerk. My beliefs are the result of years of reading, observation, challenge, debate and internal conflict. The first piece was sent to me by very-longtime reader and internet friend deang: George Monbiot writing about ethical meat-eating. Conversations about omnivorousness, vegetarianism and veganism often leave people feeling bruised, if not attacked. So I feel I must emphasize that I am not arguing for anyone else . I have tremendous respect for anyone who chooses not to use animal products out of respect for animals.